Tuesday, 28 September 2010
STL Northern League Division 1
Sunderland RCA travelled to Billingham Town on the back of Saturdays 7-0 demolition of Esh Winning. Manager Neil Hixon was forced into two changes from that side with Paul Wardle coming in at left back and Gavin Parkin taking a place on the right side of midfield for the unavailable Joe Walton and David Duke.
RCA started promisingly looking confident in possession and it was not long before they created the first opening. A tidy passing move down the right hand side gave Steve Jones the chance to deliver. His cross was blocked by the closing defender but the loose ball was intelligently anticipated by Micky Coghlan. Coghlan took the ball to the byline and floated a delightful cross over the flapping Billingham Town goalkeeper, dropping at the back post and only needing a touch that the onrushing Martin Smith could not provide.
With RCA on top Billingham Town kept on reverting to their only attacking option at their disposal of switching a long, crossfield ball that were time and again easily read by James Oates and Carl Beasley in the RCA defence.
Richie Logan was causing Billingham Town continual problems. His strong running was exposing the fragilities in the Billingham Town defence and on the half hour mark he should have opened the scoring with a chance all of his own making. Logan ran onto a seemingly innocuous ball into the channel and through either skill or just shear determination his first touch took him inside his marker who was now afraid to make a challenge. Logan ran through on goal with Smith screaming for the square ball to tap into the empty net. Logan choose to go alone and, using the outside of his foot to bend the ball around the advancing keeper, he fired on goal sending the ball agonisingly wide.
RCA were having the better of possession and creating the better chances but the sides went level at the half.
The second half began as the first ended with Logan providing an efficient attacking outlet and it was his hold up play that led to the opening goal. Attacking on the counter Logan fed the ball into Smith who cleverly beat the first defender and ran onto purposefully to the byline and whipped a ball between goalkeeper and defenders that was turned in by Harrison Davies.
Billingham Town tried to get back into the game but it was RCA who looked more dangerous on the counter with Davies having the beating of his man. RCA should have got a second when Logan and Smith combined well again pulling the ball back to Coghlan but his goalbound effort was fantastically blocked by a Billingham Town defender. Davies again had a chance. Getting round the back of his defender, his powerful shot was palmed straight back to him by the Billingham Town goalkeeper but he cued his second shot wide.
With 10 minutes remain RCA looked comfortable despite Billingham Town attempting to pressure but a chance was always likely to present itself. Oates closed down a long-range effort but the ball span up in the air and over the RCA defence. A Billingham striker reacted first and only a great reaction save by Gary Hoggeth denied him.
RCA held out the remainder of the match comfortable to make it three wins, and clean sheets, in three.
