Kyle Fryatt evades Shildon captain and ex-RCA player Mark Hudson in the second half of the match.
Saturday, 12 April 2014
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goal scorers: SRCA : none, Shildon: Emms (2), Richardson (2).
Please click here for photos from the match.
Ashington’s win against Team Northumbria on Thursday guaranteed First division status for RCA for next season. This is a great achievement for David Lee and Stephen Halliday with the small squad of players at their disposal and the commitment of the players to the club has been first rate.
Today’s match against title chasing Shildon was a time to relax and try and enjoy the game. With Ross Preston leaving for Thailand on business and not available for the rest of the season it was left to Daniel Wray to step back into the central defensive position, Jim Wilson came in for Callum Patton in the only other change to the team that won so convincingly at Bedlington last week.
Shildon, who needed a win today to keep up the pressure on the other top teams started the game in determined mood as early as the third minute a quickly taken freekick by Hudson released Garvie on the left and his cross was palmed away by Carmichael before Horsman cleared from the toe of Scroggins.
Further pressure from Shildon ensued and it was only some brilliant defending by Henderson and Wray that kept the score line at 0-0. A wicked curling cross from Garvie was met by Connor who was tackled by Wray, the ball rebounded to Greulich-Smith but his shot was charged down by Henderson and the ball fell kindly for Carmichael.
The only real chance of the half came in the 35th minute of the match when Craddock took a quick freekick, something which was causing RCA some problems, the ball was headed away by Wray only as far as Greulich-Smith whose snap shot went over the bar.
As the half closed RCA mounted number of counter attacks without seriously troubling the Shildon defence and it was the home side who produced a counter attack of their own when a long ball out of defence by Richardson found Emms in space on the right, the winger cut inside before unleashing a low drive into the side netting.
A very tight and easily forgettable first half was followed by a very open second half as RCA tried to take advantage of the win, unfortunately for them it had somewhat died down from the level of the first half.
A run by Fryatt into the box had the Shildon defence a sixes and sevens but his final ball toward Barton was intercepted by Jones and the ball was cleared.
In the 52nd minute Shildon took the lead when Scroggins won the ball in midfield, sprayed the ball wide to Garvie who cut the ball back into the box where Emms was on hand to fire an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.
RCA tried in vain to get back into the game and in the 55th minute Horsman was unlucky when he picked the ball up on the half way line, ran 15 yards before striking a thunderous shot goalwards, only for it to take a deflection which took it narrowly wide of the upright.
Ten minutes later Shildon were awarded a dubious freekick near the corner flag, Emms this time became provider sending in a perfect cross which was met by Richardson who headed into the net.
RCA were shell shocked and it got worse two minutes later when Scroggins picked up a loose ball before sliding the ball into the path of Emms who scored easily from close range.
It was left until the 90th minute before Shildon finished the scoring Emms once again found space on the right before crossing into the box where Richardson was on hand to volley home from 10 yards out.
RCA seemed to run out of steam in this game and after the first goal went in Shildon looked likely to score every time they went forward. After a fairly even but uneventful first half Shildon stepped up a gear.
Unusually for RCA they seemed to lose control of the midfield area and this resulted in the defence becoming stretched. After the heroics of the last few weeks the team can be forgiven a below par performance.
Next up a trip to Penrith on Tursday.