NORTHALLERTON TOWN 2 REDCAR ATHLETIC 3
North Riding Senior Cup 1st Round
By Ricky Butler at the Calvert Stadium
NORTHALLERTON TOWN crashed out of the North Riding Senior Cup on Saturday as they were unable to recover from a poor first half performance against Wearside League high-flyers Redcar Athletic.
Peter Mulcaster's side trailed 2-0 at the break to strikes from Kieran Stares and James Kesterton within four first half minutes, and although they rallied in the second period with the help of an own goal from James Smuk and an effort Danny Shoulder, it was the Teessiders that went through thanks to James Swann's 54th minute strike.
It may well have been a different story had substitute Graham Caygill not seen a late effort harshly ruled out of a foul on Redcar goalkeeper Matthew Berry but Town were made to pay for a lacklustre first half display.
"We lost the game in the first half," said a disappointed Mulcaster at the whistle. "We were shocking. We pressed and pressed in the second half and had probably 90% of the play but we have lost the game and that is really, really disappointing.
"We are not too sure why he disallowed the goal. From where we were it looked as though the 'keeper had ran into his own player but the referee said it was foul. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't."
Mulcaster made just one change from last weekend's victory over Thornaby - Mikey Stevens replacing the absent Christian Holliday down the left - while Andrew Porritt was named captain for the day against his former club, but Town just never got going in an opening 45 minutes ruined by heavy rain.
Gav Parkin and Dale Elgie both tried their luck from distance while Freddie Huscroft was denied a first Town goal by a smart save from Berry, but it was the Wearside Leaguers that grabbed the lead just prior to the half-hour mark.
Alex Kell had done well initially to deny the impressive Richard Playforth but Sam Webster's corner from the right was headed home by defender Stares.
And it was 2-0 just three minutes later. Kell again denied Playforth with a fine full-length stop but the ball fell kindly to Kesterton who had the simple task of tapping home.
It could have been even worse for Town too as Swann fired narrowly wide from 25 yards before Stares came close to a second as half time approached.
Town had to improve after the break, and as the weather brightened up, thankfully they did too. It looked like being game on when Colin Anderson's right cross was turned past his own 'keeper by Smuk just six minutes after the restart, but the comeback lasted barely four minutes.
Kell, who has been virtually faultless all season, misjudged a long ball over the top on the wet surface and Swann could not believe his luck - rolling into the empty net from 18 yards.
However, Town dug deep and dominated the remainder of the tie. They pulled another goal back on the hour when a free kick from the right by Parkin led to a scramble in the Redcar penalty area which Shoulder finished from close range - his first goal of the season.
The pressure on the Seasiders goal intensified after that as Darren Kokes twice saw efforts cleared off the line while Berry did well to deny Stevens.
A double change in the final quarter of hour - Caygill and Danny McLachlan replacing Huscroft and Stevens - added some urgency to the Town play and it was Caygill who appeared to have sent the tie into a penalty shoot-out.
Chasing a through ball from Kokes, the substitute profited from a collision between Barry and his team-mate Jamie Lee to slot home from 10 yards but referee Sam Parker harshly ruled it out for a foul on the Redcar 'keeper.
As the clock ticked down towards the 90th minute-mark, Caygill got clear down the right but with Kokes screaming for the ball in the centre, he fired over the top. Then, in stoppage time, Kokes saw a header saved by Berry as the underdogs held on to book their place in the second round.
"We had too many big players off form today," said Mulcaster. "But fair play to Redcar. They stuck at it, did the right things at the right time and they won the game.
"I am disappointed as I wanted to do well in this competition. It is a big cup, the chance to play against a professional club and we might have got a few bob out of it, but it wasn't to be."
Skipper-for-the-day Porritt was equally downbeat after defeat to his former team-mates. He said: "Yes, I am gutted really. We lost it in the first half. They pushed high up the pitch and put us under a lot of pressure at the back. The conditions didn't help but credit to them for pushing up and being brave."
After a week off to regroup, Town return to action next Saturday with the eagerly awaited encounter with in-form Willington at the Calvert Stadium. A much improved performance will be needed if Mulcaster's men are to remain in the promotion places.
TOWN - Kell, Porritt, Howlett, Shoulder, Hickman, Parkin, Anderson, Elgie, Kokes, Huscroft, Stevens. SUBS - Caygill, McLachlan, Colman.
REDCAR ATHLETIC - Berry, Wood, Lee, Marsey, Smuk, Stares, Swann, Woodhouse, Kesterton, Playforth, Webster. SUBS - Skelton, Morris, Parker, Preston.
REFEREE - S. Parker
ATTENDANCE: 75
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