Josh Carmichael dives to save in the second half of the match.
Saturday, 21 February 2015
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goalscorers: SRCA: Callen Shildon: Emms (2), Donniger, Greulich-Smith, Wood.
Please click here for the usual match photos. Click here for photos by Tom Clegg and Amanda Scaife (black and white set.) Please click here for The Railway Men's match report.
Apologies to my faithful reader for the lateness of this report, unfortunately I was away for a few days and didn't get time to do it.
RCA travelled to Shildon‘s Dean Street ground for their twice postponed Ebac Northern League Division 1 match and came away with nothing but a lesson in direct forward play.
Gee Errington took charge of the team in the absence of Martin Swales, Larkin was unavailable and Armstrong was rested after suffering a dead leg in the match against Ashington. That meant Bythway and Brown partnered in the centre of the defence with Preston moved up front again to partner Callen.
Shildon AFC made it look easy soaking up any forward play by RCA in the opening minutes and on seven minutes Greulich-Smith headed over from a Hodgson cross.
A minute later Rae received the ball in space and with only Carmichel to beat he fired wide of the target. RCA held on until the 25th minute when Wood slipped his marker and crossed to the unmarked Emms who slotted home from 10 yards out.
Shildon piled on the pressure and Scroggins almost made it 2-0, but squandered a great chance shooting wide when in a good position.
RCA’s attacks looked to be easily dealt with by the Shildon defence with Moore leading by example.
A snow shower made for some entertaining photographs but little in the way of goalmouth action until the 44 minutes when Wood again found space on the right, passed the ball to Rae who unselfishly teed the ball up for Emms to slam in his second goal of the game.
With the slope in the second half Shildon piled on even more pressure but it was the visitors who had the first real chance of the half when Wood set up Megran who fired in a terrific shot which was fingertipped over the bar by Hayes.
Within minutes Callen burts through on goal, but his effort went wide. However the revival was short lived as Shildon took complete control of the game and after Emms, had missed a good chance the ball was fed wide by Rae to Jones who crossed to Greulich-Smith who placed the ball past the outstretched hand of Carmichael.
Two minutes later the game was well and truly over when Rae crossed to the far post for Wood to tap in from two yards out.
Doninger completed the scoring with a deft chip over the advancing Carmichael, despite looking a yard off side, to make it 5 – 0.
RCA produced their best spell of foolball in the final ten minutes and Bogie was unlucky with a low shot which went narrowly over the bar and in the 87th minute RCA got a consolation goal when Callen reacted quickly to an unusually poor defensive clearance to volley the ball through a crowd of players and into the roof of the net.
Not RCA’s best performance of the season but they must move on and with Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday there is a chance to redeem themselves.
The proverbial six-pointer? Time will tell.