2 September 2009
U18s Friendly
Plus DFA County update!
Although the season started last Saturday, the management agreed to one more friendly to look at the strong squad which has been reduced to 22 players.
Well the management knows it's going to be hard to keep 22 players happy, but given that five players have officially qualified for the initial county squad (plus a further three still getting looked at) the problem could be manageable. Opportunity and chances at RCA! Good luck to the five that have initially qualified: goalkeeper Graeme Pickering, defenders Liam Dunn, Marc Moon and Luke Olabode plus centre forward Lee Andrews. Two recently on trial at SAFC to boot!
Six changes were made for tonight's game and all seemed keen to make their mark. The game opened at swift pace as both teams looked to get forward. RCA were attempting to play their normal passing game, but Wallsend were quick to close down and the home side showed early that they were going to move the ball directly to very quick forwards.
RCA made the breakthrough though when Nathaniel Crinson converted on 20 minutes. However Wallsend equalised when a cross into the box hit off defenders and goalkeeper and ended up over the line. 1-1. Crinson increased the lead to 2-1 when he was again alive in the box and hit home from 10 yards.
All the squad were involved tonight and the additional experience of RCA began to show in the second half when more chances were created. James Alston hitting the post with a great 20 yard effort before Crinson completed his hat trick with the goal of the game on 60 minutes. Taking the ball down chest then touch, he drilled a great effort into the bottom right corner from well outside the box.
Fair play to Wallsend though they never relented and when they won a corner it was drilled in and poor marking allowed a free header that did to be fair go in like a bullet. RCA upped the ante and created more chances, one of which was converted by the very lively Andrews who again got rewards for hard chasing on defenders.
A decent game for the neutral and food for thought for the management. Hard test ahead away to Willington on Saturday