Not a bad performance if I'm honest but we never really looked like winning the game (IMO) and I was dissappointed to see us line up in a 4 - 5 - 1 formation. Although we had five in midfield we didn't seem to have a holding player among them which resulted in the back four having no protection in front of them (again). I suppose we had our fair share of the ball but 'Do' was left to battle alone against their centre halves and we didn't really test their keeper whilst they were dangerous every time they attacked. They took the lead when big 'Ari' was left unmarked at the back post and headed home from a corner. A minute from half time Barton made it 2 - 0 with a strong shot from outside the box as we were caught out by a quick long clearance by their keeper. I was hoping we would change the formation for the second half as we had the wind and were playing down the slope but nothing really changed until they scored a third through Barton, again on a breakaway, after a period of pressure from us which saw Gilly create a chance for himself but have his shot well saved by the home keeper although he placed it when I thought he should have smashed it (its easy from the side line l know) At last a substitution was made which saw Burto move to left back, Wheats to centre half and Tommy push into midfield alongside new boy Yale who replaced Roy. Suddenly we had some momentum and pulled a goal back when Tommy set up Do for a good finish. Next Ormerod came on for Burto and Charlo dropped to left back as we continued to press with Yale, Keo and Orms driving us forward. Soon it was 3 - 2 when Do forced the ball over the line after a header from Leon beat the keeper but bounced down off the underside of the bar. It was all Marske now and Bimbo came on for Keo (who I thought had his best game so far for us) as we battled for the equaliser but unfortunately it just wouldn't come. I know its easy to be wise after the event but I honestly think we would have won this game if we had started with Yale or Orms (maybe 45 minutes each if they weren't ready for the full 90) in midfield with Tommy, Keo and Charlo plus Gilly up front with Do in a 4 - 4 -2 formation. That's something we'll never know now but it's Synners up next and they have been going well lately so we will need to be at our best if we are to pick up all three points. I'm sure the ex Synners in our line up will be 'up for it' and I'm sponsoring this game so a win would be nice.

Good to see DO scoring again, Tommy back in midfield is hopefully going to continue.

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North Riding Senior Cup Finalists 2012/2013

yea in the end rca were hanging on but only if appleby had scored to make it 4-0 it may have been so different but full marks to marske who battled all the way in what was a great game of football from both teams.rca had loads of chances to finish the game off,young jamie davis had 2 great chances,andy appleby,and lokonga had chances aswell.but rca held on considering rca had yet again a different pairing inthe middle of the defence,never had same 2 yet this season.6/7 players missing for different reason didnt help manager pick team but neil as he has lately got it right (just).good luck to marske you will win more than you get beat and well played dave onions had said some not very nice things about him before but had good game yesterday and scored a good goal so well done dave and sorry for before mate.

An improved performance and an exciting game of football but sadly, no points.

Over the 90 minutes, I felt we were the just the better team but it was RCA who managed to create more chances with their direct style of play.

The opening goal came in the 16th minute when RCA had a free kick just outside the box on the left side. The ball was whipped in and Guerin-Lokonga got above Hunter at the far post to give the home side the lead.

Despite going behind we were playing well but not for the first time this season, we conceded just before half-time to put ourselves in a huge hole. RCA broke downfield and Barton's excellent strike from the edge of the box beat Allison for pace.

We nearly got right back into the game at the start of the second half when Gilly managed to get through on goal and tried to place it in the corner but the RCA keeper got a hand to it to send it out for a corner.

After nearly pulling a goal back, we suddenly found ourselves 3-0 down with another goal from nothing, finished by Barton.

It looked like game over but a bit a changearound almost turned the game on its head. Yale came on for his Marske debut, replacing Hunter and looked a real class act. Tommy went forward into midfield and really started to influence the game in a similar fashion to how he did on a regular basis last season and it was his hard work that led to our first goal as he won the ball outside the box and it eventually fell to DO, who fired home.

Minutes later it was 3-2, when Leon's trademark bullet header from a corner hit the bar and bounced down. My first instinct was that it had crossed the line but DO crashed the ball home just to be certain and an unlikely comeback looked on.

RCA had missed a couple of sitters that would've sealed the points but now they were really hanging on as we pressed for an equaliser.

We pushed right up to the final whistle, finishing with three up front as Magowan came on for the last few minutes but we just couldn't find a third goal.

There were some very strange/poor decisions from the referee. An absolute leg-breaker of a tackle on Curtis in the first half, that would've been a red card in some games, wasn't even deemed worthy of a yellow by the ref. At another point in the first half he stopped play as Marske were looking to break forward, so an RCA player could tie his bootlaces...

Big game on Wednesday against Synners and definitely a winnable one...

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