Saturday, 13 January 2011
STL Northern League Division 1
Another away day this time to last season's Second Divison champions Stokesley. Historically this is always a hard game and this match, played on a difficult surface and with a gale force wind blowing across the pitch proved to be harder than most. Hixon made a couple of tactical changes, bringing in Leon Carling to partner Carl Beasley at the heart of the defence and pushing James Oates into a more advanced central midfiled role. Stokesley started with an unfamiliar 4-5-1 formation.
A howling wind greeted both teams onto the pitch and it took quite a while for the teams to adjust to the conditions.
Stokesley looked to be playing long ball which was causing RCA's defence problems in the swirling wind. RCA were trying to play the ball on the ground but were finding it difficult on a sticky surface.
The first real chance fell to Stewart on the left for Stokesley but he fired his effort wide. Walton then picked the ball up inside the Stokesley half before raced clear of the defender, unfortunately his cross which beat Dean in Stokesley goal also evaded the head of Smith.
After 10 minutes a delightful one, two between Logan and Davies put the latter in the clear and his cross was met at the far post by Walton but he headed wde.
Stokesley responded with some good play and Hume and Close combined to set Morrison up put his shot was well saved by Hoggeth. A long ball from Poole found Morrison on the right and his cross seemed to hang on the wind for an eternity before Hoggeth claimed it with both Robson and Stewart bearing down on him.
RCA needed to up their game and were getting literally bogged down in midfield. Walton did manage to shake off his defender and a quality ball into the box found Davies unmarked at the back post but somehow Dean pulled off two point-blank saves to deny the winger.
Stokesley took the lead when Crager hit a hopeful cross field clearance out of defence, the ball evaded Talbot and found Morrison in acres of space and he cut inside before cleverly steering the ball over Hoggeth and into the empty net.
Carling was booked for a clumbsy challeng on Morrison and from the resulting free kick, Stewart forced a corner. RCA were then awarded freekick when Poole fouled Smith and although Stokesley seemed to have dealt with Beasley's initial kick the ball fell to Smith on the edge of the box and Dean made a scrambling save to his right.
The second half saw RCA utilising the wind and the right wing to great effect, a cross from Jones was punched away by Dean only as far as Logan but his low shot went wide. There was a sense of Deja Vu to this second half which was reminiscent of last year's 1-0 defeat at the same ground. Hopefully history wasn't repeating itself.
It was one way traffic with RCA turning the screw but failing to find that vital bit of quality that would unlock a resolute Stokesley defence.
RCA had changed up a gear and were forcing Stokesley back and only some last ditch defending kept them in the game.
A rare attack from Stokesley found Stewart free on the right and when Hoggeth palmed out his first attempt the ball rebounded back to Stewart who looked odds on to make it 2-0 but Hoggeth managed to put a hand on the ball and turn it round the post.
Oates was inches away from a cross from Walton and a shot from Logan found the side netting.
Stokesley were reduced to 10 men when an innocuous looking challenge on Jones by Morrison earned the Stokesley player a straight red card.
The game degenerated very quickly into a battle of attrition and Stokesley were guilty of a little indiscipline with cautions flying around for silly misdemeanours. RCA held their nerve and their discipline and when Coghlan released Logan on the right it looked like the centre forward having slipped had missed the opportunity to cross the ball but somehow he curled his foot round the ball and it flew over the keeper and into the top corner of the net.
Late in the game a careless challenge on Smith by Robson earned him a straight red card and Stokesley were forced to play the remainder of the match with nine men.
Even with this numerical advantage RCA could not find a second goal to claim all three points.
