Sunderland Sunday League
Thursday 26 March 2009
Grangetown Florists strengthened their championship challenge with a 3-1 victory over RCA Barnes on a blustery night.
Kicking with the wind and down the slope in the first half RCA were more than a match for their opponents and should have taken the lead on at least one occasion when in form striker Andy Place beat the offside trap, but then dragged his shot wide of the left hand post from inside the box. As so often happens RCA were made to pay just a minute before half time when a strong run down the right resulted in a deep cross that split RCA's two centre halves and was despatched by the head of Peter Benson.
H-T 0-1 to Florists
RCA were then caught completely cold from the restart as a long crossfield ball from wide left found Lee Owens in acres of space in the inside left channel (where were the RCA left side defence? Asleep, me thinks!) Owens duly smashed an unstoppable shot across the keeper and into the left corner of the net. Uphill for RCA now, but credit they kept going and created a couple of half chances, but the game then turned against them again when a ball into the near post, from Florists left was met by a Florist forward, a RCA defender and the RCA keeper, all arriving at the same time, resulting in the ball going over the goal line, goal kick or corner was the only debate, but the referee decided a penalty was the decision, much to the amazement of both sides, and Florists duly scored.
RCA replied almost immediately when good work down the left wing from Willie Crew sent over a deep cross. Andy Place rose at the far post to float a header into the angle to make it 3-1 to Florists and still time to make a game of it. Florists decided to defend their lead and Willie Crew should have added a second for RCA minutes before time when Andy Gilberts shot was blocked by the keeper, but Willie headed over from directly in front of goal and only five yards out - hey ho, what might have been.
Florists saw out the remaining five minutes and now appear to be on course for their first championship since the heady days of the late eighties when they were the team to beat. And the best of luck to them.