Saturday, 11 April 2015
EBAC Northern League Division 1
Goalscorers: SRCA: Hughes (2), Davis (2). Crook: None.
RCA travelled to bottom team Crook Town for this crucial Northern League Division 1 relegation battle. Already relegated, Crook Town are in the process of a massive re-building exercise under the managership of Peter Mulcaster and ex-RCA defender Gary Anderson so would be looking to put up a good performance.
The RCA management had selection problems ahead of the match with regular first choice keeper Josh Carmichael declared unfit to play after sustaining a back, thigh and groin injury in the match against Ashington; his place was taken by Carl Morris. James Rowe came in for Kieran Megran and Colin Larkin returned from injury to replace Luke Richardson. The whole team was re-shuffled with Jury back in his familiar right back spot, Bythway moved to left back, and Brown switched into the centre of defence, Larkin would partner Hughes up front and Callen moved to a wider left position.
The game stared in bright sunshine, but a cold wind blowing across the pitch was causing problems for the players. RCA were quickly on the attack and grabbed an all important early lead to settle the nerves. A long punt up field from Morris was flicked on by Callen and Hughes shrugged off his marker before blasting the ball past Graham.
Crook didn't seem to have any answer to the pace of the RCA forwards and in their next attack Davis showed his marker a clean pair of heels before crossing in from the right into the path of Larkin, but the striker's clipped shot went into the side netting.
The home team were finding it difficult to move the ball into the visitors' half of the field, however they were almost gifted an opportunity when Brown miskicked a clearance and Morris had to tip the ball round the post for a corner.
In the 17th minute RCA almost doubled their lead when Rowe won the ball in midfiled and sent a beautiful ball forward to Hughes; he controlled the ball before laying it off for Larkin whose sidefooted shot beat Graham, but hit the post and was scrambled clear.
RCA where piling on the pressure and it was only a matter of time before they scored again. Rowe once again was the instigator, threading a pass out to Davis on the right, he beat his marker before crossing into the box where Hughes was on hand to slot home via the post giving Graham no chance.
Three minutes later and another forward pass from Rowe was picked up by Larkin who fired in a long range effort which Graham saved.
Crook's only threat seemed to come via Webster who looked to get the ball forward to Guthrie and Brown, but both forwards were well marked by the RCA defence.
The final 10 minutes of the half produced little in the way of goalmouth incident as RCA looked content with the 2 - 0 scoreline and Crook looked incapable of mustering a strong enough attack to worry the visitors.
The second half started much as the first half started, with RCA taking the game to Crook. An early freekick for RCA saw Bythway step up and fire the ball straight past the wall to Hughes who sidefooted the ball wide of the target when it looked easier to score.
RCA were almost left to rue this miss as Crook surged forward in their first attack of the second period. A crossfield ball from White found Brazaukas in space, but the Crook winger fired well over the bar.
The visitors went straight back up the other end from the goal kick. The ball was flicked on by Callen into the path of Hughes who deceived the Crook defence with some mesmorising quick feet before firing in a shot straight at Graham.
Within minutes the home team supporters must have thought that they had scored as Webster slipped the ball to Lough who cut inside before unleashing a powerful drive which looked to be heading into the bottom corner of the net until Morris, at full stretch, managed to get a hand to the ball and turn it round the post for a corner.
RCA countered this with a spell of possession, taking the sting out of Crook's attack and building up their own momentum.
In the 75th minute they went further ahead. When a cross into the box by Davis was headed away by Winter the ball fell to Coe whose shot was blocked and rebounded to Bythway who, from and acute angle, fired the ball across the face of goal, A Webster cleared the ball off the line, but Davis was on hand to blast the ball home from close range.
Crook tried to get something out of the game and in the 85th minute a freekick by Brown was headed inches wide of the upright by Winter.
RCA finished the scoring in the 88th minute, when Coe and Bythway combined to get the ball forward to Davis who, from the edge of the box, deftly chipped the ball over the home keeper and into the net.
The final results from other games filtered through and as both Billingham Synthonia and Celtic Nation lost it became apparent that RCA were set for another season in the first division.
This was not a classic game and the result was more important than the performance. When Martin and Gee took over the reins we could only pray that we would stay in the first division, to do it with four games still left to play is a testament to the management team and the players' resolve. There was always a belief that team spirit and endeavour would see the team through and so it proved.
We can now look forward to and plan for next season.