RCA's Lewis Wood in dynamic midfield action in the second half of the match.
Saturday, 04 October 2014
FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
Goalscorers: SRCA: Brown, Crook: None.
Please click here for match photos.
The two bottom clubs in the EBAC Northern League Division 1 met today in the 2nd Preliminary round of the FA Vase.
Both teams are currently going through a re-construction process having recently appointed new managers.
At SRCA the management team of Martin Swales and Gee Errington took charge of their first home game and with matches coming thick and fast it was an opportunity to assess players. There were always going to be changes to the team as Barton was suspended and Gary Wood was unavailable due to work commitments. The injury list seems to be getting better with Callen and Coe declared fit and Carmichael almost there. Callen started the game up front partnering Hughes, Jury was switched to the centre of midfield with Bythway moving to right back and Wilson brought in to left back.
The Visitors started the game with the advantage of the slope and took the game to RCA getting the better of the early exchanges. A long ball from Mitchell split the RCA defence and landed at the feet of Alexander but Wray was able to get back and block the shot as the Crook forward took too long to control the ball.
The next chance of the game came from an RCA freekick, Wood’s kick rebounded of the two man wall and fell to Davison who moved the ball forward quickly to Weekes, he in turn slid the ball into the penalty area where Blackburn beat the RCA keeper to the ball, cut back and curled a shot goalwards, luckily for RCA Preston read the danger and was able to head the ball off the line.
This was the wake up call that RCA needed and they started to get more possession, Callen and Hughes combines well on the left and when Hughes burst past Davison inside the area he looked to be fouled but the penalty appeals were turned down by the referee.
Two minutes later and the quick thinking of Hughes in taking a throw in to Callen caught the Crook defence napping, Callen drifted across the penalty area passing three sytatic defenders before firing in a shot which was comfortably saved by Graham.
RCA had picked up the tempo of the game and Crook were forced to defend in numbers and relied on breaking quickly.
On the half hour Brown picked up a ball from a pass by Jury, slipped his marker before delivering a perfectly flighted ball to the back post where Callen met the ball but could only head it into the side netting.
In 35 minute Crook were reduced to ten men when Weekes kicked out at Wood as the RCA player lay on the ground. Little else the referee could do.
For all their pressure in the final ten minutes of the half RCA could only manage one real chance from a Brown freekick, again delivered to the back post, this time Preston rose to meet it but could only manage to send it wide of the upright.
With the advantage of the slope and an extra man RCA piled on the pressure in the early part of the second half.
However, in Graham, Crook had a very capable keeper who stopped everything that was fired at him.
Combined with some, at times, desperate defending they kept RCA at bay. It could have been so different if Callen had made the most of a glorious opportunity in the opening minute of the second half but his well struck shot was well saved by Graham.
In the 50 minute Wood displayed his dribbling skills when he slipped past three defenders before cutting the ball across the penalty area for Bythway who from 10 yards out blazed the ball over the bar.
With the pressure mounting it took a great double save from Graham to deny Hughes, the quick RCA striker burst into the box, cut inside the full back before unleashing a great shot which Graham parried at the foot of the post, Hughes following up drove in another shot which the keeper turned away for a corner.
Crook were resilient in their defending and in Alexander they had a forward who was willing to run all day and hold the ball up when it was played forward.
Hughes was a constant threat for RCA but a lack of luck continues to follow him, in the 65 minute he shrugged of two defenders before hitting a low shot which beat Graham only for the ball to be cleared off the line by Renshaw, the ball conveniently falling into the arms of the Crook keeper.
RCA brought on Kyle Morris to replace Callen and his first touch set up Hughes, this time his effort rebounded off the post and was cleared.
Crook produced a moment of anxiety in the RCA defence when in the 80 minute they surged forward, Webster playing the ball forward over the heads of the RCA defence, Blackburn picked up the ball and it took a good save from Morris to keep the scores level.
With the game drifting towards extra time Hughes went down under a challenge from Crooks substitute Greenwell and the referee pointed to the spot.
With the normal penalty taker in the stands Brown took responsibility and crashed the ball past Graham to take RCA through to the next round.
This was nowhere near a classic football match it was obvious that both teams are struggling with confidence and it became a scrappy affair which was always only going to be settled by the odd goal.
RCA will need to be a lot better than this on Tuesday when they take on West Auckland Town at Meadow Park.