Sunderland RCA FC 0 Armthorpe Welfare FC 2

05 September 2009

FA Vase First round Qualifying

Sunderland RCA welcomed Armthorpe Welfare from Doncaster to Welfare Park for this first round Preliminary FA Vase match. Both teams are top of their respective divisions, both teams are unbeaten in the league and have only lost one cup match. So this should be an interesting match.

Armthorpe took advantage of the wind and the slope and were on the offensive from the off forcing a corner when an overhead kick by Holden was well saved by Hoggeth. When the corner was swung into the near post Nelthorpe was first to react steering the ball into the net from two yards out. 1-0 down inside two minutes was not the sort of start that RCA wanted.

In the 10th minute Coghlan beat two players on the right wing before crossing for Davison who missed the target with a free header from eight yards.

Armthorpe immediately went down the other end and RCA conceded another corner; this time when it was swung into the near post and the ball was cleared but only as far as Nelthorpe who this time hooked the ball into the net.

RCA were shocked by this second goal, but continued to play some good football and it was only the final ball that was letting them down.

RCA were awarded a penalty after 35 minutes when an Armthorpe player was adjudged to have handled inside the box. Davison stepped up but his spot kick was well saved by Murray.

Hoggeth was called into action again as the second half came to a close when Davis fired in a shot from 35 yards,

The second half saw RCA piling on the pressure as wave after wave of attacks were repelled by a well organised Armthorpe defence.

Davison had a header which went wide then a long range effort from Coghlan flew over the bar. McBryde and Davison combined in a one-two which resulted in a shot from McLeod going wide.

Armthorpe seemed happy to absorb the pressure and try to counter.

Whatever RCA did Armthope seemed able to cope with and James Walker was outstanding. For all their second half supremacy RCA did not test Murray in the Armthorpe goal.