Monday, 08 April 2013
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goalscorers: TN: Sherlock (2) Marshal (2) Cavener : SRCA: Shaw.
On a bitterly cold night RCA were destroyed by the fluent passing and movement of Team Northumbria.
With players unavailable through injury and work commitments, Dixon and Drysdale were brought in but the bench was decidedly void of players with just two named only of which never arrived.
In the opening 10 minutes both teams played well, attacking at pace but not threatening and the defences were able to deal quite comfortably with what was thrown at them.
In the 11th minute a long ball from Wardle was flicked on by Preston to Shaw who cut inside his marker before placing his shot wide of the keeper; unfortunately it also went wide of the far post.
The game seemed to burst into life at this point, a smart run down the right by Marshal was stopped by McGuinness, but the ball sprang free to Sherlock, who thundered in a shot from 35 yards which went narrowly over the bar.
The goalkick from Ball was met by Preston who slipped the ball to Dixon. He clipped the ball into the area for Shaw who from 10 yards out poked the ball over the bar.
It was end-to-end fooball and the pace of the game was frightening. Sayer picked up the ball from Jennison, played the ball out wide to Marshal who ran 35 yards unopposed before delivering a pass to Cairns who blasted the ball over the bar.
Team Northumbria took the lead in the 26th minute when a lovely through ball by Jury bounced invitingly for Cavener and the centre forward lobbed over the head of the advancing Keeper.
Worse was to follow four minutes later when a move, started by Sayer was finished by ex-RCA player Marshal, the build up play was mesmerising but the inexplicable lapse by Ball in the RCA goal rushing out and leaving the goal area exposed gave Team Northumbria the sort of chance that they rarely miss.
RCA started a mini revival as they surged forward looking for some inspiration and it came in the form of a dribble and shot from Dixon who forced a terrific save from Jennison. From the corner Drysdale rose best but could only steer his header wide of the goal.
Then Clarke receiving the ball with his back to goal managed to get the ball through to Preston, but the striker, at full stretch, could only steer the ball wide of the target.
RCA started the second half looking to try and add to the momentum they had built up towards the end of the first half, but the Team Northumbria defence held firm and looked menacing on the break.
So it was that in the 55th minute a wonderfully controlled clearance from Story found Riley who passed inside for Sherlock and he made no mistake to make it 3-0.
Within a minute RCA should have got one back as Shaw took the ball past two defenders before sliding the ball to Drysdale who, under pressure, got in a great cross to Clarke three yards out but the striker hooked the ball over the bar.
Gary Shaw gave RCA a little hope of a recovery when he latched onto a through ball and fired the ball under the body of Jennison.
Within a minute it could so easily have been 3-2 when Clarke hit the bar from inside the six yard box.
It was obviously not going to be RCA's night and it got even worse when Shelock picked up the ball on the left and completely bamboozled two RCA defenders before firing past Ball for his second and Team Nothumbria's fourth.
Team Northumbria continued to press forward and it seemed inevitable that a fifth goal would come this time another swift move saw the ball switched from the left by Sayer into the path of the unmarked Marshal who gave Ball no chance from 12 yards out.
The fitter team won tonight and they along with Darlington have been the best passing team we have played all season and in all four games against these teams we have been well beaten.