Northern League Division 1
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Another hard fought game between two well matched sides. Is this the format for the rest of the season? Because if it is then we are in for a brilliant time. Win lose or draw it is going to be exciting.
Durham City's return to the EBAC Northern League after their escapades at the higher levels of the FA pyramid, although welcoming in respect of the league, has been much less welcoming on the field of play with two defeats in two games.
SRCA kept faith with the same starting eleven as Saturday, with the only change to the squad being the inclusion of Adam Ward for the injured Jamie Davis.
The game was only four minutes old when McGuinness provided Gordon with the first opportunity to test Lewis in the Durham goal; the teasing cross into the box was well intercepted by the keeper and his throw out led to a counter attack down the left that resulted in Cutts being fouled.
Home-Jackson took the freekick, swerving the ball toward the bottom corner, but Atkinson managed to get a hand to the ball and turn it away for a corner.
After this scare SRCA took hold of the game pushing Durham back into their own half. A shot from Guerin-Lokonga was deflected for a corner which was taken by Hudson, his deep cross was punched towards his own goal by Lewis but Stoker was on hand to clear.
SRCA took the lead in the 17th minute when a long ball out of defence by Hudson split the Durham defence and fell to the feet of Jardine who shrugged of the challenge of two defenders before blasting the ball past Lewis.
With SRCA in the ascendancy it looked like Hudson had made it 2-0 when he curled a sweet freekick inches wide of the upright with the keeper beaten.
Durham’s Home-Jackson and Thompson worked an opening, but Home-Jackson could only fire a weak effort which was easily saved by Atkinson.
Harboard was replaced by Ellison in the 23rd minute and the effect was immediate. His first pass found Thompson who cut inside, continued his run unchallenged before unleashing a terrific shot into the bottom corner of the net.
The game livened up now with the ball being switched from end to end. Guerin-Lokonga and Jardine did well to set up Hudson despite strong pressure from the Durham defence but the midfielder volleyed his shot over the bar.
As the first half came to a close, it was Durham who were on top with Thompson causing all sorts of problems. He had a long range shot saved by Atkinson before laying the ball into the path of Hindmarch, but the Durham forward’s shot was blocked by Close and fell tamely to Atkinson.
The second half was almost a reverse of the first half with Durham in command for the first 15 minutes of the half.
However, it was SRCA who had the first real chance of the half when a freekick to the back post was headed back across goal by Jardine. The ball fell to Hudson, but he was unable to keep his shot down sufficiently and the ball sailed inches over the bar.
This was the start of the Durham onslaught, and only some heroic defending by Preston, Close and co kept them at bay.
A corner to the back post saw Irving in space power in a free header which McGuinness did well to clear off the line.
A minute later and Home-Jackson picked up the ball mid way in the SRCA half and dribbled past four defenders, bursting into the box before unleashing a shot which Atkinson was pleased to see go wide of the target.
Thompson and Cutts both squandered great chances to give Durham the lead before, against the run of play RCA took the lead in the 68th minute. Gordon swung over a corner which was easily dealt with by Madden, the ball fell to Jones wide on the right, the full back swung in a beautifully weighted cross which was met by Preston with a flying header which gave Lewis no chance as it rocketed into the net.
Durham were not finished and five minutes after the goal, Thompson turned the SRCA defence inside out before firing just wide of the target.
The whole ground erupted a minute later when the same player in a carbon copy move went even closer hitting the side netting with his shot and the ball looked to go into the net. Unfortunately it was not to be.
Durham started to tire and as they did SRCA went on the counter attack and really should have sealed the game up when Close had a chance but fired wide, then Youldon laid the ball into the path of Shields and, with only the keeper to beat, the SRCA substitute directed his shot wide.
A minute later and Youldon again got beyond the last defender to provide a great cross which Gordon completely mis hit and the ball drifted well wide.
“Three points are in the bag” was the philosophical quote of the SRCA manager. “Four points out of two hard games is good going, seems very similar to last season, deja-vu, spooky isn’t it.”