Sunday, 9 May 2010
Joe Holborn Memorial Cup Final - played at Ryhope CW
RCA The Barnes completed the first half of their Cup Final double header when they overcame Humbledon Plains Farm by 3 - 0 after extra time in the Joe Holborn Memorial Cup at Ryhope CW.
Both sides had a player missing with RCA still being without Martin Metcalfe and Plains Farm striker Anthony Ross failing a fitness test, but fellow striker John Butler returned from injury to compensate.
The game was always going to be a very tight affair and so it turned out with both defences on top in a close first half. RCA however had the first chances when Liam Dunn headed against the post from a corner after 20 minutes and five minutes later, from another corner, Neil Moan saw his header cleared off the line. Plains Farm then had a good end to the half with a number of corners and RCA keeper Atkinson had to be at his best to turn away a low drive towards his right hand corner from Anderson, but the half time score remained goalless.
The second half panned out pretty much similar, with possibly RCA just edging the possession and creating some excellent openings down both flanks, but the final ball into the danger area would just not fall for the forwards. Plains Farm however then created possibly the best chance when Atkinson once again had to go full length to his right to keep out another Anderson drive to keep the scores level and the half again finished level to bring extra time into play.
The first 15 minutes were pretty even apart from a glorious chance for Plains Farm's Jonathan Greening who found himself clear with only the keeper to beat, but with the ball bouncing he had to try to lob Atkinson and he again produced a top class save to deny him.
So into the last 15 minutes and this is where RCA began to dominate. With their younger legs beginning to show, they created numerous openings before a corner was swung in from the right and found Andy Place four yards out whose header hit the underside of the bar and in the ensuing scramble the ball was deflected over the line by a Plains Farm defender before it was hooked clear, but the assistant referee was on the spot to award the goal. 1 - 0 to RCA with only 10 minutes to go. RCA however were not content to sit back and continued to press, but Plains Farm nearly capitalised when Atkinson had to be alert to kick clear a through ball that caught out the RCA defence.
But RCA were not to stopped and after another surge down the right flank by Callum Charlton his cross found Andy Place at the far post and after his first effort was blocked by keeper Trotter he gleefully slid home the rebound to put RCA 2 - 0 ahead with only 5 minute s to play.
RCA then kept the best till last, when in the final minute substitute John Turvey received the ball just inside his own half on the right wing, and despite his team mates telling him to keep possession and run down the clock by taking the ball into the corner, he decided otherwise and went forward towards goal leaving defenders in his wake and finally seeing off Plains Farm captain Wardle and full back Linton he rifled an unstoppable shot acroos the keeper into the top left hand corner of the net to bring the match to a fitting climax.
Credit to both sides for an entertaining match played in the right spirit, but their had to be a winner and on balance the best team won on the day.
Another cracking match in prospect on Thursday night, 13 May, in the Total Sport Challenge Trophy, when RCA take on Grangetown Florists, again at Ryhope CW with a 6:30pm kick off. Hope to see another good crowd for what is always a good match up between these two local rivals.