Tuesday, 15 March 2011
STL Northern League Division 1
Sunderland RCA were visitors to the hugely impressive Heritage Park ground of Bishop Auckland AFC. The impressive surroundings were not matched by the unbelievably poor playing surface, which resembled a patchwork quilt made up mostly of sand and re-laid turf. With the mist rolling in it looked like a scene from the Dunkirk landing rather than a football pitch.
RCA made one change to Saturday's starting line up with Leon Carling keeping his place in the centre of midfiled after a very good performance when replacing the injured Scott Richards at Bedlington.
The match began with both teams eager to impress and pushing players forward trying to create chances, but both defences looked solid. The game changed dramatically in the fifth minute when Richard Logan received an early red card and RCA were reduced to ten men. Logan had already been involved in an altercation with Dixon which saw the Bishop’s defender punch and kick the RCA forward before he decided to take retribution and elbow the Bishops defender in the face.
The opening 20 minutes were fairly even and RCA looked to be getting on top. Walton was causing major problems on the right, in the 15 minute he set Ellison up on the edge of the box but his shot went over the bar.
On 18 minutes Gredziak had the home team's first effort when he stretched to a loose ball which Hoggeth saved, but took a blow to the face in doing so. Yellow card to Gredziak.
In the 23rd minute Bell and Lawson combined set up Salvin but his weak effort was easily saved by Hoggeth.
With RCA pressing forward and looking dangerous a good move was brought to a sudden end by a two footed challenge on Graydon by Brumwell who was only given a yellow card for what in most games would have been a straight red.
RCA missed a great chance to take the lead just after the half hour when Graydon turned to volley, but saw his effort fly narrowly past the upright. Bishops replied with a long throw which was knocked down to Atkinson who scuffed his shot well wide.
RCA, after some good play, took the lead in the 36th minute when Walton latched onto a cross from Jones to steer the ball home past the despairing dive of Jeffries.
Bishops hit back immediately when RCA failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Brumwell who clipped it back over the top and found Lawson who had time to chest the ball down and stabbing home from ten yards.
RCA self-destructed, conceding another goal within three minutes when a hopeful cross from Gredziak found Bell in acres of space he easily slotted home past Hoggeth.
RCA equalised in injury time when the ever dangerous Walton cut in from the right before unleashing a powerful shot which gave Jeffries no chance.
The second half started slowly with both teams taking time to settle. However, Bishops took the lead again on 54 minutes when Atkinson intercepted an horrendous back pass before rounding the keeperand slotting home from an acute angle.
In the 58th minute Walton had a glorious chance to equalise and complete his hat trick when a superb pass from Graydon found him inside the box, but his curling shot went narrowly wide with Jeffries beaten. A minute later and Bell carried the ball out of defence before passing to Gredziak who shot just wide.
Another great chance fell to RCA in the 75th minute when Walton dispossessed Turnbull but blasted the ball wide.
RCA were once again on top of this match and a surging run by Walton was only stopped when he was up-ended by the lunging tackle of Darren Richardson with the ball two yards past him. Once again a red seemed likely but the very generous (for Bishops) Mr Clayton only showed yellow. From the resulting free-kick Graydon found Jones and Jeffries struggling to deal with the Jones cross could only push the ball away and Bishops were lucky to be able to clear.
With RCA understandably tiring Bishops created a number of late chances Chris Lawson, Strong and Turnbull all had decent chances.
RCA were down to nine men on 91 minutes when Ellison picked up a second yellow for a foul on Richardson and even with nine men it was Bishop who were hanging on at the end to take all three points.
