Saturday, 8 October 2011
STL Northern League Division 1
The thirteenth league game of the season proved to be unlucky for RCA as they lost their unbeaten record to West Auckland Town in this dramatic STL Northern League match. RCA reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with Jennings coming in to replace Ellison and fit again McGuinness in for Oates.
West Auckland started the game with a bang scoring after two minutes when Francis fired them ahead after the RCA defence could only clear the ball to the edge of the 18 yard area. RCA hit back, and in the 10 minute a cross from Stewart found Jennings, but he fired wide of the target. A minute later Richards picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and went on a run beating two defenders before laying the ball in to Jenning who turned sharply but once again shot wide.
As the game progressed RCA started to get their passing game going and Walton and Jones combined to set up Stewart whose powerful shot was excellently saved by Barlow, West Auckland's impressive young keeper.
At the other end RCA defence had to be on their mettle as West counter attacked at speed and in the 25th minute Hindmarsh burst past Jones to send in a dangerous cross which was met at the far edge of the box by Banks but his shot went well wide.
On the half hour Stewart cut inside his defender before sending in a tantilising cross which was well met by Davison but his header went narrowly over the bar. In a repeat of this move two minutes later Davison's header hit the base of the post and went wide.
The pressure was building on the West defence and the best move of the half started with Walton passing the ball to Davison who back heeled it to Stewart who then laid it off to the advancing Walton who tried to place the ball in the bottom corner, but only succeeded in putting it inches wide of the upright.
The goal that had been threatening came in the 37 minute when Stewart once again threaded the ball to Jennings in space inside the area and this time the forward took full advantage to smash the ball home.
West, who had shown only glimpses as an attacking force after scoring in two minutes suddenly woke up and equalised within six minutes when they were awarded a freekick on the edge of the box. Brown stepped up and fired the ball low into the bottom corner to stun the home team.
A minute later and it could have been even worse as Hindmarsh beat the offside trap and only some stirling work by Maddison and Mcguinness stopped him from scoring and the ball was forced away for a corner. From the resulting corner kick Hall rose to power in a downward header which was brilliantly saved by Hoggeth.
Two minutes into the second half and young Daniel Hindmarsh had to be carried off the field in agony following an innocuous challenge, reports suggest that it could be ruptured ankle ligaments. The game was delayed for five minutes while he was attended to and an ambulance was called. Everyone at RCA trusts that he has a speedy recovery.
RCA went looking for the equaliser and a great cross from Walton flashed across the face of goal with three RCA forwards all unble to apply a finishing touch.
West extended their lead, against the run of play, on the hour mark when sub Moffat headed into the path of Brown who drilled a superb low effort into the bottom corner. If RCA were shocked at going 2-1 they were devastated at being 3-1 down and a mountain to climb. In the 68 minute RCA were denied what looked like a clear penalty as Hall tripped Jennings inside the box but the referee waved away the protests. However, in the 72nd minute RCA were awarded a penalty when sub Owens was brought down by Hall, Owens picked the ball up and slotted it past Barlow.
RCA took control of the game and should have equalised when Davison set Stewart up but the winger fired into the side netting, then a lovely through ball by Ellison found its way to Owens but his shot was well saved by Barlow.
Moffat had a great chnace to put the game to bed when Brown crossed into the box and Moffat controlled the ball but fired straight at Hoggeth.
In the dying minutes RCA had two great chances to equalise the first when a shot from Davison was deflected for a corner and the scond in the last minute when Ellison sliced the ball wide from a couple of yards out.
RCA will feel that they deserved more out of the performance and on another day they would probably have won comfortably, but take nothing away from West who stuck at it for 90+ minutes and the scenes of jubilation that greeted the final whistle from the West team showed how much the win meant to them.
RCA will take away a lot of possitives from this game, they continue to create chances, their passing and movement is still good and they are moving the ball to the forwards a lot quicker.