Michael Annang-Colquhoun on a rare attack for RCA.
RCA travelled through the Tyne Tunnel to play Ashington in this EBAC Northern League Division I fixture at their Woodhorn Stadium. Both teams enjoyed 5-0 wins at the weekend, with Ashington maintaining their unbeaten run in all competitions this season.
The management team was forced to make two changes to the starting XI with Annang-Colquhoun replacing Hawkins (Knee Injury) and Lavery replacing Patton (unavailable).
The teams lined up as follows:
Ashington: Hayes, Cartwright, Summerly, Mullen, Robinson, Lough, Spooner, Mason, Maguire, Briggs ©, Dale. Subs: Aziakonou, Sampson, Ross, Harmison, Johnson.
Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Annang-Colquhoun, Charlton ©, Nelson, Jakab, Lavery, Moan, Davison, Johnson, Guy. Subs: Ene, Charmey, Richards, Bell, Herdman.
After the tropical weather of the weekend where the temperature reached 30 degrees, it was back down to earth with a bump as the players were greeted with a northerly wind and a light drizzle, temperatures around the 16 degree mark.
RCA kicked off and almost immediately were awarded a free kick on the left, Charlton took the kick which he drove into the penalty area but Davison could only steer it wide of the target.
Ashington responded with a good ball forward from Cartwright to Maguire who cut inside but an excellent challenge by Lavery stopped him in his tracks.
RCA took the lead in the seventh minute when a ball out by Jakab found Johnson on the right, he played a 30 yard crossfield pass to Charlton who sent a cross into the box where Davison managed to glace a diving header passed the stranded Hayes and into the net.
The reaction from Ashington was expected as they pushed forward, a ball into the box by Lough was met by Mason but his low driven shot was saved by Marrs although the RCA keeper did need two attempts to smother the ball.
The visitors almost doubled their lead against the run of play when Marrs found Johnson down the middle of the pitch, he sent the ball out wide to Charlton who floated the ball to the back post for Annang-Colquhoun but his touch let him down and the resulting shot was easily saved by Hayes.
The Colliers then mounted a sustained attack on the RCA defence winning a succession of corners. The first was cleared by Lawrence for a second corner which was punched clear by Marrs only as far as Spooner whose shot was blocked by Jakab and out for another corner which again was palmed away by Marrs and hooked up field by Charlton.
With the pressure mounting Dale moved forward and hit a long range shot which flew wide of the target.
Spooner was the next Ashington player to have a go having been put through by Maguire but his shot was well blocked by Lavery and Marrs picked up the loose ball.
RCA eased the pressure a little with a good period of play which saw Johnson and Charlton combine on the left to open up space for Guy who made a good run down the wing before crossing to Annang-Colquhoun who tried to play the ball to Davison but his cross was blocked by Summerly and Ashington moved onto the attack again.
The attack was only stopped on the edge of the box with the referee awarding a freekick to the home side. Dale stepped up and hit a curling shot which drifted agonisingly wide of the upright.
The RCA defence was under constant pressure as the Colliers poured forward looking for an equaliser before halftime, a poor clearance was picked up by Cartwright on the half way line and he tried a speculative shot which drifted wide with Marrs backtracking to make sure it didn’t creep inside the post. Minutes later and a Cartwright corner was headed wide by Lough. Summerly was on hand picked up the goal kick before playing a one, two with Briggs and striking a low shot which Marrs saved comfortably.
A rare RCA attack followed when a long ball forward from Marrs was flicked on by the head of Davison to Annang-Colquhoun who pulled the ball back to Moan on the edge of the box but his effort went sailing over the bar.
The Colliers continued to push forward until half time but could not find a way to breach a resolute RCA defence.
Ashington started the second half as they finished the first and in the first minute almost caught the RCA defence napping when Briggs played the ball to the edge of the box but Spooner’s side footed effort went narrowly wide of the post.
RCA were struggling to get the ball out of their own half and when they did the Ashington defence was quick to snuff out any danger.
Cartwright on the right was starting to cause problem as he continually found time and space to knock balls into the box, one such cross was met by Briggs but Marrs again came to rescue with a good save.
On the hour mark a defensive mistake on the edge of the box let in Spooner who played the ball to Cartwright and his cross was met by Maguire who headed wide, a let off for RCA.
The corners were coming thick and fast again, a cross to the far post was headed back into the mix by Briggs and scrambled away for another corner, this time the ball was played to the near post and in the ensuing goalmouth scramble nobody could get a good connection on the ball and it was eventually scramble away for yet another corner. This time Marrs punched the ball clear but it fell to Briggs who hit a terrific drive which was destined for the top corner but Marrs pulled off a fantastic save somehow managing to tip it over the bar.
RCA’s only forward response to all this pressure came when a Moan played the ball forward, Davison managed to flick the ball into the path of Johnson who burst into the box but his efforts was blocked by Mason at the expense of a corner which was easily defended by Ashington’s defence.
Into the last 15 minutes and RCA were hanging on by a thread, Ashington’s attackers for all their efforts were having trouble hitting the target with Brigg’s, Maguire, Harmison and Spooner all putting efforts wide when in good scoring positions.
Marrs was called into action again when a marauding forward move by Dale saw him take the ball outside a defender before cutting back inside and curling a left foot shot toward the top corner only for the RCA keeper to again palm the ball away.
However, in the 81st minute the RCA resistance ended when Cartwright played the ball through to Maguire who clipped a low cross towards the near post and substitute Harmison managed to flick the ball into the net.
The final ten minutes saw RCA continue to stoutly defend but even when the ball was played out of defence the Ashington players made sure that the RCA forwards didn’t hold onto the ball too long before setting up the next attack.
With the game entering the third minute of the four added on Ashington managed to preserve their 100% record and it was another rare forward run by Dale which opened up the RCA defence dribbling down the left before cutting back inside and floating a perfectly weighted ball onto the head of Harmison who headed home from two yards out.
This was a devastating blow for the RCA defence, the second time in as many weeks that they have conceded deep into injury time and points have been snatched away.
On the positive side we defended solidly for 80 minutes against a very strong Ashington team, by far the best team I have seen since the days of Darlington and South Shields.
Standards have been set and we should now know what is needed at this level to compete at the top of the division.
Next up we play away at Whickham in the Preliminary round of the FA Cup on Sunday, 21st August 2022: Kick off 12 noon.