11 December 2012
EBAC Northern League Division 1
The ground staff worked wonders to get the pitch in order for this match to go ahead, unfortunately their efforts were in vain as RCA recorded yet another home defeat.
With RCA giving debuts to no fewer than four players it was always going too be tough against a well organised Bedlington outfit, but to record no shots on target, other than McGuinness' goal which was ruled out for offside, was disappointing to say the least.
The game started well enough with RCA forcing the pace, a through ball from Close found Rivers who turned and fired in a snap shot which went just wide of the post with Ball well beaten. Within a minute a long ball from Bussey was chested down by Magowan to Rivers and the resulting shot also went narrowly wide.
Bedlington replied through Shandran, when he met a great cross from Baptist but could only head over from eight yards out.
Shandran made amends a minute later when he gave Bedlington the lead. Brayson fired in a shot which was tipped onto the bar by Bussey and Shandran was the first to react heading home the rebound from insidw the six yard area.
This set up a period of play which saw Bedlington well on top and it could so easily have been 2-0 when Gate beat the offside trap but fired across the face of goal and past the post.
Gate was instrumental in the next good chance when he beat two defenders before slipping the ball to Brayson who fired the ball past Bussey but the ball stuck in the mud and McGuinness was able to clear off the line.
Wih the pitch cutting up and play getting scrappy there was little further goalmouth action. Rivers was a constant threat for RCA as was Brayson and Shandran for Bedlington.
In the 40th minute RCA were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box which was taken by McGuinness, but his curling shot went inches over the bar.
The second half started much as the first had ended with the game bogged, excuse the pun, down in a midfield battle.
It wasn't until the 60th minute that either team had a shot at goal; a well worked freekick by Bedlington saw Carr cross to pell who headed into the path of Shandran, but he headed wide.
RCA were starting, for the first time in the game to get into the match, using the slope to their advantage. A crossfield ball from Owens found Magowan in space, but the RCA striker snatched at the shot and it spun away harmlessly.
On came Guerin-Lokonga and Barton to add fire power to the RCA attack but it was never going to be RCA's night. For all the possession the only real opportunity came from a corner which was missed by Ball in the Bedlington goal, and fell to Richards whose shot was part blocked and McGuinness fired home only to be, rightly, ruled offside.
In the full game, I can only recall the keepers actually being called upon to make three saves between them.
RCA need to have a time of stability within the team, so that players can gel together but it is the same old story of plenty of possession and little effective fire power. On the plus side young Rivers does not look out of place at this level and was on the night probably our best player.