High-profile Colliers chiefs stunned by RCA

Sunderland RCA’s James Cassidy battles with Ben Sampson of Ashington during yesterday’s FA Cup encounter TOM Wade experienced some wonderful FA Cup memories in his time at Blyth Spartans.

However, they must have seemed a distant memory at Meadow Park yesterday.

Wade and joint-manager Stephen Harmison were on the end of an FA Cup nightmare as his Ashington side were hammered 4-0 by Sunderland RCA.

The Wearside outfit tormented the Colliers back four and goals from Nathan O’Neill, Dylan Elliott and a brace from Stephen Callen was enough to put them into Monday’s First Qualifying Round draw.

For all of the blood and thunder you expect in an FA Cup match, this provided little in the way of action in a tepid opening spell to the game.

Both sides struggled to get going, with the only notable action of the opening 25 minutes being the booking of Sunderland RCA winger Clayton Davis.

It wasn’t until shortly before the half hour mark that the deadlock was broken.

And it was the hosts that got the goal as some fine work down the right hand side from Michael Charlton gave O’Neill as chance to put his side ahead.

The striker made no mistake with a calm finish, much to the delight of the majority of those inside Meadow Park.

The hosts were forced into a substitution on half hour, as veteran striker Colin Larkin was replaced by James Cassidy.

With neither side creating any-