RCA's Ian Redman goes shoulder to shoulder with a Consett forward.
17 April 2013
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goalscorers: Consett: Guerin-Lokonga, Sullivan (2).
Please click here for photos from the match.
Another dismal day at the office for the RCA team as they succumbed to two quick goals just before the half hour, missed a penalty, hit the bar and then conceded a goal mid-way through the second half.
The team need to pull together now for the remaining fixtures of the season to avoid the drop into the second division. Coincidentally this would replicate the last time RCA were relegated, three years after promotion to the first division.
Consett made it look easy playing four games in seven days and recording victories in all four games and only conceding one goal. In stark contrast to RCA who have shipped 12 goals while only scoring two in their last four games
A cross wind greeted the two teams as they came out for RCA's last visit to Bell Vue and the wind caused a lot of problems in the first 20 minutes as both teams tried to get to grips with the conditions.
In the 22nd minute an inocuous looking cross from Robson was easily caught by Foden in the RCA goal but the referee pointed to the spot, deeming that Redman had pushed Sullivan inside the box. Up stepped ex-RCA star Guerin-Lokonga to make no mistake from the spot. How many times when he was at RCA did he have the ball taken off him to watch someone else miss the penalty?
Within two minutes it was 2-0 as RCA once again collapsed at the back. A corner was swung into the box and although initally cleared it fell to the unmarked Sullivan who smashed it into the top corner.
It was all one way traffic at this point and when Lund cut in from the left and unleashed a terrific shot it looked all over a goal until Foden somehow managed to get a hand to the ball and divert it for a corner.
RCA rallied towards the end of the half and a well taken freekick by Clarke had Elliott scrambling to turn round the post for a corner.
RCA's best chance of the half came when they were awarded a penalty five minutes before the break, but Elliott once again denied Clarke with a fine save.
The wind effected the second half even more as it seemed to get worse.
In the 52nd minute a freekick from Smith rattled the RCA upright and flew away from the advancing Sullivan and was cleared.
Sullivan then made it 3-0 in the 56th minute, reacting to a Lund shot which was brilliantly saved by Foden to power a shot into the empty net.
RCA tried in vain to get something from this game, however their lack of composure in and around the opponents goal was all too evident. McGuinness did strike a lovely freekick against the cross bar in a frantic last five minutes, but the result was never really in doubt.