Tuesday, 27 March 2012
STL Northern League Division 1
Scorers: SRCA: Jennings (12) (20), Davison (42) Davidson (50)
Ashington once again well beaten by Sunderland RCA - Northumberland's News Post Leader's take on the match.
RCA were able to field the same starting eleven for the third consecutive match and started with the now familiar 3-5-2 formation.
The clinical finishing of the RCA strikers was the main difference in the two teams especially in the first half when they overwhelmed Ashington after a shaky first five minute. Jennings and Davison were almost unplayable for 35 minutes of the first half as they caused chaos in the Ashington defence who also found it difficult to cope with the long throw of McGuinness.
Contrast their performance with the poor showing of Ashington's front two of Walton and Godsmark who were well controlled by a solid RCA defence. Overall this was another great team performance and the reward is to be sitting nine points clear at the top of the league. Who'd have thought it at the beginning of the season.
Ashington, as expected, attacked from the outset and RCA were forced to defend for the first seven minutes of the game. However it was RCA who had the first effort on goal when McGuinness fired wide from 30 yards out. Within a minute English crossed into the box and Beasley had to head away Tait’s first time effort. Ashhington defender Craig Scott had to be at his best to thwart RCA’s next attack as he headed a long Ball from McGuinness back to Drysden with both Joe Walton and Davison in close attendance. In the 10th minute a cross into the box by Godsmark was headed wide by Marc Walton.
RCA took the lead two minutes later when Jennings latched on to a through ball from Oates and unleashed a left foot effort which flashed into the net with Dryden rooted to the spot. Minutes later and it could have been 2-0 when Davidson and Walton combined to set up Davison, but his turn and shot went wide of the post. RCA were in the ascendancy now and a long throw from McGuinness caused mayhem in the Ashington defence as Scott got a head to it and fortunately for him Drysden was able to bring off a terrific save tipping the ball over the bar. Ashington were almost level a minute later as Godsmark intercepted a back pass from Davidson but the Ashington forward hooked his shot wide of the far post.
Jennings once again broke free of his defender in the 23rd minute and it took a great defensive tackle from Buzzeo to stop the striker from making it 2-0.
RCA did not have long to wait for their second; another long throw from McGuinness was headed down by Davison into the path of Jennings who turned and stabbed the ball home through a crowd of players from six yards out. With RCA in rampant mood they were unlucky not to add to their score with Close having two great efforts on goal, at the other end Atkinson made a good save after a clearance from Paxton struck Marc Walton and rebounded goalwards.
Five minutes from half-time, RCA went 3 - 0 up when Davidson crossed in from the left to the far post.
It took only two minutes of the second half for RCA to wrap the game up. A long ball into the area by Jones, following a throw-in on the right, found Davidson in acres of space and the RCA defender was allowed time to hammer home.
Jennings should have completed his hat trick five minutes later, but headed over the bar and Walton was unable to take advantage of a mistake by Lough: although his lob beat Drysden it fell agonisingly over the bar and landed on the roof of the net.
Ashington were reduced to long aimless passes and although they did have a goal disallowed in the 62 minute for offside they were never really an attacking force until the final ten minutes when Godsmark had a shot saved by Atkinson before Marc Walton had his follow up shot also well saved by the RCA keeper.
All in all a thoroughly deserved victory and once again a great team performance.