RYHOPE C W v HARROGATE R A

FA Vase 1^st Round - 21 October 2017

The early Vase rounds give an opportunity to visit pastures new, and see unfamiliar teams, such as today with a trip to the Sunderland suburbs to see an inter-league, step five clash with Ryhope Colliery Welfare of the Northern League playing Harrogate Railway Athletic of the Northern Counties East. Both teams carry an industrial heritage in their names, though in both cases the underlying business has disappeared from the locality.

The ground is adjacent to the cricket pitch in the Recreation Park; easy to find and easy to park on the man road just outside. The welcome on the gate is warm and a fiver gains entry (for an old ‘un) and a programme. The pitch is well grassed with an unusually generous amount of land surrounding it. Opportunities for cover are limited – some seats behind one goal and a bit of a lean-to near the team benches on the half way line. Refreshments are plentiful though and the smell of chips is hard to resist as a cup of tea is procured.

A sunny start to the day has become blustery and rain threatens as Ryhope, in their variation on Sunderland stripes and Harrogate in all blue, emerge from the dressing rooms. The kick-off is on time despite a reported problem with the RA team bus not turning up and the players having to drive north.

After twelve minutes in which CW dominate, home full back Davey Gordon overlaps on the left, gains the by-line and tries to cross; a defender’s attempt to block at close range is successful but only due to an outstretched arm. The penalty is given by the referee and is duly despatched by captain Kyle Davis.

From then on the RA goal is under continuous pressure, and survives intact more through luck than steady defending. As the half hour approaches Davis finds colleague James Ellis is space in a crowded box, and the winger fires a cross shot into the net. Three minutes later Ellis shoots again, this time from a more central position, with the same result. Five minutes later the influential Davis beats the offside flag (if not the trap) on the right wing and his centre is dinked past the RA keeper by centre forward Josh Holme-Jackson for the fourth goal of the half.

Harrogate have proved lightweight up front for most of the half but with the interval imminent the right back battles forward into the box and his cross eventually bounces out to Albert Ibrahimi whose volley finds the back of the net. Whether a consolation or the start of a fight back only the second half will tell.

Within four minutes of the restart we get a clue when Holme-Jackson takes advantage of a poor RA back line and the benefit of the doubt from the linesman to race through and slot in number five. Confirmation of CW’s unassailability this afternoon follows shortly when Davis provides another assist, this time giving Ellis a tap in at the far post to complete his personal hat trick.

At 6 -1 Ryhope make a triple substitution, which gives Harrogate some respite for about fifteen minutes; although in this period they stem the tide only due a couple of desperate goal line clearances.

Eventually though Ryhope strike again when a high cross comes into the RA box. The two defenders and goalkeeper dither while Holme-Jackson simply nods the ball over the line from a few yards out. That’s his hat trick, and he adds another when Davis pinpoints a cross onto his stooping head.

The crowd (if fifty or so souls count as such) are debating how many that is (it’s eight); but as soon as they get near agreement another is scored. This time it is left back Davey Gordon who fires in from an overlapping position the left wing; barely has that registered when his oppo at right back hits a cross that drifts over the by now shell-shocked keeper and in off the far post.

That is finally it for Ryhope CW; a 10 – 1 win. Somewhere amidst the avalanche of Ryhope second half goals Harrogate did nearly score in a goalmouth scramble in which the ball was cleared off the Ryhope line three times, the final time by one of their own players, which sort of summed up their day.

Bedraggled by the now steady rain, beaten out of sight, and without even a bus ride home, Harrogate RA are well and truly out of the Vase. Ryhope CW will look forward to the second round draw but will not get an easier tie than this turned out to be.