Crook Town 2 Sunderland RCA 2

FA Cup

Saturday, 18 August 2007

Sunderland RCA travelled to ANL 2nd Division Crook Town in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup. With the revenue and exposure generated by a good run in the competition, RCA were looking to record their first win of the campaign.

Again hampered by injuries RCA were missing no less than 11 players from the squad, (Lawson, Hall, Lawton, Laidler, Jarvis, Goodwin, Fox, Robinson, Andrews, Dodd and Middleton) however they did include Winspear, Hanlon and Thomas, all making their first starts of the season.

The game started brightly and the visitors should have taken the lead in the first four minutes when some good play and a great ball into the box found Crew unmarked six yards from goal. His header was easily saved by the keeper diving to his right. The game was being played at a frantic pace with Crook going direct at every opportunity to the tall forward and trying to play off the bits.

RCA had another good opportunity when Winspear delivered from the right. Crew flicked on at the front post, but nobody reacted quickly enough and the home keeper came and collected low in the six yard box. The visitors took the lead when Crew fired in from the left hand side of the area, after beating the offside line and being played in with a clever ball over the defence from Dixon.

Crook restored parity on the half hour when awarded a free kick on the left hand side. The ball was swung into the box, the knock down bouncing high for the Crook forward to head in off the post with Moss caught flat footed. RCA attacked hard and almost took the lead again when Winspear drove past the fullback, raced into the box, but just overran the ball for the keeper to come and collect.

The second half started with RCA in the driving seat, Thomas becoming a pivotal figure, and passing the ball much better and shorter than the home side. They again took the lead with some decisive passing down the left, good interplay between Dixon, Hanlon and Thomas who delivered a quality ball to the back stick for Butler to head home above the defender.

Crook leveled for the second time when awarded a corner on their left hand side. The ball was thrown to the back post and the Crook forward was allowed a free header. Hanlon headed clear and Henderson completed the clearance. However the linesman flagged and indicated the ball had crossed the line, resulting in the referee awarding the goal.

In the final 10 minutes RCA attacked with great purpose. Dixon beat two defenders before firing a great drive just wide from 20 yards, Thomas passed to Butler, who spun and fired goalwards, a deflection seemed to wrong foot the keeper, who changed direction and produced a top quality save. The corner resulted in Moss just heading wide.

So, a draw and back to Meadow Park for the replay on Tuesday night, when RCA hope to have four or five players returning.