No through road: captain Adam McGuinness and Kris Summers combine to halt a Spennymoor Town attack.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Goalscorers: SRCA, Barton Spennymoor, Henderson (2)
Please click here for some photos from the match.
With so many of RCA's players unavailable for selection through injury and various other reasons it was a much changed team that took the field for this FA Cup extra preliminary round tie against Spennymoor Town at the Brewery Field.
On the injury front it was bad news for Jack Lilley who will be out for the rest of the season with a torn cruciate ligament. Better news on the injury to Kyle Morris who has strained ankle ligaments and is expected back with the next 10 days.
Spennymoor took advantage of the slope and the wind in the first half and were soon on the attack. A flowing move saw Capper play the ball to Stephenson who played in Taylor, but the Moors striker fired over the bar.
RCA were defending well against a Moors team who for all their possession were reduced to long range efforts on goal.
In the 15th minute RCA's latest signing Glen Reay limped out of the game, with a serious looking knee injury, to be replaced by Lee.
Speenymoor continued with their possesion football and RCA continued to defend in numbers and tried to break quickly on the counter.
A corner in the 25th minute gave Moors their next opening as Phillips played the ball into the box. Summers headed clear, but the loose ball fell to Griffiths who burst forward before unleashing a shot which flew high over the bar.
The pressure was relentless now and when Ruddy crossed to the far post it looked likely that Taylor would break the deadlock, but the Moors striker, under pressure from Summers, sliced the ball wide.
RCA's first real attack came on the half hour when Thompson fed the ball to Barton who slipped the ball to Halliday who in turn passed to Winter, but his shot was blocked by Moore.
Spennymoor took the lead in the 32nd minute when Stephenson won the ball in midfield before sending an inch perfect pass to Liam Henderson who finished clinically from 10 yards out.
Phillips was the next Moors player to get in an effort, but could only blast the ball well over the bar from 35 yards.
A minute later and RCA were level. Wayne Henderson, winning the ball from a Moor's throw in, headed the ball forward for Thompson who ran 20 yards unchallenged before passing to Barton who clipped the ball past Jeffries into the bottom corner of the Moor's goal.
Two minutes later and the referee booked both Wardle and Taylor after the two clashed on the edge of the box.
In the 40th minute, RCA were reduced to 10 men when Wardle received a second yellow for a trip on Dodds when the ball seemed to be going harmlessly away for a throw in.
RCA brought on Logan at half time for the injured Winter and looked to contain the attacking formation of Spennymoor.
Spennymoor went on the attack from the off with a good run by Ruddy which ended with his cross being half blocked by Wayne Henderson. The ball spun up into the box and was met by Stephenson who fired wide.
Some great defensive work by McGuinness and Summers kept the Moors attack at bay.
The introduction of RCA old boys Davidson, Graydon and Walton seemed to lift Spennymoor, and a minute after coming on Davidson turned and fired in a shot which Jameson saved at the foot of the post, managing to turn it round the post for a corner.
The corner was taken by Ruddy who played it to Graydon 30 yards out and he produced a stunning shot which rattled the post before going for a goal kick.
RCA rallied and a throw from Logan was picked up by Brown who fired in a shot from 40 yards out that went narrowly wide of the post with Jefferies beaten.
The game was really livening up as Spennymoor seemed to be getting more and more desperate against the solid 10 men of RCA.
Graydon and Capper combined to set up Davidson who powered in a trademark header, but Jameson was equal to it and made yet another save.
In the 72nd minute Spennymoor took the lead. A long ball into the box by Moore was easily dealt with by Summers and the ball fell between Halliday and Graydon, the Spennymoor player fired in a speculative shot which looked to be going wide when Liam Henderson stuck out a boot and the ball flew into the net of the arm of Jameson.
A terribly cruel blow for the 10 men of RCA, but they responded well with Thompson taking on Griffiths before seeing his pass intercepted by Moore with Barton in acres of space.
Jameson then pulled off a double save, he parried a shot from Phillips which rebounded to Liam Henderson and he got a foot to that shot, before the same player fired over the bar.
RCA's best chance of a equaliser came in the 85th minute when a long ball from McGuinness was flicked on by Barton into the path of Thompson who chested the ball forward, but was unable to get to the ball before Jeffries.
A final flurry by Spennymoor saw a cross by Capper find the head of Davidson who headed goalward, but McGuinness was on hand to head off the line.
The dismissal of Wardle was a major blow to RCA in this match, Spennymoor dominated possession and made a lot more chances than RCA but, and we always seem to be saying this then we play Spennymoor, it could have been so different if only...
With a terrific defensive display by the whole team, it was difficult to single out one player above any other as having a better game, but it has to be said that Adam McGuinness set a great example today and he motivated players around him by his sheer presence - a real Captain's performance.