Tuesday, 13 November 2012
League Cup Second Round
The Merry Go round of changes to the team was in evidence again in this League Cup second round match at a bitterly cold Tow Law.
RCA made six changes to the team so comprehensively beaten at the week end. In came Gilbert, Forster, Halliday, Shields (G), Close and Guerin-Lokonga. Out went Henderson, Beasley, Davis, Marshall, Cutts and Southern.
This radical change didn't seem to do the trick as once again we went into a commanding lead, looked comfortable and then let it slip away and near the end of ninety minutes it could so easily have been Tow Law who went it the draw for the third round.
Give Tow Law there due they played really well and made it difficult for us especially in the second half.
The game started with a strong wind blowing across the pitch which the players took some time to get used to.
It was the Lawyers who settled the quickest and they had the majority of the first 10 minutes, Wilson was first to have a strike at goal but his effort went wide of the post, two minutes later a shot from Turnbull was well saved by Atkinson as Tow Law pressed forward.
In the tenth minute they were awarded afreekick 25 yards out which Pattinson took, he floated in a lovely cross which Preston headed away as far as Harrison and the Lawyers full back snapped in a shot which went well wide.
RCA having withstood the early pressure RCA struck back and were unlucky not the take the lead when a great surging run by Shields ended with a delivery into the box where Barton managed to get a shot in which was in turn headed by Home-Jackson narrowly wide of the upright.
Tow Law responded through Pottinger who went on a mazy run, beating two defenders before cutting inside and unleashing a shot which was blocked by Parker.
With 18 minutes gone a freekick taken by Home-Jackson was headed down by Guering-Lokonga into the path of Barton who mishit the shot straight to Robinson.
With wind causing havoc with anything in the air both teams started to play the ball on the ground and this was causing further problems as the ball bobbled on the uneven pitch. It was great credit to both teams that they were able to serve up a fairly entertaining match.
RCA took the lead in the simplest of fashions, a Home-Jackson corner found Parker, unmarked on the penalty spot and he blasted the ball through a crowd of players into the net.
Within three minutes it was 2-0, again a corner, this time taken by Shields was not cleared and as the ball looped into the air Barton got a head on it to guide it into the net.
The Lawyers were understandably deflated by this double blow and took some time to get back their composure.
Meanwhile RCA continued to threaten and it was only a well timed tackle by Brassell on Close that stopped the RCA Captain from getting through on goal.
The lawyers had a good chance just before the end of the half when Pottinger set up Watkinson but he shat straight at Atkinson.
The second half started in explosive style when in the 48th minute Thompson picked up the ball in his own half and was allowed to carry it for 30 yards before unleashing a terrific thunderbolt of a shot which flew into the top corner of the net.
RCA were awarded freekick in the 50th minutes and Shields took it quickly passing the ball to Halliday who found Parker at the far post his header went across the face of the goal and was missed by Guerin-Lokonga from 2 yards out.
Having rode their luck Tow Law came back with a freekick of their own in the 60th minute. Harrison found Brassell inside the area and the Lawyers captain turned and fired in a rocket of a shot to make it 2-2.
As the game wore on it looked likely that a mistake would cost one team dearly, although both teams had great chances to score, Parker for RCA was clean through, but slid his shot wide and Brassell also shot wide when in a promising position.
So to extra time, played at a more sedate pace nobody wanting to make a mistake and the creativity was being negated by some great tackling, stout defending and solid goalkeeping.
Only one real chance was created in the first period a shot from Southern was well saved by Robinson.
In the second period it was much of the same, a lot of hussle and bustle but nothing to test the keepers until the second of last minute when a corner by Southern was uncharacteristically, palmed away by Robinson and Henderson at the back post sliced his shot wide.
Penalties, love them or hate them they are very entertaining for the spectators.
First three penalties missed, up stepped Southern to open RCA’s account, Two more missed penalties before Brassell made it 1-1. Atkinson made it 2-1 before Thompson equalised. Shields scored with RCA's final penalty and Tow Law missed their last one putting RCA through to the next round.
Not really the sort of preparation required before an FA Cup match on Saturday.