Remyca Utd claim draw in home battle

Report by Scott Fitzpatrick.

A Karl Siadankay penalty was enough to give Remyca Utd a share of the spoils when they took on bottom of the table Stoneycroft at Litherland Sports Park.

It was K Siadankay who won the penalty in the first place, being felled by a Stoneycroft defender before brushing himself down and converting the spot-kick.

The result was soured by the loss of goalkeeper Michael Ryan to injury, as Remyca Utd have already lost Andy Jones for the rest of the season due to a serious injury sustained earlier this week.

Under the floodlights Remyca Utd had the best of the early going, having plenty of possession and could have gone ahead as early as the fourth minute as Stephen Dee volleyed over from the edge of the area following a well worked cross by Adam Millington.

It wasn’t long after that Remyca Utd did take the lead as Joe McGovern chased down a loose ball and pressured the recovering defender into making an error, resulting in an own goal.

The goal served as a wake-up call for Stoneycroft, who began to make use of the conditions and their number eight drew a fine save from Ryan in the Remyca Utd goal, before the away side threatened with a free-kick from thirty yards. The ball cannoned off of the inside of the post and bounced to safety, providing a warning to the home side.

At one point, the home side were at risk of being reduced to ten men, as a spat between McGovern and a Stoneycroft centre-back resulted in numerous off the ball arguments, with McGovern eventually receiving a yellow card.

The sides would however, go in level at half-time as Stoneycroft equalised in the 35th minute, breaking quickly before their number nine slotted the ball past Ryan at his near post.

The second half started in a similar vein to how the first 45 ended, with Stoneycroft looking threatening and forcing Ryan to make a string of saves to keep the home side in the game. Ryan would then be carried off after injuring his knee when stopping a shot from point blank range.

His replacement, Andrew Brito-Coll, was soon beaten after the Stoneycroft number eight headed in from a corner to give his side the lead in the 55th minute. However, had it not been for fine saves from Brito-Coll at point blank range moments later, Stoneycroft could have raced into a much greater lead.

The lead only lasted fourteen minutes though as the introduction of K Siadankay provided Remyca Utd with fresh impetus and the substitute went on a mazy jinking run, taking on multiple defenders before being taken down in the penalty area. The midfielder then dispatched the penalty, rolling into the left corner of the net to level matters.

Peter Tobin arrived late on in an attempt to shore up the defence and Remyca Utd managed to hold out and claim a point. They are now in eighth place in the table, level on points with Red Rum in seventh, although they have played five games more.

Starting XI: Ryan (Brito-Coll), Walsh, Monaghan, Campbell (C), Flynn (Tobin), Co Webb, Leadbetter, Westhead, McGovern, Millington (K Siadankay), Dee. Unused Sub: Powers.

Manager Alan Brady said: “Again the weather played a part in the game. We never got going from the start and a mistake in the first half cost us and let them equalise. They adapted to the conditions better than we did and had better chances. If it hadn’t been for both goalkeepers we would have conceded more. If Ryan is seriously injured it would be a massive blow. We have no other recognised goalkeeper but when we have called on Brito-Coll he has done extremely well.”