1 August 2009
Pre Season Friendly
Mancunians get shock treatment
“From South Shields onwards we've been consistently good in our build up.”
- Neil Hixon
“The passing and movement in the first half were excellent and we've carried on.”
- George Herd
Sunderland RCA comprehensively outplayed and out fought a visibly shocked Atherton Collieries in their first home friendly in the pre-season build up to the 2009-10 campaign.
Mark – Sparky – Davison went nap, there were braces for Mickey Coghlan and Mark McLeod and Paul Taylor slotted home a penalty.
RCA kicked off down the slope and were instantly pressuring the Atherton defence. There was little waiting for the first breakthrough: a classy 25 yard strike from Mickey Coghlan in the centre of the park soared past the keeper.
RCA mustered more attacks. On 10 minutes a great cross from Gary Shields from RCA's right led to a corner, but the referee blew for a foul in the six yard box when the ball was played in. On 15 minutes a direct free kick from the corner of the box was curled over the cross bar. On 16 minutes a Harrison Davies cross from the left was met first time by Mark Davison, whose shot hit the near post. Moments later another cross from Gary Shields led to Sparky heading just wide. Five minutes later and it was Harrison Davies' turn to have a direct shot from 28 yards, which the keeper parried. There was no one from RCA on hand to follow up.
On 25 minutes RCA went two up following excellent work from Harrison Davies. Under pressure from two Atherton defenders he twisted, turned and crossed perfectly for Mark Davison to rifle home from 12 yards.
Two minutes later and RCA went three up. Through his usual combination of skill and determination Gary Shields won a 30:70 ball on the left, ran forward and fed Mark Davison who turned to avoid defenders and pick his spot.
On 35 minutes Sparky got his hat trick, holding the ball up, passing, getting it back again in the right channel to turn and shoot across the keeper into the far corner. Cue celebrations!
On 39 minutes RCA went five nil up, Paul Taylor converting a penalty after the referee judged that Scott Richards had been brought down unfairly in the area.
On 42 minutes Wayne Henderson went down after a knock to his knee and needed treatment. Minutes later through he had to come off and was replaced by Dave Anderson. (A few minutes into the second half, Dave was to go over on his ankle and had to come off. Neil, George and Glen will be wrapping Andy Reay and Paul Wardle in cotton wool.)
If spectators thought that was effectively the end of the first half they were wrong. On 44 minutes short interplay passing down the left ended with Michael Coghlan's second from six yards. Well into added time, a Gary Shields cross was met by hit man Mark Davison who headed home from 12 yards.
HT: Sunderland RCA 7 Atherton Collieries 0
For the second half, Rob McLean came on for Gary Hoggeth in goal and new signing Matthew Noble replaced Steve Jones at right back. Shortly into the half Adam McGuinness gave way for Dave Turner and Mark McLeod came on with Scott Richards moving into the back four for Dave Anderson following his ankle twist.
With wind and the slope and no doubt stung by their first half experience Atherton showed much more of their game, putting the RCA defence under some pressure, none of it telling though.
On 70 minutes, Mark Davison headed on a through ball. It looked unfortunate when the turning Paul Taylor slipped, but he still went on to win an RCA corner. The ball was played short to Gary Shields, whose cross shot was turned in by Mark McLeod at the far post.
Three minutes later and Mark Davison was back in on the scoring act. Clean through he looked to have taken the ball too far wide as he rounded the keeper, but he cut back in and knocked the ball home to make it 9 – 0 to the home side.
Atherton had not given up. On 74 minutes RCA keeper Rob McLean had to rush from his area and head clear to avoid being one-on-one with an Atherton forward. Two minutes later Mickey Coghlan nearly hit a deserved hat trick from a header following a Harrison Davies cross.
Mark McLeod wrapped up the scoring with his second and RCA's tenth, when following more RCA pressure, he ran in to score from a tight angle on the left.
SRCA team: Gary Hoggeth, Steve Jones, Adam McGuinness, Wayne Henderson, Paul Wardle, Scott Richards, Gary Shields, Michael Coghlan, Mark Davison, Paul Taylor, Harrison Davies, Dave Anderson, Dave Turner, Matthew Noble, Mark McLeod, Chris Curtis, Adam Forest.