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Sunderland RCA FC 3 Consett AFC 6

Submitted by Rob Jones on Monday, 20 April 2015

Joseph Hughes in first half action.

Saturday, 18 April 2015

EBAC Northern League Division 1

Goalscorers: SRCA: Hughes, Davis, Bogie. Consett: OG., Walker, Slocombe, Moore, Gray, Mackay.

Please click here for some match photos.

Consett were the visitors to Meadow Park for this EBAC Northern League clash and after the excellent performance against Whitley Bay on Tuesday, expectations were high.

The management team made a number of changes to the team. Richardson was brought in for Brown, Carmichael returned from injury to replace Morris (and probably wished he hadn’t) and Megran was a late replacement for Charlton who pulled up in the pre match warm-up.

Neither team had a lot to play for other than pride, but it did not stop them from serving up an entertaining game for the neutral.

RCA took advantage of the slope in the first half and in almost their first attack took the lead. Jury sent a ball forward to Callen who then passed to Davis who rounded the Longstaff and slotted into the net.

Consett responded with some good interplay between Smith and Nicholls to set up Gray but he fired high over the bar.

The home team looked to have doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Megran raced into the box to receive a pass from Callen but the assistant referee’s flag was up for offside.

With Consett a constant threat on the flanks RCA were finding it difficult to push forward as they were leaving space at the back which the Consett forwards were able to exploit.

However in the 22nd minute, after a spell of Consett pressure, the ball was pumped forward by Preston, skimmed off Madden's head and fell into the path of Hughes who made no mistake from inside the penalty area.

Consett although stunned by this continued to push forward with little success; a freekick from Nicholls was easily cleared by Preston.

Then the miss of the half as Gray skipped past the RCA defence before crossing to Sullivan who was unmarked inside the six yard area but somehow managed to side foot his shot wide.

Back came RCA and when Hughes was fouled 35 yards out RCA substitute Armstrong took the kick curling it to the near post where Davis got his head to the ball but it hit Madden and fell straight into the arms of Longstaff.

The half ended with a long range effort from Gray going wide of the target.

The second half started well for the visitors when they took full advantage of a contentious decision to award a freekick on the edge of the box. The freekick was whipped into the box where Preston headed the ball against Bythway and it deflected into the net to make the score 2-1.

Consett with their tails up looked to capitalise on this stroke of good fortune and pushed forward. Gray, who had been making positive runs all of the first half continued in the second and when he played the ball forward to Craggs it looked like the equaliser was on its way but the Consett forward fired high over the bar.

RCA having held on so far in the second half almost increased their lead when Megran played a great ball into Bogie who clipped a lovely ball into the Davis but his volley was magnificently saved by Longstaff.

The relief was short lived as Consett came back looking for the equaliser, Gray again crossing from the right caused panic in the RCA penalty area until Preston took charge and cleared the ball up field.

Minutes later and a run by Brown on the right wing ended with him squaring the ball to Nicholls but his shot was deflected wide for a corner.

In the 62nd minute Consett equalised, again a little fortuitously, a corner from the right was taken short and the ball was fired into the area where Carmichael made a superb save but as the ball was cleared in the scramble that followed the ball struck Walker and rebounded into the net.

RCA tried to respond to this set back and Davis burst past two defenders before crossing to Armstrong but his header went inches over the bar.

Consett took the lead for the first time in the game with 65 minutes gone when a long ball out of defence was picked up by Sullivan who played the ball into Slocombe and he made no mistake from inside the area.

The visitors were well on top now and only a great save from Carmichael prevented them from extending their lead when Craggs volleyed a Sullivan cross goalwards.

However the relief was short lived as two minutes later Consett increased their lead, another Nicholls corner was headed clear but fell to Gray who turned and fired into the bottom corner of the net.

RCA were in disarray as Consett looked to pile forward at will and in this sort of form would be a match for any Northern League team.

Although RCA battled to get the ball it always seemed top fall to a Consett player and it was no surprise when, in the 85th minute, substitute Moore fired in their 5th.

This was followed by a brilliant piece of opportunism from Bogie, taking the kick off he notice the Consett keeper well off his line and decided to take a shot at goal, the gamble paid off as the ball looped over Longstaff’s outstretched hand and into the net to make it 5 – 3.

It was becoming hard to keep up with the game as both teams looked to get another goal before the final whistle and it was Consett who achieved this in the 92nd minute when a crossfild ball fell to Mackay and he volleyed the ball past Carmichael to make the final score RCA 3 Consett 6.

Not a day for defenders today, but what an entertaining game especially the second half if you were a Consett fan.

Injuries to key players caused major disruption to our plans today with Larkin limping off midway through the first half, Callen replaced at half time with an injury and Charlton pulling up before the kick off.

Hopefully we will have them back before Tuesday’s match against Shildon so the manager can select from a full squad.