Saturday, 13 March 2010
skilltrainingltd Northern League Division 2
RCA entertained Stokesley in a vital top of the table clash, and the big news before kick off was former RCA centre forward Andy Jennings pulling up in the warm up and having to drop to the bench.
Courtesy of the Sunday Sun reporter Steve Brown: Match report:
An “absolute cracker” one would be “daft to miss”, promised the programme. It was right, as Sunderland stoked their promotion flames while Stokesley demonstrated sufficient to suggest that despite defeat in Ryhope, hope floats. Some game too. Five goals, two sendings-off, a penalty. Heated disagreement between dug-out and crowd, two balls in the neighbouring cemetery and another in a small girl’s face. It had everything and, for victorious boss Neil Hixon, satisfaction at the death. “That’s a massive win for us, we needed it if we have any aspirations to win the league,” he said, his side leading Northern League Division Two by five points from Jarrow Roofing, but nine now ahead of yesterday’s visitors, fourth with games in hand.
“It was a good game between two good sides but I think we deserved to win and they’re three big points for us.” They never looked like claiming any at the outset, as in-form Stokesley – 14 league wins on the bounce before last week’s draw with Newton Aycliffe – ought to have romped into a three-goal lead courtesy of Turkish Under-21 international Lev Yalcin. “That’s three glorious chances he’s p****d away,” bemoaned Frustrated, of Stokesley.
Home keeper Gary Hoggeth kept Yalcin, and Paul Crager’s header, at bay before Richard Hope fired across the face of goal, and by then Sunderland had at least served some notice of their attendance at least, Mark Davison and Liam McBryde heading at Rob Dean. Then though RCA, imploded.
A difference of opinion between a spectator and RCA boss Hixon saw the former vacate Meadow Park and the latter exit the dug-out. Something and nothing, you sensed.
Yet moments later Hoggeth’s 32nd-minute throw struck the back of unwitting team-mate McBryde and fell kindly to Bryan Stewart, who sprang clear to score. Credit though to the hosts, for they re-gathered composure, and took control. Six minutes later Davison headed in McBryde’s arrowed cross, the goalscorer then volleyed wide and ex-Gateshead star Christoph Ascherl fired at Dean before Darren Kokes ought to have scored in added time. Though before then Stewart and McBryde might also have handed Stokesley the lead again, the second half belonged – largely – to Sunderland.
Three minutes after the restart McBryde hit the foot of the post, then after Stokesley’s Stuart Wise was dismissed for a second bookable offence, Davison saw headers tipped and fly over, Stephen Halliday shot wide, Martin O’Riordan volleyed over and, finally, on 73 minutes, all that pressure paid. O’Riordan sent Kokes down the left, his nifty turn left Crager for dead and set up Scott Richards for a simple finish.
Game over, surely. But from near nowhere Stokesley seized a lifeline.
Hope’s threaded through ball put Stewart clear, only for the winger to be impeded by Steven Jones, who was red-carded as Yalcin equalised from the penalty spot.
So a draw then. Seems fair, keeps things interesting.
Sunderland had other ideas though, and on 85 minutes Halliday’s careering run took him past two opponents before a slid pass allowed Davison – who had just curled a free-kick wide – to ram the winner past Dean.
“I’m very disappointed, we should have had it won after 25 minutes but missed a lot of chances,” said Stokesley manager Ted Watts.
“We did enough for a point but that’s our first loss in 19 games.
“You don’t want to lose against a promotion rival but we’ll bounce back, I’m confident of that.”
