Monday, 7 February 2011
STL Northern League Division 1
Sunderland RCA took on Whitley Bay in front of a season record attendance at Meadow Park. Injuries ruled out first team regulars for RCA with Paul Talbot, Richie Logan and Carl Beasley all missing for Neil Hixon’s men.
A cold wind blowing down slope engulfed Meadow Park for this evening kick off. RCA started brightly with some slick attacking play that was causing the Whitley Bay defence problems and just before the 10-minute mark Keith Graydon forced a good save from Kyle Hayes in the Whitley Bay goal.
A string of corners followed with RCA putting the Whitley Bay goal heavy pressure. Chances fell to Martin Smith and John Toft but neither were able to give RCA the lead.
Whitley Bay looked comfortable when in control of possession but playing up hill against the wind they fail to create anything like a clear goalscoring opportunity. Toft thought he had gave RCA the lead midway through the first half but his goalbound effort was saved tremendously by Hayes.
After the interval Whitley Bay began to look more threatening. Paul Chow, into the channel, delivered a dangerous ball across the RCA box which Craig McFarlane met at the back post. McFarlane’s header, back across goal looked destined for the bottom corner but, with great agility, RCA keeper Gary Hoggeth extended himself to make an excellent one handed save.
Whitley Bay took the lead moments later in a simple fashion. A RCA attack had broke down and collecting the ball in his hands Haynes elected to kick early down field. The long kick caught out the RCA back line and a moments hesitation from Hoggeth allow Chow in to head the opener in an almost copy of his first goal against RCA in the reverse encounter at Hillheads earlier in the season.
RCA continued to impose an attacking threat to Whitley Bay. The introduction of Paul Taylor gave the Whitley Bay defence something else to think about with Taylor providing persistence running across the line and into the channels. A long ball over the top gave RCA the chance to get back onto level terms. Taylor got in behind Whitley Bay’s centre back pairing and found himself in a footrace with the outcoming Haynes to reach the loose ball. Taylor got there first, rounding the Whitley Bay keeper who brought him down. Without hesitation the referee pointed to the spot but despite Haynes being the last man and denying a goalscoring opportunity no further punishment was handed out to the goalkeeper who, to add to RCA’s feeling of injustice, saved well from Martin Smith penalty.
Whitley Bay put the game to bed four minutes before time when Chow pounced on a low ball across to fire decisively into the top corner. RCA will have perhaps felt they deserved something from the game but clinical finishing was the difference between the two sides.
