Tuesday, 17 March 2015
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goalscorers: SRCA: Bogie, Synners: Hughes.
For only the second time this season RCA were able to announce an unchanged starting 11, however there were changes on the bench with the return of Hughes, Megran and Morris replacing Weldon, Shields and Coe.
Currently Billingham Synthonia are 20th and RCA 21st in the league and both teams were looking to gain maximum points from this encounter to try and easy their relegation worries.
RCA elected to kick up the slope in the first half and as expected the opening minutes of the game were fast and furious with both teams looking to attack at every opportunity.
As early as the fourth minute RCA had their first real chance of the half when Charlton burst into the box, dribbled past two defenders before stabbing the ball goalwards. The ball was well saved at the foot of the post by Burke.
From Burke’s goalkick the play switched to the other end and Synners almost took the lead when leading goalscorer Sweet moved onto a pass from Edwards, slipped the ball past the advancing Carmichael and watched agonisingly as it struck the far post and Davis was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
The play switched back to the other end where Charlton won a freekick in a promising position on the edge of the box. Armstrong swung the ball into area but Burke, as he was to do many times tonight, came out to collect fairly easily.
RCA were starting to look the better team as they moved the ball quickly and were creating some half chances. In the 13th minute, a corner, taken by Armstrong was met by Preston who fired in a low drive which was blocked by J Rowbotham.
In what was auguably the best move of the first half Jury intercepted a Synners' pass, played a quick one-two with Armstrong before moving forward to unleash a terrific low drive which Burke saved brilliantly. The ball rebounded towards Larkin but he could not get sufficient power in his header and the ball drifted out to Charlton who smashed a volley straight at J Rowbotham and the danger was averted.
Synners were being pushed back and when Carter was put under pressure inside his own penalty area he blasted the ball straight into the face of Bogie and away for a goal kick, it so easily could have rebounded into the net.
RCA continued with their passing game, looking for that all important opening goal. Bogie, who was causing some problems for the Synners defence, was brought down by D Rowbotham on the edge of the area, Armstrong again took the kick curling it toward goal, but J Rowbotham headed clear.
In the 20th minute Synners won a corner on the left. It was swung into the box where Alexander got up well to power a header down which Preston blocked with his thigh before clearing, the referee waving away appeals that it had struck the defenders hand.
It was Synners' turn to push forward and put pressure on the RCA defence, a good ball out of defence by Marron found Hughes on the right, he attacked at pace, dribbling into the area before shooting low but Bythway was able to deflect it wide of the target for a corner.
During a lull in the frenetic pace of the game RCA had a chance to open the scoring. Davis and Charlton combined on the right and the final cross into the box by Davis was met perfectly by Larkin but his header was expertly saved by Burke.
The game continued to flow and it was Synners who created the next chance. Edwards played the ball forward to Sweet who played the ball to Alexander he spun and shot in the same movement forcing a good save from Carmichael. Synners were starting to exploit the advantage of the slope and when Hughes curled in a cross from the right the ball went untouched across the face of the goal; any touch would almost certainly have meant a goal. Then a minute later Sweet collecting a pass from Edwards stabbed a shot towards the goal from a corner but Carmichael saved easily.
The crowd of 127 had hardly returned to their viewing positions when Synners opened the scoring. While RCA appealed for a foul on Charlton, Hughes picked up the loose ball and with acres of open space in front of him he let fly with a tremendous shot from 25 yards which screamed into the top corner of the net. As Synners players celebrated RCA were reduced to 10 men when Armstrong was dismissed by, Premiership Official, Mike McDonough for his, shall we say, over zealous reaction to the decision not to award a freekick to RCA and his poor choice of words towards the referee.
Synners tried to take advantage of the their extra man by switching play and making RCA work hard to get a hold of the ball, on the hour mark Hughes played a through ball into the path of Edwards who sent in a driven effort which Carmichael was pleased to palm away and Davis cleared the danger.
Two minutes later and Sweet almost doubled Synners lead when he cut inside from the left wing before unleashing a terrific effort which went narrowly wide of the upright.
RCA, slightly against the run of play, equalised when Wood played the ball into the Synners penalty area, Bogie collected the ball, dummied three Synners players before slamming the ball into the net at the near post with Burke unable to get a touch on it.
This instilled some belief into the RCA team and they started to pressure the Teessiders without really creating any clear cut chances.
In the 70th minute Sweet won a corner on the right when his persistence paid off and Jury was forced to concede, the kick was floated into the penalty area where D Rowbotham headed the ball down, Preston and Bythway between them were able to clear the ball.
At this point RCA looked happy to settle for a point, but were still pushing forward in an attempt to break the dead-lock, at times it was difficult to see who had the ten men as RCA’s work-rate was unbelievable.
Synners, who really didn’t want the draw, were also playing attacking football and in the 75th minute were awarded a freekick on the edge of the box Hughes stepped up and fired a shot over the wall but Carmichael managed to palm it to safety and once again Davis cleared up.
RCA were throwing caution to the wind now. Jury won a corner on the right, Brown took it and his cross was forced away for another corner, this one from the opposite side of the pitch was curled in by Wood and was defended by McNab at the expense of another corner which was headed over by Bogie.
Burke took the goal kick and in doing so slipped; the ball fell to Larkin 40 yards out on the right wing and he sent a speculative chip shot goal-wards, luckily for the Synners keeper the ball landed on the roof of the net.
As the game entered the final five minutes RCA could and should have won the game. Hughes looked to be caught by D Rowbotham inside the penalty area but the referee waved RCA’s appeals away. Then in the last minute of the game RCA won a freekick on the edge of the box Megran placed the ball and seeing Hughes running into space took the kick quickly, Hughes slotted the ball past Burke into the net, however Mr McDonough had blown for the kick to be retaken as the ball was moving. The retaken kick was deflected out for a corner.
Deep into injury time Synners almost dealt RCA a knock-out blow when a cross from Edwards on the right took a wicked deflection off an RCA defender, looped up in the air and looked to be heading for the top corner, but Carmichael made a magnificent one handed save to keep the match all square.
The result was probably better for us than for Synners, but it could have been oh so different if a) we had maintained discipline and kept 11 players on the pitch and b) the second, perfectly good, goal had stood.
We once again showed that when we pass the ball we are as good as any team in the league. If you look at these two sides tonight battling it out to stave off relegation you wonder why they are in the position they are, both teams have the players, the commitment and the attitude to be much higher up this league.
Next up an away day at Newcastle Benfield on Saturday.