Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Durham County Challenge Cup Quarter Final
Sunderland RCA travelled to the Gateshead International Stadium for the Durham County Challenge Cup Quarter Final against a Gateshead Reserves side. RCA manager Neil Hixon had Marc Ellison, Leon Carling and John Ryan missing from the squad but was able to call on Richie Logan, returning from suspension, to partner Martin Smith in attack. David Duke came into midfield for Scott Richards in the only changes from the eleven who started against South Shields at the weekend.
RCA faced a Gateshead side that boosted three recognised first team members, Brian Wake, Johnny Allan and Josh Gillies, as well as goalkeeping coach Chris Porter.
RCA started the brighter of the two sides utilising Joe Walton and Harrison Davies on the flanks. Walton was first to exposes his man, outpacing left back Kieron McDonald, his cross was inch perfect for Davies who had cut in from the left but, unmarked, he directed his header straight at Porter in the Gateshead goal.
Next it was Davies, getting to the byline he hung a left footed ball to the far post for Walton to slide in but his attempt, on the half volley, only found the side netting.
RCA were exploiting the wide areas with the Gateshead full backs looking vulnerable. Walton, in particular, was causing the Gateshead defence problem switching between getting to the byline and crossing deep to the far post.
After 10 minutes of play Gateshead created their first opportunity. A long, hopeful ball over the top interested Wake who set off in a foot race with James Oates. The Gateshead striker looked second favourite for the ball but through a mixture of persistence, strength and pace he came out on top. With Oates down Wake cut into the box and seemed to have time to finish with no defenders around him. However, the moment of indecision gave the RCA defence time to get back into position and combined with Gary Hoggeth in the RCA goal they were able to clear.
The RCA midfield were picking tidy passes around Gateshead. Keeping the ball on the floor and passing from the back Keith Graydon was lying deep in midfield offering an outlet to the defence with Duke playing in an advanced role augmenting the attack. With the two midfield men linking up well RCA were able to supply Smith and Logan with the ball at their feet. Slipping in Logan inside the penalty area the striker cleverly stepped away from the Gateshead defender who hung out a leg. Logan went down and the cries from the stands said clear penalty however the referee who was in a good position yards away said no to the dismay of Logan and the RCA support.
Again passing around Gateshead, RCA made inroads through the centre of the pitch. With Duke and Graydon exchanging passes in front of Gateshead’s two banks of four Logan showed for the ball. A careful triangle of passes between him, Graydon and Smith found the latter in behind the Gateshead defence but his goalward shot was blocked.
In an extended spell of possession RCA were committing men forward. Penned into their area Gateshead were playing with one attacking outlet in Wake. Pushing both full backs forward RCA were firing dangerous balls into the box that were being well defended by Gateshead. Advancing down the left with the ball at his feet Paul Talbot switched play across field to Steve Jones. With time and space the fullback took a touch to compose himself then fired a 35-yard effort towards the top corner that had Porter beaten. The ball came back off the inside of the upright and with the Gateshead keeper stranded Smith slid in to try and convert into the empty net. The ball, however, got caught under his feet and by the time he was able dig it out the chance was gone and Gateshead were eventually able to clear.
Finally obtaining some tenure over the ball Gateshead looked confident in possession and gave the RCA defence something to think about with Gillies in particular looking dangerous. After 27 minutes Andy Brown slipped in Wake behind the RCA defence. He was able to turn his marker and closing in on goal with Hoggeth advancing Wake produced a sublime finish from an acute angle, chipping the ball over the RCA keeper to give Gateshead the lead.
RCA responded immediately. Davies, outstripping Gateshead right back Luke Gilbert, fired a low cross across goal and, with defender and goalkeeper afraid to make contact, Logan was left with a tap in. Again from the restart RCA pressed. Davies and Talbot combining down the left, Talbot’s deep cross was met by Walton at the back post who’s header across goal provided Logan with the simplest of finishes.
RCA continued to control much of the first half play. Just before the interval Gateshead gave RCA a reminder of their attacking threat. After some good possession football Brown found Gilles on the left. Gilles ran at Jones beating the RCA right back before stepping away from a second challenge and passing the ball passed Hoggeth. Gilles cross-come-shot was goalbound but Carl Beasley was positioned well and cleared.
