WELCOME TO RACA

Recap

Albion made it three losses from three at FC Hartlepool’s home despite leading in this afternoon’s pipe-opener for 25/26. After a goalless first half, Callum Johnston got his first goal for Ryton on the hour mark, but Pool struck back when new signing Jake Stott levelled on 64 minutes. Fin O’ Gorman put the hosts ahead on 80 minutes & sealed the deal netting a 90th minute penalty.

MATCH SUMMARY

Albion faced a difficult start to the season with a trip to FC Hartlepool at a venue they’d not collected a point previously. Though the first half was lively enough the defences were clearly on top. The first effort on target came from the hosts in the 6th minute when Josh Daley struck from the edge of the box but it was straight at Callum Corkhill. Ryton’s new keeper had to work harder on 23 minutes when Joe Spalding went on a decent solo run, cutting infield before unleashing a shot that Corkhill had to dive low to smother. Albion’s best chance came on the half hour when a Declan Bisset launched a fine cross from the right flank but it was fractionally too far forward of the unmarked Louis Calvert on the far post who couldn’t make a clean contact & ended up firing over the bar. Pool’s best chance of the first half came on 32 minutes when Fin O’ Gorman drew Corkhill out of his goal, then took the ball wide before finding Spalding in the box but his shot was well blocked by Glenn Caygill.

HT FC Hartlepool 0 RACA 0

RACA started the second half the stronger of the two sides with both Callum Johnston & Calvert forcing good saves from Hartlepool keeper Cameron Simpson in the opening minutes. Johnson had a chance to open the scoring on 56 minutes when Bisset’s cross found him unmarked but his powerful shot could find the side netting. He was to find the target on 60 minutes though when persistence from Calvert saw him fire an overhead kick into the box which Johnston struck home for RACA’s first of the season. The lead would only last four minutes though as Spalding saw substitute Jake Stott’s run & split the RACA defence with his through ball which Stott slotted home. This seemed to spur on the hosts as they came back into the game & on 80 minutes took advantage of poor Albion defending when Spalding’s dink across the box found O’Gorman goal-side of his marker & he had the simple task of heading into an empty net to make it 2-1. FC wrapped up the points on 90 minutes following a fine save from Corkhill from a Lewy Green shot but as the ball ran free in the box, Albe Fletcher was rather harshly deemed to have fouled Stott in the box & referee Mr Stephenson pointed to the spot. Fin O’Gorman struck the spot kick beautifully giving Corkhill no chance & RACA were consigned to an opening day defeat.

A disappointing start but only a short wait to get back on track with a home game against Sunderland West End on Wednesday who also started the campaign with a defeat.

FC HARTLEPOOL 3 RACA 1 Attendance 144

RACA- Corkhill, Skivington, Fletcher, Ord (Luke 69), Caygill, Dodds, Bailey (Salkeld 69), Johnston (Groves-Forbes 77), Anderson, Bisset (Dart 64), Calvert (Elliott 69).

POS: 20th.

SATURDAY’S OTHER DIVISION 2 RESULTS

AFC Newbiggin 1 (Smith) Park View 2 (Loveday, Conroy)

Billingham Town 3 (Stares 2, Hogan) Newcastle University 2 (Pennington, Manning)

Chester-Le-Street Town 0 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1 (Conway)

Durham United 3 (Kay 3) Boldon CA 4 (Robertson 2, Foy, Kirton)

Grangetown BC 1 (Dixon) Esh Winning 2 (Swinburn, Ashcroft-Brown)

Jarrow 4 (Bates 2, Jackson, Hardie) Alnwick 3 (Potts, Eggleston 2)

Sunderland West End 1 (Hodgson) Seaham Red Star 4 (Weirs 3, Luaba)

Tow Law 0 Redcar Town 1 (Clark)