Sunderland RCA 1 – 0 Guisborough Town

Match Report

Guisborough Town Manager Steve Bell issued a stark warning to his players following their fourth defeat in their last six matches as the Priorymen were sunk by the only goal in another disappointing display at Sunderland RCA on Saturday.

After the game a frustrated Steve commented: “I told the players that at the moment I have a problem to solve and I’ll solve it in the end either with or without some of them.

“I also told them that we lost against RCA because of the little things that we weren’t good at. Little but important decisions that good players get right more often than they don’t.

“We seem to be able to get into good situations but then usually make a wrong decision. As far as the match against RCA is concerned, it was just more of the same – one step forward and two steps back,” added Steve.

Following this latest defeat at RCA, the Priorymen have now played nine games since the start of October and lost seven and won just two, slipping to 15th in the table.

Guisborough Manager Steve Bell – stark warning to his players following another defeat at Sunderland RCA

Guisborough certainly created enough chances at RCA to have won the game but once again that familiar failing of missed chances came back to haunt them.

Over the course of the match, the Priorymen created a dozen or more chances – several of them in a frantic last 10 minutes – but try as they might they just couldn’t convert any of them into goals.

LOOPING HEADER

Guisborough did have the ball in the net in the 35th minute when striker Adam Preston rose well to put the ball in the RCA net with a looping header but he was adjudged marginally offside – fine margins once again to the Priorymen.

Guisborough certainly dominated the first half on chances, playing down the notorious RCA slop and with the wind at their backs.

But the familiar story of chances going begging was evident once again, with striker Louis Johnson going close twice in the 3rd and 21st minutes and Ben Jackson seeing a goal-bound shot blocked on 23 minutes. Then Adam Preston shot narrowly wide in the 31st minute following good work by Johnson.

In the 37th minute Guisborough defender Nick Hood joined the attack as the Priorymen piled on the pressure but his effort on goal was cleared.

After the half-time interval it was RCA’s turn to pressurise the Priorymen and they went close three times in quick succession with Guisborough ‘keeper saving well from RCA skipper Daniel Hawkins on 49 minutes.

Then Guisborough had a let-off in the 55th minute when winger Matty Weirs hit the post with a low, raking shot. Two minutes later the same player blasted the ball over the Guisborough bar when well placed.

CLEARED THE BAR!

In a rare second half attack, Guisborough forced a corner on 59 minutes and the ball came out to skipper JJ Bartliff on the edge of the RCA penalty area but his shot cleared the bar.

Just one minute later, RCA scored what was to prove to be the winning goal when substitute Taylor Richardson met a great cross from Simon Jakab out on the right and Richardson’s header nestled into the back of the Guisborough net for 1-0 to the home side.

BATTLED ON GAMELY

To their credit, Guisborough battled on gamely to the end and in the last 10 minutes laid siege to the RCA goal and the Priorymen came mightily close to what would have been a deserved equaliser five minutes from time. Bartliff put over an enticing in-swinging corner but a goal-bound Guisborough effort was cleared off the line.

A minute from time Guisborough almost pulled themselves level when Ben Jackson cut in from the right and his slightly deflected shot shaved the top of the RCA bar.

From the resultant corner Guisborough central defender James Dillon got up well but his header cleared the RCA bar by a couple of yards. It would have capped a fine game for Dillon had that header gone in.

Report: Bill Perfitt