Sunderland RCA FC 2 Newcastle Benfield FC 0

RCA clear their lines in the first half of the match. Photograph © Denise Haworth.

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

EBAC Northern League Division 1

Goalscorers: SRCA: Winter, Barton

The management team were forced to make changes for tonight's visit of Newcastle Benfield, Halliday retained the midfield slot replacing Brown (working), Gary Shields came in for the injured Morris (Ankle Ligament damage) and Kris Summers replaced Clough (working).

Newcastle Benfield for their part gave a late fitness test to Benjamin but he was deemed unfit to play, and new signing Paul Brayson started at centre forward.

RCA overcame a persistent Benfield team to record a 2-0 home win. The performance once again showed how good the team spirit is at the moment. When we were under pressure early in the first half nobody hid, everybody took responsibilty and as the game progressed we got better and better culminating in two well taken goals.

The opening minutes of the game saw both teams set up good attacks only for them to break down in the final third.

The first real chance of the game fell to Benfield when they won a corner which was taken by Bowey. Slaughter was first to the ball and it took an exceptional save from Jameson, tipping over the bar.

Almost immediately RCA were on the attack, a sweeping ball from Halliday found Shields on the right wing and he cheekily tried to beat the keeper with a curling cross but Grainger was alert to the danger and plucked the ball from underneath the bar.

The midfield battle was was very competitive as Bowey and Slaughter looked to get the upper hand on Halliday and Home-Jackson but the home pair were giving little away.

As the game ebbed and flowed it was Benfield who created the best chances. In the 23rd minute a clearance by Wardle was pounced on by Williams, but his curling effort was well saved by Jameson. From the resulting corner the ball was flicked into the danger area by Slaughter and into the path of Brayson, but the Benfield striker fired over the bar.

RCA supporters had to wait until the 35th minute before their team started to really click into gear. A cross into the box from McGuinness saw the ball headed goalward by Winter forcing Grainger into only his second save of the game.

Within minutes Halliday had a shot blocked before Barton sliced wide from the rebound.

A catostophic slip by a Benfield defender gave RCA the lead in the 43rd minute. Grainger rolled the ball into the path of Carl who slipped and passed the ball straight to Winter who calmly sidefooted the ball past Grainger and into the far corner of the net from 25 yards.

A minute later and the same striker had the ball in the net again this time from 35 yards out, but his team mate was deemed to be offside prior to Winter receiving the ball. A super strike all the same.

It could so easily have been 2-0 at half time. When Shields was sent clear of the Benfield defence, he chose to shoot rather than cross the ball and Grainger parried the ball inches away from the advancing Thompson.

Benfield opened the second half brightly with Babtist testing Jameson with a long range effort which the RCA keeper saved with some ease.

On the hour mark Jameson, who was having an outstanding game, pulled off the save of the match. Bowey won the ball in midfiled and found Luccock in space and with time to pick his spot from 18 yards out, he struck it perfectly and it looked a certain goal until the right hand of Jameson clawed it away from the bottom corner a truly brilliant save.

As the half progressed the game was getting bogged down in a midfield battle and both defences were coping with the problems posed by the attackers.

However in the 73rd minute that all changed when RCA were awarded a freekick 35 yards out. Home-Jackson took charge of the kick which was straight off the training ground; a ball to the far side of the six yard box saw Barton unmarked and the RCA striker headed powerfully past Grainger to make it 2-0.

RCA were starting to pick up the pace as the game went into the final 10 minutes and the introduction of extra speed up front in the form of substitute Gash was causing Benfield problems.

In a final flurry, Talbot forced another save from Man of the Match Jameson.

In the end RCA came out on top; it could have been so different had they not been so resolute in defence during the first 20 minutes.

This was a solid performance by a squad who do not want to be beaten and who have developed over the last few weeks an understanding of each others' play. Long may it continue.

Match photos courtesy of and © Denise Haworth:

The opening goal

RCA celebrate the second goal, a header from Gavin Barton