RACA made it two cup wins in four days to beat Step 5 Barnoldswick Town of the North West Counties Football League to progress to the FA Vase 2nd Round for only the second time ever. A very even first half finished goalless but as the Lancastrians began to tire, Albion took full advantage scoring twice in as many minutes with Rhys McLeod & Louis Calvert both netting in 70 and 71 minutes respectively, before substitute Joe Groves-Forbes put any thoughts of a late comeback to bed with a stoppage time winner.

Albion welcomed NWCL opposition to the Tyne Valley for the second time this season, premier league Barnoldswick Town the opposition who sampled the delights of the A1 traffic past the Metro Centre on a Saturday causing a 15 minute delay to kick off. The pitch was in remarkably good condition considering the hammer it took in the Horden cup tie on Wednesday & the weather kinder than forecast so we were all set for this much awaited Vase game. The visitors created the first chance of note on 6 minutes, Luke Stowe’ s cross from the right flank finding Gareth Hill but the Town centre forward skied his shot over the RACA bar. Albion’s first chance ended up with the same outcome when in the 18th minute, Glenn Caygill got on the end of a corner, but he too couldn’t keep the ball down. Two minutes later and another Ryton attempt ended up clearing the bar, this time Matty Harrison’s header from a Rhys McCloud free kick. In a decent spell for the hosts, on 21 minutes Louis Calvert might have done better after beating his marker in the Barnoldswick box, only to fire into the side netting when laying the ball off might have been the better option. The visitors’ best chance of the half came in the 27th minute when captain Andrew Hill struck a beautiful free kick that look destined for the top corner of the RACA net, only for Brogan Colquhoun to pull off a fine doubler handed save. So with the defences on top a very even half finished goalless.

HT RACA 0 Barnoldswick Town 0

In a statement of intent Albion weren’t going to sit back & just 2 minutes into the second half Scott Oldfield fired a shot from midway into the opposition half that whizzed past Callum Jakoulevs’ post. As Barnoldswick’s first half exertions looked to take their toll they began getting caught in possession & were nearly made to pay in the 64th minute when Fergus Lynch took advantage of dilly-dallying and raced forward, his cross-field ball finding McLeod whose shot from an awkward angle was pushed out for a corner by Jakoulevs. While there was nothing between the sides in the first half, the second period was to see Albion dominate & take advantage of the tiring visitors, & it was to be a weary attempt at a clearance from Hill on 70 minutes that led to the deadlock being broken as his scuffed effort fell to McLeod who fired home from just outside the box. Barely had the elation subsided when RACA went 2-0 up, a fine move starting with a Jack Ledger tackle saw Lynch lay the ball to Harrison who in turn laid the ball to Calvert who outpaced the defenders and slotted home past an exposed Jakoulevs. In fairness Barlick never looked like pulling a goal back & Ryton put the icing on the Vase cake deep into stoppage time when two substitutes combined to make it 3-0, Matty Todd out on the by-line found Joe Groves-Forbes on the edge of the box & he drilled home to make certain Ryton & Crawcrook Albion would be in Monday’s draw for the 2nd Round of the FA Vase.

FT RACA 3 BARNOLDSWICK TOWN 0 Attendance 130

RACA- Colquhoun, Skivington, Oldfield, Burrell (Craggs 83), Errington, Caygill, Lynch, Dart (Groves-Forbes 65), Calvert (Hayton 76), McLeod (Ledger 73), Harrison (Todd 86)