Saturday, 06 September 2014
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Goalscorers: Barton (2), Jury, Price, Guyan.
The FA Vase 1st preliminary round was a welcome distraction from the rigours of life at the wrong end of the first division. A run of poor results, despite some very encouraging performances, have left SRCA languishing at the bottom of the table.
In comparison our opposition Darlington RA are unbeaten in their last 5 matches and are lying in 5th position in the second division. They include two ex RCA players in Nathan and Jim Wilson the former captaining the side.
RCA made changes to the team that started on Tuesday against Celtic, with Carmichael preferred in goal, Wilson came in at centre back, Brown replaced captain Gary Wood who failed a late fitness test and Coe returned to the right wing with Lewis Dodds partnering Barton up front.
The match started with RCA retaining possession well, in th e4th minute a freekick was awarded when Woods was fouled, Price took the kick floating it towards Barton who flicked it on to Wood who headed wide from an acute angle.
In RCA's next attack McNab skipped past two defenders before cleverly finding Barton on the edge of the box, he squared the ball to Jury who crossed toward the far post but Richardson managed to tip the ball over the bar.
After these early shocks Darlington started to get a bit more possession but they were missing a controlled ball in the final third.
15 minutes into the game and RCA were looking comfortable although they were not producing any telling scoring chances and it was Darlington who had the next effort on goal when Nathan Wilson gave the ball to Jim Wilson he cut the ball back to Macleod who shot narrowly wide.
RCA took the lead in the 23 minute when Jury picked up the ball 40 yards from goal was allowed to move forward unchallenged before shooting toward goal, the ball seemed to bobble before passing Richardson and nestling in the bottom corner of the net.
Darlington almost equalised with 2 minutes when a through ball from Harrison found Jim Wilson in space on the left, Carmichael alert to the danger raced from his goal to narrow the angle and in doing so fouled the Darlington winger on the edge of the box. Nathan Wilson took the freekick but it was headed clear by Horsman.
RCA picked up the pace as the game approached the half hour mark and shots from Wood and McNab produced saves from Richardson.
Wood in particular was causing all sorts of problems and was constantly being fouled as he dribbled past players.
In the 35 minute a quickly taken freekick by price was slide forward by Brown to Barton who found a delightful cross to the far post where McNab forced a great save from Richardson with a point blank header.
It was all RCA as the game headed toward half time and a crossfield pass from Coe split the Darlington defence, fell to McNab who stabbed the ball inches wide of the upright.
In the 45 minute Darlington’s England cut in from the right before producing a stunning shot which Carmichael did well to hold. The RCA keeper then sent the ball forward to Mcnab who crossed to the far post where Coe controlled the ball before crossing to Barton who guided the ball home from close range, unfortunately, he was adjudged to be off-side.
The second half opened with a bang as Price found Barton in space, the striker clipped the ball forward to Wood who forced yet another brilliant one handed save.
As RCA poured forward it looked inevitable that they would score again and in the 52 minute Jury picked up a pass from Price, nipped past a static Darlington defender before crossing into the box where Barton was on hand to power home a terrific header.
RCA almost made it 3-0 two minutes later when Horsman and Coe combined on the right but coe’s effort went well over the bar.
A minute later and Barton fired over when in a good position. In the 67 minute RCA were awarded a penalty when a freekick by Price was blocked by the arm of a Darlinton defender, Price took the penalty and sent the keeper the wrong way.
Darlington thought they had been given a lifeline 3 minutes later a Nathan Wilson Freekick was parried by Carmichael and Sims following up fired into the roof of the net however the offside flag was up and the goal was disallowed.
Two minutes later and the game was over as a spectacle when substitute Guyan fired in a shot which was saved by Richardson but the ball fell to Barton who fired into the net from a narrow angle.
In the final minute of the game a lovely ball from Brown was played to Morris and he squared the ball to Guyan on the edge of the box and he produced a quality curling shot into the top corner of the net which left Richardson no chance.
This was a good display of controlled football from everyone in the team. We need to begin putting results together now. Next up Whitley Bay Tuesday.