Micky Coghlan came on to replace Keith Graydon in the centre of the RCA midfield at the interval. RCA began the second half with the same impetus, attacking down the flanks and pressuring the Gateshead goal. Just before the hour mark Davies cross was charged down resulting in an RCA corner. Davies went over to take the corner firing low to the near post. A flick at the front post found its way through the bodies and Beasley slid in to increase RCA’s lead.
RCA replace Smith with John Toft and from the restart Gateshead moved on the attack. Feeding the ball to Gilles who once again instigated problems in the RCA defence the winger drove from a seemingly untroubling position, outpacing his man and stuck the ball with pace, nearside, into the top corner passed Hoggeth.
RCA to kick off. Holding onto possession RCA produced an effective passing move down the right flank with Walton feeding the ball inside to Logan. With the ball at his feet Logan shrugged off a challenge from the player in attendance and unleashed a 15 yard drive that passed Porter before he had attempted to make the save.
As the second half progressed Gateshead, with the impressive Wake as their spearhead, began to have more influence on proceedings. They could, and perhaps should, have got back into the game when Wake was found six yards from goal but headed over and then moments later Hoggeth made a crucial save at the feet of Jonny Evans after a Rob Briggs knock down.
RCA continued to create chances Davies put the ball in the back of the net but was correctly flagged offside and in a similar move Davies was again put through, this time beating the offside trap, and stuck straight at Porter. The Gateshead keeper made the save pushing the ball into the air and leaving his goal empty. Davies, stretching, struck the ball on the volley but it was a difficult chance and the winger put it wide.
The narrative subplot was the tale of two forwards, Logan for RCA and Wake for Gateshead. Logan, with a hat-trick already to his name, was picking the ball up deep and frightening the Gateshead defence running with speed and skill. At the opposite end Wake was causing RCA just as many problems.
An interchange between Logan and Davies down the flank helped open up the Gateshead defence once again. The ball was fed, from the left, to the feet of Walton. With McDonald in tow Walton stepped over the pass dragging the full back out of position and leaving Toft with time and space in the 18-yard area to finish. With Porter advancing from his line Toft stuck high, but directly at the keeper, and Porter made the easy save.
With 15 minutes left to play RCA took their foot off the gas as fatigue set in. Areas of the field that before the RCA midfield and defence had worked hard to close down began to be left open and the quality in particular of Gilles and Wake began to show.
Gateshead pulled a goal back in the 81st minute. Coghlan with the ball at his feet attempted to spray a pass out wide to Jones. The ball was sloppy and comfortably intercepted by Allan who ran at the exposed RCA defence. Reaching the edge of the area Allan shot straight at Hoggeth who was able to parry it away. The loose ball fell to Briggs whose strike squirmed under the feet of Hoggeth, as he attempted to make the second stop, and into the back of the net.
The third goal reinstated Gateshead belief and propelled them back into the game. As they put heavy pressure on the backline the RCA defence was forced into some last ditch challenges to keep their winning position intact. But, with five minutes left to play, Gilles stepped in from the left and arched an excellent effort in off the inside of the far post for the equaliser.
Gateshead could sense a winner and in the last minute of normal time it came. An unnecessary challenge gave Gateshead a freekick 25-yards from goal. Gilles stepped up and his spectacular attempt struck the bar with the RCA defence left watching. Allan reacted first and with no one around him he converted into the empty net.
Game over you would believe, but RCA found the time to fashion another two chances. Substitute Joe Fairish, who had come on minutes earlier for Duke was only stopped from bravely connecting with a diving header six yards from goal by the vital challenge of Danni Lay after Davies attempt had spun into the air. Then Logan stepped past three challengers with the ball at his feet and shot low and hard towards the near post only to be cruelly denied by a good save from Porter.
Gateshead advance to the Semi Final with a tie against either Spennymoor Town, Dunston UTS or Norton & Stockton Ancients to look forward to while RCA reflected on an opportunity missed in what was simply an epic encounter.
