Sunderland RCA made it four wins on the spin in the EBAC Northern League Division 2 with a win over Prudhoe YC at Meadow Park on Saturday afternoon.
Some excellent one touch football led to Callum Guy’s opener after 16 minutes and despite a flurry of opportunities the score remained 1-0 at half-time.
Aiden Stanton made it 10 league goals shortly after the break to double the advantage before Jordan Plunkett’s header pulled one back for the visitors.
The hosts enjoyed a brief numerical advantage when Fin Baty was sin-binned, and Guy took advantage with a wonderful long-range effort to seal the points.
Mark Forrest fielded the same side that earned an impressive victory over FC Hartlepool last time out, but was also able to welcome Dennis Knight, Jack Patterson, and Max Monaghan back to the matchday squad.
The opening quarter of an hour felt like the sides who shared points on opening day were feeling each other out. Prudhoe’s James Simpson had the earliest effort with a volley wide of the post.
RCA started the game intent on breaching Prudhoe’s high line with balls in-behind, but it was some neat football while the visitors were defending deep that created the opener.
Brilliant passing play on the edge of the area from Jake Fowler, Lewis Lukeman and Stanton resulted in Guy being slipped through on goal where he calmly slotted the ball between goalkeeper Sam Wilson’s legs to open the scoring.
The side in red and white settled into a rhythm after the goal and just before the half hour mark came a barrage of chances to make it two.
Firstly, skipper Chris Thompson nearly scored one of the most bizarre goals of the season.
His free-kick from inside his own half looked to be travelling harmlessly towards Wilson, but a wicked bounce almost caught the stopper out as he had to readjust and tip over the bar.
Wilson had to be more alert a minute later to deny Lukeman as he turned and fired towards goal following a corner.
In the same passage of play, Lukeman laid off Fowler whose deflected effort just missed the target.
Another short corner caused chaos when first Dom Moan’s close range effort was saved before it seemed that Stanton was upended in front of goal, but no penalty was awarded.
Prudhoe’s defense would soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief after the onslaught, but not before Nathan Simpson’s strike cannoned off the crossbar.
Despite leading at the break, RCA will have been disappointed not to have been out of sight.
Fear of not taking enough chances would have been high when Karl Dryden was called into action in the opening seconds of the second half to deny Freddie Marr.
On 55 minutes, the hosts found the breathing room they were looking for when Moan’s header bounced off the upright and he showed the composure to tee up Stanton on the rebound to finish.
Guy was on the hunt for his second moments later, but his long-range effort flew just wide.
Prudhoe’s biggest threat all game was from dead ball situations, and it proved on 61 minutes when captain Jordan Plunkett rose highest to nod home a corner at the back post.
RCA came under some pressure in the following 10 minutes, and Liam Dalton almost found an equaliser following a corner from the same side.
Fortunately for the hosts they were awarded a man advantage for 10 minutes when Baty received a sin-bin from referee Timothy Craig.
While Prudhoe continued to push, forcing a brilliant save from Dryden with Brad Rogers’ volley, RCA used this time to kill the game as Guy got his second in spectacular fashion.
Stanton’s lofted ball over the top proved difficult for Wilson to deal with as he rushed out of his goal and only managed to clear as far as Guy on the right who set himself, picked his spot, and lobbed over the keeper and retreating defenders to restore the two-goal cushion.
RCA saw out the remaining 15 minutes with relative ease and secured a fourth straight win to move level on points with the top half.
We continue our string of home games as we welcome Ryton & Crawcrook Albion on Tuesday night in the Brooks Mileson League Cup for a 7:30pm kick-off before we face Seaham Red Star on Saturday 8th November at a slightly earlier kick-off time of 2pm.
Sunderland RCA: Dryden, Richards (Davis 88), Charlton, Moan, Fowler, Thompson (Knight 80), Simpson (Patterson 74), Dodds, Stanton, Lukeman (Ward 88), Guy (Monaghan 80).
Prudhoe YC: S. Wilson, Boertien (Morris 83), Baty, Lewer (Rogers 60), Plunkett, Simpson (Anderson 90+1), Lowes, Marr (Zoma 83), Cleland, T. Wilson (Shane-Stone 88).