Calvert's century doesn't end on winning note for Ryton

SUNDERLAND AFC U18s 3

LOUIS Calvert's 100th start for Ryton & Crawcrook Albion wasn't one to remember as Sunderland's talented youngsters outclassed Nathan Beckham's out of form side in their Challenge Cup First Round tie in front of a club record crowd of 552 at The Oldhaulage Stadium last Wednesday night.

It was the Wearsiders who carved out the first chance on eight minutes when full-back Harvey Thompson spread it wide right to fellow defender Charlie Dolan-Dent, with the latter's cross into the box sent wide of Callum Corkhill's right-hand post by James Barker's glancing header.

They should have taken the lead just two minutes later when Kay Munyakazi's lung-bursting run from halfway into the box left the Albion defence chasing shadows, but Corkhill put in a great tackle after the forward let the ball run a bit too far ahead of him.

It ran loose to Barker and, fortuitously for the hosts, his shot struck the prostrate Munyakazi before bouncing behind for a goal-kick.

However, the respite for Albion was only temporary as Sunderland took a deserved lead on 11 minutes through striker Caleb Shakespeare.

Attacking at pace, a one-two between winger Noah White and Munyakazi sliced open the Albion defence and, after being left with only Corkhill to beat, White unselfishly squared the ball to his right for an unmarked Shakespeare to tap home into an empty net (0-1).

It continued to be one-way traffic towards the Albion goal, with the next chance coming on the quarter-hour mark when Thompson's low drive was deflected narrowly wide of Corkhill's left-hand post.

Barker came even closer to doubling the lead on 28 minutes when his thunderous strike from the right-hand side of the box hit the post with Corkhill beaten, and the loose ball was knocked behind by full back Nathan Beesley.

From the resulting short corner, Corkhill had to palm away Thompson's shot heading for the top corner, and the loose ball was blazed over the bar by Shakespeare.

Having been second best and offering little or no threat up front, Albion finally created a half-chance on the half-hour mark following great work by Calvert near the byline inside the box on the right.

After dispossessing a defender, he fed Keros Lizinde a few yards out but, under pressure from Dolan-Dent, he could only let the ball bounce wide off his leg.

Albion's best chance of the half came on 41 minutes when Lizinde found Ethan Bewley on the right and he set up recent signing Sam Davison, with his shot saved low down to his left by the underworked Finley Robertson.

The loose ball ran agonisingly close to Calvert in the six-yard box, but a last-ditch clearance by centre half Alfie Pollock prevented the striker from getting the hosts back on level terms.

Corkhill was called into action just two minutes after the break when Jay Brown slipped a perfectly-timed pass in behind for pacy winger Oscar Okoro and, after beating the offside trap, his effort from a tight angle was blocked by the keeper's legs.

From the resulting corner that was taken short, Okoro's back header from Thompson's cross was punched away by Corkhill at full stretch.

Comfortable in possession and spraying the ball around the park without being put under much pressure, the visitors remained in the ascendancy and strung together more than twenty passes in their next attack on 55 minutes which culminated in Dolan-Dent's cross from the byline being illegally blocked in the box by Calvert's raised arms.

The resulting penalty was firmly dispatched into the bottom left corner by Barker despite Corkhill guessing correctly (0-2).

At the other end, a couple of corners expertly delivered into the heart of the six-yard box by Lizinde came to nothing, and centre forward Louis Anderson's first-time 30-yard strike was off target on another night to forget for the Albion forwards who have now gone 353 minutes without scoring.

The pacy combination of Dolan-Dent and Okoro continued to cause plenty of problems for the Albion defence and almost created a third goal on 74 minutes, but Okoro's low curling effort was gathered at the second attempt by Corkhill before substitute Triziano Wilson could make contact.

Albion's final chance to pull one back came on 80 minutes when Anderson found Joseph Groves-Forbes in space on the right. He fizzed a ball across goal that was inches away from being converted by Rhys Hutchinson.

The Wearsiders then wrapped things up in the 82nd minute with a third from winger Noah White.

Adam Nelson's through ball into the box found fellow substitute Jay Matadeen in acres of space, and his low shot could only be palmed away by Corkhill into the path of White who had the simple task of slotting home from close range (0-3).

In a match well handled by referee Charlie Armstrong, there were very few stoppages and neither physio was required, but, after suffering a third defeat in a row, the only positives for Albion were no bookings and a record crowd.