RCA left back Paul Weldon stops a cross from the Ashinton winger in the first half of the match.
Saturday, 14 February 2015
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goalscorers: Ashington AFC: Oliver, SRCA: None.
Please click here for some match photos.
Woodhorn Lane is never an easy place to visit and today was made all the more difficult with the appointment, at the beginning of the week, of Stephen Harmiston as manager. There was certainly a buzz about the place and it was obvious that the players were up for the game.
RCA made one change, recalling Weldon at left back to replace Richardson.
Ashington started well pinning RCA back in the opening minutes of the game. Downey had the first shot on target in the second minute when he shot from 20 yards out through a crowd of player and forced a good save from Carmichael.
RCA were finding it difficult to come to terms with the pitch and their passing game was suffering as misplaced passes gave possession to a rampant Ashhington team.
In the eighth minute Harmiston found Stephenson on the right and he crossed into the path of Davison, but a great tackle from Preston deflected the ball for a corner. Stephenson took the corner which was headed away by Brown, but the ball fell to Walton who scuffed his shot and the ball was scramble behind for another corner which was easily cleared by the RCA defence.
The game then became scrappy and both sides were guilty of poor passing.
In the 18th minute RCA had their first real chance of the game when Megran split the Ashington defence with a superb pass into the path of Callen, the RCA forward cut the ball back instead of shooting and Christensen was able to block the shot and send the ball for a corner. Armstrong took the corner and Callen headed wide of the target.
A long ball out of defence by Ashington found its way to Taylor and with his back to goal, he swivelled with the ball before firing in a low shot which forced another save from Carmichael.
As the game drifted to the half hour mark it was RCA who, having weathered the early storm, looked the more likely to score. A rasping shot by Larkin from 25 yards was brilliantly saved by Grant.
An injury to Brown forced the first substitution of the game with Bythway replacing him in the heart of the defence.
Both teams were cancelling each other out and the game continued to be very scrappy with little goalmouth action of note.
In the final five minutes of the half a ball from Bythway to Larkin on the right opened up the Ashington defence and when he crossed into the area the ball was met by Megran who smashed in a shot which flew wide of the goal.
The second period opened brightly for RCA who forced Ashington onto the back foot with a string of attacks.
Rowe sent a ball forward to the edge of the Ashington penalty area where Callen controlled the ball before laying it off to Larkin who blazed a shot inches over the bar.
A minute later and Armstrong and Rowe combined to send Larkin clear on the right. The RCA forward crossed into the box where Megran chested the ball down before firing goalward only to see Grant get a fingertip to the ball and deflect it for a corner.
RCA were starting to turn the screw and it took some brave defending by Ashington to stay in the game.
Only five minutes into the second half and RCA had already created more chances than in the whole of the first half and they kept on coming. Armstrong picked up the ball on the left slipped it to Callen who played in Megran and he produced another stunning effort which went inches wide of the upright.
A minute later and Rowe picked up a loose ball in midfield, played it to Charlton who crossed into the box for Larkin, he beat his marker before shooting but his shot took a deflection for a corner.
Armstrong took the corner and it was swung to the edge of the box where Bythway fired in a shot which appeared to be handled by an Ashington defender, the referee waved away the vociferous appeal of the RCA players.
As is the case with these incidents, the ball was switched to the opposite end of the pitch and Ashington took the lead when, after some good build up play on the left the ball was passed inside to Oliver who sent in a curling drive which crept just inside the RCA goalpost giving Ccarmichael no chance.
Within a minute RCA were unlucky not to be level when a throw in from Weldon was picked up by Larkin and the RCA striker fired just over the bar.
As in the first half the game became scrappy but the ball was being moved from end to end and at least chances were being created, a cross in from Taylor found Davison in acres of space inside the box but the Ashington winger headed wide.
At the other end Larkin set up Charlton who fired in a cross shot which Callen flicked goalward forcing a great save from Grant.
In the 75th minute RCA once again carved out a great chance when Weldon picked up the ball on the left and sent a tantilising cross towards the back post where Jury rose and powered in a header, once again Grant was on hand to make the save and deny RCA a share of the spoils.
In the final minute of normal time a long ball into the box by Christensen was headed away by Jury and fell to Airey who thundered in a tremedous shot which cannoned off the bar and away to safety.
Ashington saw out the final minute of added on time to gain their second victory of the week for the new manager.
Getting nothing out of today's game was hard to take given the amount of effort that went into the match from the whole team. We didn't get the luck when we needed it and we lost to a very good goal in the end.
Next up Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday.