Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Northern League Cup
Goalscorers: Dunston: Ormston, Bulford. SRCA: None.
RCA travelled up the A1 to play Dunston in the EBAC Northern League Cup at the Dunston UTS Stadium. Another top v bottom game but, as they say, anything can happen in football.
Martin Swales' problems started before kick off. Held up in traffic, he arrived to the news that Ross Preston had failed a fitness test and was unavailable and within minutes of the warm up starting Joe Hughes pulled up with a recurrence of a hernia problem which has plagued him all season.
The eventual starting eleven included new signing Clayton Davis, making his debut after transferring from Washington FC. Danny Austin-Wilson replaced Hughes up front, Jury was installed in the centre of midfield to replace the injured Gary Wood and Callen returned to the team after suspension. The team: Carmichael, Richardson, Bythway, Wray, Brown, Davis, Jury, Charlton, Barton, Austin-Wilson, Callen, Subs: McNab, Morris, Henderson (D).
From the kick off Dunston went on the attack and it was Ormston who created the first chance of the game with a low driven cross which Carmichael smothered at the near post.
RCA responded a minute later as debutant Davis sprinted into space on the right before putting in a cross which Gilhespy cleared with Austin-Wilson and Barton in close attendance.
In the 12th minute a snap shot by number 10 Harrison was easily saved by Carmichael. Minutes later and Dunston’s Dixon had a great chance to open the scoring when he met a cross from Wilson, but could only sky his shot well over the bar.
RCA were starting to get their passing moves together and a slick move between Davis and Richardson sent Charlton clear on the right and his cross to the edge o the box was met by Austin-Wilson, but the ball bobbled and the chance was gone as Coulson intercepted to clear.
In the 20th minute RCA were awarded a freekick 35 yards out and Richardson floated in a great ball which was met by Wray, but his header was well saved low down by Clark.
As the game continued at a pace it was end-to-end stuff and entertaining for both sets of fans.
With 25 minutes gone Wilson met an Ormston cross at the front post, but his diving header went wide.
As the half hour approached it was Dunston who looked to be creating the better chances although RCA were playing well up to the final third.
The next chance fell to Kane as he picked up a clever through ball from Dixon but skewed his shot wide of the far post.
An injury to Halliday meant he couldn’t continue and he was replaced by Cattanach.
RCA’s best chance of the half fell to Austin-Wilson in the 35th minute when he burst past Cattanach to get to a through ball from Charlton before unleashing a great volley which sailed inches wide of the post with Clark well beaten.
Two minutes later and Wightman was played in by Dixon, but he pulled his shot wide of the near post.
In the final throws of the first half Davis, who had impressed so far on his debut, once again slipped his marker before firing in a low shot which went into the side netting.
The second half saw RCA burst out of the traps putting Dunston under pressure from the off.
A good move on the left saw Callen win a corner and the resulting kick by Brown was met at the back post by Barton and his looping header was expertly tipped onto the bar and over by Clark for another corner, this time the corner was met by Austin-Wilson who headed back across goal and just wide of the upright.
Dunston resorted to punting the ball long in the hope of picking up the ball off the RCA defence and in the 55th minute Ormston did just that, but fired over the bar.
RCA were piling on the pressure at the other end and when Callen fed Austin-Wilson he looked odds on to score but steered his shot wide of the far post.
Then, a minute later Austin-Wilson raced past a static Dunston defence before squaring the ball to Charlton who mis-hit his shot from six yards out and Gilhespy was able to clear.
It was nearly all RCA and in the 65th minute they hit the bar again; this time it was a freekick by Richardson near the corner flag which was met by Wray, but his looping header sailed over Clark and onto the top of the bar.
Dunston’s next chance fell from a Wightman long throw which caused a few problems before Brown headed the ball out for a corner.
RCA had another chance in the 70th minute when Richardson played the ball in to Davis who turned and fired in a first time shot which sailed over the bar.
With 72 minutes gone RCA supporters where wondering what the team had to do to score. A good run by Davis gained a corner on the right. The kick was punched clear by Clark, but fell to Bythway who struck a sweet volley back towards goal, but Ormston managed to get a foot on the ball, on the goal line, and the ball was cleared.
As has happened so many times this season the opposition broke away down the field, a bad bounce beat Jury and the ball was played quickly out to Bulford who did well to get to the ball before pulling it back into the path of Ormston who shot home from close range to make it 1-0.
RCA’s response was immediate as they came straight back at Dunston when a through ball from Jury found Barton who shot on the turn and forced a great save from Clark, with Austin-Wilson challenging at the far post.
With RCA committing players forward they were leaving gaps at the back and in the 80th minute Dunston almost made it 2-0 when a Wilson cross was met by Ormston whose shot hit Carmichael and rebounded to Wilson who fired in another shot which resulted in a goalmouth scramble with the ball eventually stabbed wide by Ormston.
In injury time and with RCA pressing forward Dunston scored again as Bulford latched onto a Wilson diagonal ball and fired in past Carmichael.
RCA can take more positives from this game. Playing the team who are second in the league they dominated for long spells especially in the second half. We won the midfield battle and looked defensively solid until the last 10 minutes, understandable as we pressed forward.
The game was always going to be about who scored first and we certainly had our chances tonight.
I don’t normally pick out individual players but in this game Andrew Brown looked exceptional at the back.