West Allotment remain winless in the league this season after suffering a heavy 1-5 defeat at home against Sunderland Ryhope C.W.
After almost three weeks since our last league fixture, we welcomed Sunderland Ryhope C.W. to Palmersville and the boys in green got off to a flying start when Regan Paterson netted after 14 minutes - however, Ryhope equalised just seven minutes later.
The visitors proved to be too strong for us on the day in the second half as they cruised to a convincing win after scoring four second half goals.
Manager Jay Bates made some changes to the side that beat Steeton last week in the FA Vase. Gilberto Chapim returned to the starting 11 after completing his suspension. Jake Forster also returned as he slotted in to cover at right-back. Rui Martins also returned to the team after being unavailable last week.
Kick off was delayed until 3:15pm after one of the assistant referees got held up in traffic but that didn't stop Allotment from starting off the game brightly.
After 14 minutes, we found a breakthrough after some superb build-up play. Matty Hayton held up the ball and then played a well-weighted ball through to the feet of Regan Paterson who kept his composure and neatly prodded the ball past the Ryhope goalkeeper.
Unfortunately, Ryhope found themselves level not too long later - 21 minutes in. A corner was taken short by the visitors and eventually, the ball was fizzed in and finished well by Karl Southern.
There were not too many chances for the remainder of the first half however, the best two chances both fell the way of Rui Martins for West Allotment.
One minute after we conceded, Martins drove at the Ryhope defence and bent a shot towards goal which was saved well by the goalkeeper who dived across and saved the low-driven shot.
Five minutes later, Martins reacted well and got on the end of a loose bouncing ball and he volleyed the ball but it just skidded wide of the post by the thinnest of margins.
The second half seemed like a completely different game as Sunderland Ryhope C.W. ramped up the intensity and began to punish the Allotment defence.
On 47 minutes, Ryhope took the lead in emphatic fashion. West Allotment failed to deal with a corner and the ball fell to James Ellis who volleyed the ball beautifully into the back of the net from distance.
After 61 minutes, Ryhope scored their third goal. A cross was whipped in from the right hand side and Connor Slack was there to head home another goal for the visitors.
The floodgates began to well and truly open with 12 minutes to go. On 78 minutes, Ryhope went 1-4 up courtesy of another goal from a cross into the box. James Ellis was left unmarked at the back post and headed the ball back across goal into the back of the net - his second goal of the game.
With 5 minutes to go, Ryhope scored their fifth and final goal of the afternoon. Allotment were caught out on the counter attack after getting bodies forward and second half substitute Denver Morris slotted home past Finn Hodgson to add the finishing touch.
West Allotment struggled to muster up any real opportunities in the second half. The best chance in the second 45 fell to Gilberto Chapim however, his close-range volley was saved by the finger tips of the Ryhope goalkeeper just a few minutes from the end.
Allotment: Hodgson, Forster, Parkinson, Beeston, Scott (c), Errington, Paterson, Chapim, Hayton, Thompson, Martins
Unused subs: Bates, Higgins, Leech
Goal: Paterson (14')
Attendance: 75