Blackhall CW 1 Sunderland RCA 5

Under 18s - League

Saturday 19 December 2008

Owen Haley reports on another win for the RCA Under 18s.

The only bad blemish on our season to date was when the Youth side faced Blackhall at home in October. Winning a game 5 - 1 with 25 minutes to go we then proceeded to lose the game 7 - 5. Today's team talk was therefore a simple one!

Earlier in the day I agreed with Neil Hixon to allow Anthony Ashman to step up and make his debut for the first team. Unfortunately I could not convince Mark Robinson to see the Season out with our Youth side and he has decided to give Senior football a go with Bishop Auckland (he made his Northern League debut on Saturday as well). Late withdrawals through illness from Chris Bailey and Jordan Hardy meant the squad was massively depleted and only 13 players travelled for today's game. Chris Hartley was picked in midfield to make his starting debut.

As expected the game was lively from the off and the first quarter saw action in both penalty areas whilst there were crisp tackles exchanged in all areas. The referee was controlling the game well, but RCA were very unlucky when a penalty was awarded against them in the 20th minute. The centre forward drilled the penalty hard down the middle, Ryan Graham saved but the rebound fell at the same player's feet and he fired home at the second attempt. RCA upped the pace now with Mick Nicholson and Luke Page starting to control the midfield. It was no surprise when, after a good move on 30 minutes, Mick Nicholson received the ball just outside the box and he split the defence finding Lee Andrews who made no mistake firing the ball into the bottom corner. 1 - 1.

RCA were definitely in the ascendancy now and on 35 minutes had the ball in the net again when Andrews followed in a shot which the keeper could not hold, the ball falling to Matty Reynolds who slotted home. However the referee disallowed what appeared to be a legitimate goal. Half time 1 - 1.

The team had to be re-shuffled early in the second half when central defender Gamble left the pitch through injury. Damien Knight entered the fray in right midfield with Michael Jacob moved to central defence. Although the football played by RCA was not to the standard of the first half, a lot of space was being found by the forwards. Andrews became provider with great passes to split the defence, setting up Reynolds on 60 minutes and then for Knight on 70, to make the score 3 - 1. Andrews again got in the box on 80 minutes to finish the game off with a well-taken goal - his ninth of the season. Billy Hedgely was then thrown on up front (normally a goalkeeper) and he finished off another great move on 85 minutes turning on a sixpence to fire in from six yards. 5 - 1 to the lads and setting us all up for a good Christmas. Keep it quiet but that's five straight wins and seven from our last eight.

I have told the lads that they have got to work hard and take good memories from their Youth League games and so far they are doing so. Still playing on four cup fronts, with a League semi final coming up in 2009 and in the last eight of the County Cup. Roll on the new year and lets see how close we can get.