Saturday, 24 November 2012
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Please click here for Stev48's photos from the match, including a terrific photo of our George with two Synthonia fans.
RCA welcomed into the team two old faces and one new with the return of Adam McGuinness and Lee Owens and the introduction of ex-Synners favorite James Magowan.
The team also had to be reshuffled when goalkeeper Neal Atkinson pulled up with a thigh strin during the warm up and the No 1 jersey was handed over to Craig Shields.
The game itself was shrouded in fog for much of the first half, but what could be seen was the constant attacking flair of Synners as they took the game to RCA with some good, skillful interplay and RCA were forced to defend for long periods. As the game entered the later stages of the half the fog descended and RCA started to make some inroads into the Synners' defence.
The match kicked off in heavy fog and in the opening two minutes Synners retained the ball well making it impossible for RCA players to get near it. A slick move started with Liddle sending a defence spliting pass into the path of Wilson who fired over the bar from 20 yards.
Shortly after this Liddle found Jennings on the edge of the box and the ex-RCA player held the ball up before returning a pass to Liddle who fired wide of the upright with shileds at full stretch.
The game settled down into a midfield battle which for the most part was being won by the influential play of Synners' captain Liddle.
In the 15th minute a ball from Robinson to the left wing was picked up by Jennings who whipped in a cross which was met by Newby who shot high and wide.
RCA were looking to Owens to get going on the left wing and the RCA player showed a glimpse of his skill when he picked up the ball and ran 30 yards past three defenders before being tackled by Robinson.
On 25 minutes Synners had probably their best chance when Blyth cut in from the left, passed the ball to Liddle who in turn passed the ball into the path of Burton who burst into the box, but his shot from 12 yards out went across the face of the goal and wide of the far post.
RCA thought that they had opened the scoring on the half hour mark. They were awarded corner and Owens took it short to Close who measured his cross to the far post where Magowan was on hand to head home; unfortunately he was adjudged to be offside.
Having weathered the onslaught from Synners, RCA were fighting back and when Close was fouled on the touchline, Forster took the freekick which was headed down by Parker and scrambled clear for a corner. Owens took the corner crossing to the near post where McGuinness was first to the ball clipping it into the six yard box and the ball was clreared by Robinson.
The fog was getting worse as half time approached and both teams had chances to open the scoring, a header from Guerin-Lokonga went narrowly over the bar for RCA and Burto fired straight at Shields when in a good position
At half time referee Paul Keogh abandoned the match as the fog continued to decended.