Match winner Mark Davison on the ball for RCA during the second half of the match.
Carlisle City were the visitors to Sunderland LGV Park for this EBAC Northern League Division I fixture.
The visitors were in good spirits and rightly so after their convincing 5-1 win against a strong Whitley Bay side last week, while RCA did well last week drawing against Whickham. The two teams met on the opening game of the season when RCA snatched an injury time equaliser.
A mention again to the ground staff who have worked wonders this season in maintaining the pitch in perfect condition. As a visiting players commented on entering the ground “I’ve not seen this much grass on a pitch for some time”.
The Management team made only one change from last week’s game bringing in Trewick for Richardson. New signing Max Booth, on loan from Shildon, took his place on the bench. The teams lined up as follows:
Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Allen, Charlton (c), Nelson, Jakab, Trewick, Nelson, Lawrence, Morris, Moan, Davison, Fryatt. Subs: Annang-Colquhoun, Booth, Ene, Hunter, Lavery.
Carlisle City: Townsley, Ivison, Harvey, Atkinson, Kirkup, Holt, Mahone, Kelly, Birdsall, Simpson (c), Palmer. Subs: Allison, Gordon, Kerr, Olsen, Swailes.
An impeccable minute’s applause was conducted prior to the kick off in memory of Derek Breakwell, Whitley Bay Secretary and Northern League committee member and so much more, who sadly passed away last Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. RIP.
The game kicked off in bright sunshine but with a cold westerly wind blowing directly down the pitch. The visitors took advantage of the wind in the first half kicking towards the Beechbrooke end of the ground.
In the early stages of there was little to choose between the two sides as they tried to get to grips with the strength of the wind. Long balls forward from Carlisle seemed to just drift out of play while RCA were finding it difficult to get their passing game together.
A mistake in the RCA defence led to an early goal, a misplaced pass was seized upon by Simpson who played the ball forward to Palmer who slotted the ball past the advancing Marrs.
Carlisle continued to press forward and RCA were forced to defend deep, a corner by the visitors was cleared to the edge of the box by Jakab and hooked over the bar by Kelly.
A minute later and a Carlisle freekick taken by Atkinson was saved by Marrs and in the goalmouth scramble that followed Holt shot over the bar.
As the game settled down RCA started to get into some sort of rhythm, Allen started a good move down the right playing the ball to Fryatt who was fouled as he cut inside. Charlton curled the freekick into the box where Kirkup was able to head clear under pressure from Davison.
With 20 minutes gone the tide was starting to turn in RCA’s favour, a good run by Fryatt resulted in another foul by Harvey on the edge of the box, Allen took the kick, which was cleared out to the left where Morris picked up the loose ball, passing it to the overlapping Charlton who sent in a wicked cross which was headed out by Atkinson for a corner, Charlton took the kick aiming to the back post but Holt was able to head out for another corner. This time the cross was headed down by Holt and picked up by Davison who played in Fryatt but he fired over the bar.
Carlisle were having difficulty in getting the ball out of their own half despite having the wind at their backs and it was RCA who were pressing forward. Another overlapping run by Charlton saw him get beyond the visitor’s defence and his cross was met by Moan inside the six yard box but he could only send his powerful header over the bar.
The visitors seemed content to give RCA corner after corner and with a height advantage they looked fairly comfortable in defending them.
However in the 32nd minute RCA almost equalised when Charlton’s corner was flicked on at the near post by Morris and found its way to Davison who volleyed his shot just wide of the upright.
Within a minute a ball forward by Nelson was played on by Trewick to Fryatt who hit a terrific shot at goal and Townsley was forced into a brilliant diving save to prevent the equaliser.
As the game entered the final five minute of the half Carlisle started to come out of their defensive mode, a ball forward by Kirkup was picked up by Palmer who fired in a shot which bounced in front of Marrs but he was able to save fairly comfortably.
He had to be a bit more aware a minute later when Mahone picked up a poor clearance and drove forward but fired wide of the target from a good position.
The second half started in much the same way as the first with Carlisle getting the ball down and forcing the pace. An early freekick on the edge of the box was fired wide by Simpson.
A good run by Kelly was picked out by Mahone who slid the ball into the path of Palmer but he was unable to keep his shot down and it flew well over the bar.
Palmer was involved in the next attack by the visitors when he played in Mahone but he fired wide of the target.
RCA, as they did in the first half, then took control of the game pressing forward looking for an equaliser but the Carlisle defence was staying strong and repelling all effort by the home team.
A quickly taken throw in caught the visitors napping and Fryatt was able to dribble to the edge of the box before cutting the ball back to Moan who smashed his shot toward goal but when called up Townsley was equal to it tipping the ball away for a corner.
Allen overlapping on the right had the visitor’s defence back peddling as he broke past the full back before crossing into the box but again Kirkup got to the ball ahead of Davison and headed out for yet another corner.
This pattern of play continued, with cross after cross being headed out for corners and then cleared by a stoic Carlisle defence.
With time running out RCA made late substitution in an effort to freshen things up but the pattern of play continued.
RCA piled men forward as the game went into injury time, Fryatt down the left forced what seems like the 100th corner of the game, Lavery hooked the ball toward the far post where the ball was headed down by Davison and in the melee that followed Annang-Colquhoun back-heeled the ball into the net for the equaliser.
From the kick off the ball was picked up by Marrs and launched forward towards Annang-Colquhoun who played it back to Allen and his low cross into the box was stabbed home past the despairing dive of Townsley by Davison.
Although this was not a classic by any means it served up a treat in injury time for the home supporters. A hard fought three points on a freezing cold day.
Most observers agreed that RCA deserved something out of the game but also agreed that the Carlisle defence deserved maybe a draw out of the game.
We move on to the next game away to Northallerton Town on Saturday, 21 January 2023. Kick off 3.00pm.