Callum Guy in action during the second half of the match.
The FA Vase as usual paired RCA against a fellow Division 1 opponent. This year in the absence of Ryhope CW we welcomed Ebac Northern League Division 1 leaders Bishop Auckland to Sunderland LGV Park.
Recent weeks have seen impressive results by both teams with RCA recording four straight wins while the league leaders are unbeaten in their last seven league matches.
RCA’s management team had team selection problems with the unavailability of Hall and Lavery and injury worries over Patton and Moan who both passed late fitness tests. Hall and Moan were replaced by Nelson and Bennett in the starting eleven.
The teams lined up as follows:
Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Nelson, Charlton (c), Allen, Jakab, Patton, Charmey, Bennett, Annang-Colquhoun, Fryatt, Morris. Subs: Best, Davison, Guy, Ezard, Lawrence, Moan, Richards,
Bishop Auckland: Liversedge, Burlace, Risborough, McGoldrick, Errington, Mills, Weirs, Gott, Giles, Milburn, Whitfield. Subs: Elgie, Carling, Banks, Fairley, Croft.
Amazingly, after the heavy rain of the morning, the match got under way in glorious sunshine, with the playing surface in immaculate condition. There was however a cold wind blowing off the North Sea.
The visitors, kicking toward the cemetery end of the ground, were the first to show their attacking prowess and the aforementioned wind almost caught Marrs in the RCA goal off guard as a right wing cross into the box was caught by the wind and had him back tracking to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
A long ball forward by Errington was picked up by Weirs who, with the RCA defence appealing for offside, was left clear with only Marrs to beat but he blasted high over the bar.
A minute later and RCA are almost caught out again with a long ball forward this time Weirs' shot was saved by the foot of Marrs and Milburn’s follow up header was deflected wide.
RCA, with their first threat of the game attacked down the right through Annang-Colquhoun but he was fouled as he tried to play the ball, Patton took the free kick which he over hit and the ball rolled out of play for a goal kick. Patton immediately went down with a recurrence of a hamstring injury and was replaced by Moan.
Good play between Gott and Milburn set up Weirs but the cross into the box was headed out for a corner.
Risborough whipped the ball into the near post, where Errington who glanced a header into the net via the far post to give the visitors the lead.
Within minutes Bishop’s have the ball in the net again this time the flag was raised for offside against Milburn.
The home side struck back when a good run down the left by Charlton ended with the RCA Captain winning a corner on the left. Charlton took the corner which he drove onto the head of Moan who powered in an unstoppable header to equalise.
Shocked by this equaliser the visitors looked to get an early response, awarded a free kick on the right Gott fired in a low shot which Marrs did well to palm round the post, the resulting corner was palmed away by Marrs and in the scramble that followed Allen took command to clear the RCA lines.
RCA tried to calm things down, playing out from the back and when Nelson played the ball forward to Morris he only had to square the ball to Annang-Colquhoun for the RCA striker to be through on goal instead his pass went straight to Gott who played in Weirs but he scuffed his shot wide with only Marrs to beat.
The RCA relief was short lived as the visitors were again given the benefit of the doubt and a freekick was awarded after what looked like a perfectly good challenge. This time Gott strode up and smashed the ball into the net of the post beyond the desperate dive of Marrs.
A minute later and RCA almost equalised when Moan sent Charlton on a run down the left wing, his whipped, low cross was palmed away by Liversedge across the face of goal and was cleared up field by Giles despite the close attention of Bennett.
Half-time 2 -1 to Bishop Auckland was a fair reflection of the half.
Bishop took the game to RCA at the start of the second half and another misplaced pass in midfield resulted in a good covering tackle from Moan conceding a corner. Risborough took the kick and although Jakab got a head to it the ball fell to Weirs who stuck a sweet volley into the top corner of the net.
RCA’s first meaningful attack of the second half, Allen played the ball out to Annang-Colquhoun who linked up with Bennett who curled the ball towards goal but it took a deflection off McGoldrick and went out for a corner.
Giles should have put the game to bed five minutes later when he was put clean through by Gott but put his shot wide of the post.
RCA were eventually finding their feet, Annang-Colquhoun cutting inside won another freekick. Guy took it playing the ball to Bennett who played an inch perfect pass to Morris inside the penalty area but his shot was brilliantly saved by Liversedge at the expense of a corner.
Charlton delivered the corner to the back post where Nelson stooped low to get his head to the ball and managed to direct it out of the reach of Liversedge and into the net. 2 - 3 and game on.
The dynamics of the game changed with RCA pushing forward looking for an equaliser. A good break up the left by Charlton saw his cross reach Morris who whipped in a cross which was met by Annang-Colquhoun but his header flew over the bar.
In a last throw of the dice RCA brought on Davison and the gamble almost paid off a long ball forward was headed down by Davison to Moan who struck a tremendous drive which looked to be handled by Weirs on the edge of the box but the referee awarded a corner. Charlton drove the corner towards the penalty spot where Davison rose head and shoulders above everyone but could only power his header wide of the target.
The game ended with a win for the visitors who progress to the next round of the Vase and good luck to them. With a bit of luck they could go all the way.
With all five goals coming from set pieces it shows the importance of being tactically aware of what is happening around you. The quality of all five goals was there to be seen, but could we have defended better possibly for the first two goals checking the run to the near post and maybe having an extra player in the wall.
Apart from the goals we matched them man for man.
Next up is we are at Home to Thornaby on Saturday, 1 October 2022: kick off 3.00pm.