Ryhope must raise spirits for clash with derby rivals
Ryhope CW manager Gary Pearson has admitted that his players’ confidence has taken a hit ahead of their derby clash with Sunderland RCA.
The two sides meet for the third time this season at Meadow Park tomorrow and both go into the game on the back of Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup exits.
A 3-1 home defeat against Whitley Bay ended Ryhope’s interest in the competition and Pearson believes that he has a number of key decisions to make ahead of the game.
He told the club’s website: “Me and Tadge (Chris McCabe) have to regroup, keep the players’ spirits high, because the confidence is knocked.
“We need to remember what game we are going into next. It’s a local derby, we beat them at our place, but we got absolutely murdered there in the cup.
“We have to keep the spirits high going into that game so we have a lot to think about between now and 3pm on Saturday.” One positive for Pearson is the form of striker Jack Devlin. The former North Shields player has scored four times for Ryhope since joining the club from Newcastle Benfield in November and Pearson praised the youngster for the impact he has made.
“Jack is a goalscorer and he has played at a good level,” he said.
“If you find a place in your starting line-up, they do come in and score goals. It can take a while and he said he didn’t have a great season.
“He hadn’t played for five or six weeks because of a fallout with his previous club.
“But he is fitting in well, he does give us that added spark. We do rely on him for a goal or two.”
Pearson will have loanee Lewis King back after he was cup-tied in midweek and Corey Nicholson could return after missing the defeat against Whitley Bay with an achilles injury.
Work commitments mean that Clayton Davis is the only absentee from Sunderland RCA’s squad.
That means that manager Martin Swales is boosted by the return of strikers Dominic Moan and Mark Davison after the duo missed the cup exit at the hands of Stockton Town on Wednesday.
The RCA boss is keen to prevent his former club doing the league double over his side in what he called “a massive game”.
He said: “Ryhope have massively improved recently and they are probably in better form and more confident than we are ahead of the game.
“We are still confident, and the lads are looking ready to get back into league action.
“It’s a massive game and we don’t want them to do the league double over us.
“We have our strikers back and that’s a big plus for us, now we have to make the most of having players like Dom Moan and Mark Davison back in our squad.”
Elsewhere in Division One league leaders Dunston UTS have midfielder Michael Pearson back from suspension as they host West Auckland Town.
Midfielder Dan Hawkins will miss Consett’s trip to Shildon and Hebburn Town have injury concerns over Lee Kerr and Scott Wallace ahead of their home game against Guisborough Town.
Mick Mulhern faces local rivals North Shields in his first home game in charge of Whitley Bay, and South Shields loanee Dan Wright could make a league debut for Newton Aycliffe when they entertain Stockton Town.