14/08/2004
Tyneside Amateur League Cup Group B

IJLW Brazil
Wilkinson, Davison, Churchley, Walker, Kennedy, Slack (Katirai 55), Paterson, Creighton, Haigh, Harrison, Bull.

Brazil continued their excellent start to the season as they dominated the opening exchanges. For the second time already this season, Brazil took a lead very early on. This time it was new central midfielder, Matthew Creighton who got his name on the scoresheet. Peter Slack’s corner from the left was headed back across goal by Shaun Haigh and Creighton was on hand to toe-poke it into the net. After a cagey period, both sides began to create chances but it was the visitors that looked the more threatening. Matty Bull and Mark Harrison were fairly isolated up front but they had plenty of space to run into behind the Ryton defence. Slack, Haigh and Ewan Paterson played through some nice balls and Bull had several shots, although they were all from quite long range.

At the other end, Ryton were restricted well by an extremely hard working and well-organised defence and midfield, though they did manage a couple of efforts on goal. Twice Lee Wilkinson made superb saves diving to his right to keep Brazil in front. A break down Brazil’s right side forced Wilkinson to advance towards the player with the ball and a clever lob was sent towards the unguarded net. Luckily for Brazil, Dave Churchley had both the pace and sense to get back and clear the ball from under the crossbar. On the one occasion a Ryton forward beat the offside trap it was Churchley again that managed to get back to him and make a tackle before he could get a shot away. Generally, Brazil’s marking at corners was very good but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and Ryton’s big centre back seemed to be getting his head to everything. This problem was fixed when Mark Kennedy was assigned to look after him, which he did extremely well.

In the second half the sun went in a bit but it was still far too hot and humid for a football match. Ryton were more dominant in possession than they had in the first period but Brazil were still creating the better chances. James Katirai, forced to play out of position on the right wing, made a couple of lovely passes. Bull was the beneficiary of most of the chances and seemed to be getting closer to scoring with each effort. The best was when he found himself in behind the defence with just the keeper to beat. A good save with the feet sent the ball rebounding out to Harrison whose first time shot was kept down but just the wrong side of the post. After Haigh had sent a volley flashing over the bar from Gary Davison’s right wing cross, the pattern of the game shifted in Ryton’s favour.

With about twenty minutes remaining, Brazil’s midfield tired considerably and the relative squad sizes came into play as Ryton were able to replace their weary players with fresh legs. Their centre back, who had broken Paul Belcher’s ankle in last season’s match, carried the ball from the half-way line round three or four Brazil players (who failed to make a decent challenge between them) before hitting an unstoppable shot into the corner of the goal, from the edge of the box. A couple of minutes later the same player gave the home side the lead when he moved, unmarked, into the box to meet a cross from the right. A late third goal flattered Ryton and almost guaranteed Brazil’s exit from the league cup, with one game left to play. On the positive side, Bryan Walker had an excellent game, not allowing Ryton’s tall, strong, quick striker a sniff of goal. Wilkinson’s dominance of the penalty area earned him his first man of the match of the season.