Sunderland RCA FC 0 Newton Aycliffe FC 4

RCA's Aaron Brown battles for the ball in the first half of the match.

Saturday, 28 December 2013

EBAC Northern League Division 1

Goalscorers: SRCA: none      Aycliffe:  Owens (2), Atkinson, Butterworth.

Please click here for photos from the match.

A dismal performance against a vastly improved Newton Aycliffe side ends a disappointing year at RCA. Just 11 wins and nine draws in 53 matches means yet another battle against relegation is looming.

2013 has certainly been unlucky for the small band of RCA followers who have braved the eliments in support of their team and I for one am hoping for a much better 2014.

Andrew Brown was unavailable due to tonsilitis and John Jury moved into the centre of midfield giving an opportunity to Aaron Brown at right back. This looked like a babtism of fire as he would be up against the vastly experienced ex-RCA winger Harrison Davies. In the centre of defence Wray was preferred to Wilkinson.

RCA started well but it was Aycliffe who had the first effort on goal when Owens slipped his marked before firing ina low shot which was blocked by Preston at the expense of a corner.

RCA were quickly back on the attack and a long range effort from Wilson was deflected for a corner, the naer post corner was partially cleared but fell to Patton who stabbed the ball toward goal however Raitt was on hand to clear off the line.

In the 10th minute Raitt again had to scramble the ball away when Baynes shot looked destined for the back of the net.

A long ball from Mitton found Davies on the left wing and he sent a 40 yard diagonal ball to Butterworth who fired in a low shot which Carmichael did well to save.

A minute later and Aycliffe took the lead, Wilson was dispossessed on the half was line and the ball was played forward to Owens who dribbled past two defenders and from an acute angle blasted the ball into the net off the chest of Carmichael.

Aycliffe almost doubled their score when Atkinson broke clear of the RCA defence but his cross shot went well wide of the far post.

RCA were reeling under the constant pressure being applied by Aycliffe and it looked to be only a matter of time before Aycliffe would score.

In the 32nd minute a freekick was awarded to Aycliffe on the angle of the area. The cross was charged down by the two man wall, but the referee awarded a penalty as the ball had struck the raised arm of Wilson. Up stepped Owen to send Carmichael the wrong way and double the visitors lead.

Worse was to follow five minutes later when a cross from Davies was picked up by Atkinson who blasted the ball home from 10 yards out.

RCA responded as the game headed toward half time. Patton went on a good run but his final shot was off target. Then in the final minute of the half Wray thundered a header against the bar with Spence well beaten.

The second half saw a much better display from RCA and in the opening minute they should have reduced the deficit when Patton played in Barton, but his shot was well blocked by Mitten. The loose ball fell to Wilson who drilled the ball low and it was saved by the legs of Spence.

RCA huffed and puffed in an attempt to get back into the game but all to often they were let down by the final ball which was invariably intercepted by Mitten who had an outstanding game at the heart of the Aycliffe defence.

On the hour mark Aycliffe made it 4-0. A corner was swung into the box where Butterworth rose unmarked to send a bullet header into the roof of the net. Simplicity itself.

The final 30 minutes produced little in the way of goalmouth action as Aycliffe killed the game off. Any threat from RCA was easily extinguished by the efforts of Mitten and Young with Raitt playing his part in midfield.

For RCA Jury was the only player who shone although the introduction of Stanger mid way through the half lifted the team and his passing opened up the Aycliffe defence on a couple of occassions but Spence was able to respond when called upon.

Too often today we gave the ball away our passing was poor, our positional play was non existent and when we resorted to playing a long ball game we made life easy for the Aycliffe defence.

Lets hope for a better 2014.