Horden CW 2 Sunderland RCA 1

Arngrove Northern League Division 2

Saturday, 11 August 2007

Sunderland RCA began their ANL Division 2 campaign with a tough away fixture to Horden CW.

As has been the case throughout pre-season, the RCA were again severely disrupted with no less than 9 players missing. With Niki Lawson, Karl Jarvis, Mark Lawton, Phil Hall, Paul Robinson, Nathan Dodd, Dean Fox and Andy Middleton injured and Simon Hanlon away, there was also Marcel Lundy and Willie Crew returning that morning from holidays and Steve Thomas coming back after a month out with a foot fracture.

So with an unfamiliar starting eleven, and a great deal of experience missing it was no surprise RCA started slowly. Horden were moving the ball well and the away side were finding it difficult to get a foot hold in the game. Horden went with three up front forcing Laidler deep, so RCA pushed Andrews up front and brought Butler out to the right.

Horden's forwards, particularly Martin and Allan, were looking lively and causing the RCA defence some anxious moments. However with all the possession the home side had there were very few chances being created.

All that changed when a ball down the home side's righthand side was played forward by Di Lella, Lundy came across and scuffed his clearance, Anderson swung wildly and sent the ball high but no distance, and Martin latched onto a header into the box to fire wide from six yards. With RCA allowing Horden all the freedom in the world the home side were increasing the pressure. Egbe and Stephenson both fired over from the edge of the box, Allen shot tamely wide from eight yards out.

Horden finally took the lead when Dixon lost possession to Stephenson, he played the ball forward, and a static RCA back line, stood with hands in the air appealing for offside. With play waved on Allen raced claer, rounded Hall and tapped into an empty net. Horden comfortably ran down the remaining five minutes of the half to go in leading 1-0.

The second period was only a couple of minutes old when Horden attacked down their left. Anderson never got near the winger who flighted a cross into the box, Moss was sucked under the ball allowing Martin a free header which caught out Hall. A late reaction saw Hall tip onto rather than over the bar. The rebound fell straight to Laidler at the back stick and only six yards from his own goal. With Allen closing in Laidler should have cleared first time, but took a touch, allowing Allen to pinch the ball and hammer high into the net.

RCA made a triple substitution on the hour introducing Thomas, Hembrough and Crew for Laidler, Dixon and Andrews. This seemed to bring a renewed determination and much quicker tempo to the away sides play, and going thee at the back they now started to dominate the game.

RCA's passing was shortened, quicker and much more effective and Thomas began to exert some control to the play. With 20 minutes to go RCA got themselves back into the game. Thomas rolled the ball out wide to Matthews who in turn found Butler in the box. He turned the defender and when he fired goalwards, a deflection saw the ball roll into the bottom left corner to reduce the arrears.

Horden now seemed to lose their shape and began to pump long balls forward, these were being picked up by the away side and the pressure was being increased. Hembrough and Butler combined down the right hand side, the former producing a superb cross to the far post after leaving the fullback in his wake. Crew rose unmarked two yards out, and with the goal at his mercy managed to head straight across goal and back out wide.

RCA had three freekicks in quick succession, Thomas each time delivering with quality into the box. However two were headed clear unchallenged and when Moss reached the other he headed wide. Right at the death RCA were awarded a freekick 25 yards out and just right of centre of the goal. Thomas bent the kick over the wall, and with the keeper beaten saw it drift narrowly wide.