Ryton’s jittery start to the season continued with a poor performance at Sunderland RCA, deservedly coming away from Meadow Park empty handed. Trailing after just three minutes, they were 0-2 down by the time the interval belatedly came following a series of injuries. Sunderland converted a penalty on 53 minutes to put the game beyond Albion’s reach and although Louis Anderson did scramble a goal back on 68 minutes, Ryton were never going to salvage anything from this game despite upping their game a little towards the end of the match.
MATCH SUMMARY
An injury hit Albion travelled to Ryhope to face Sunderland RCA with a late signing in Craig Scott to bolster the squad missing Callum Johnston, Rhys McLeod and Ryan Bailey through various injuries. But Albion were to get off to a bad start as it took just three minutes for RCA to open the scoring when the bounce of the ball from a long punt upfield deceived the Ryton defence and Dennis Knight cleverly lobbed keeper Callum Corkhill to score the first goal of the season at Meadow Park. The game was being held up with a series of injuries not least of all a head clash between RCA keeper Karl Dryden and Kurtis Dodds that ended up with the latter being substituted after sustaining another head knock. Albion’s first shot on target game from Fergus Lynch on 18 minutes but it was an easy save for Dryden. More sloppy defending from Ryton gifted a second goal in the 25th minute when Jackson Ward was able to take advantage of a short pass back & slot the ball home from a tight angle. In a half short on quality and chances, the home side were the better of the two, and on the half hour mark Archie Dodds launched a dangerous cross from the right straight to Knight but the Ryhope number 9 could only lob the ball over the bar. Knight had a chance to make it 3-0 on 33 minutes but he was unable to make a clean contact on Ward’s cross with the goal gaping in what was the last significant action of the first half.
HT Sunderland RCA 2 RACA 0
The second half saw Albion concede another early goal, this time from the penalty spot on 52 minutes, Liam Laffrey deemed to have been tripped in the box & Knight coolly slotting home to make it 3-0. This at least sparked a reaction from Ryton as a neat move saw Josh Skivington put in a fine cross but Louis Anderson couldn’t make full contact with his head & the ball went harmlessly wide. Out of nowhere RACA got on the scoresheet on 67 minutes following a jinking run from Jack Elliot whose cross was spilt by Dryden and Anderson was in the right place to bundle the ball home. Sunderland immediately responded with a powerful shot from Chris Thompson that looked to be goalbound until deflected by a RACA defender. Substitutions seemed to galvanise Albion late on and they even began to look dangerous at times without ever threatening the unlikely comeback, but the damage had been done in the first three quarters of the game. Sunderland get their first win while RACA lose their second away game by the same scoreline and much to ponder for the RACA management team.
FT SUNDERLAND RCA 3 RACA 1 Attendance 109
RACA– Corkhill, Fletcher (Bisset 54), Ord (Groves-Forbes 52), Russel (Skivington 45), Caygill, Dodds (Salkeld 14), Elliot, Luke, Anderson, Lynch (Scott 69), Dart (Scott 69)
Position 14th
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
AFC Newbiggin 5 (Barber 2, Cooper 2, Smith) Billingham Synthonia 1 (Raby)
Billingham Town 0 Darlington Town 3 (Coles, McMahon, Dixon)
Durham United 3 (Bramwell 2, Boothroyd) Park View 3 (Siyanbola, o.g. Robson)
FC Hartlepool 4 (Daley, Close, O’Gorman, McGee) Esh Winning 0
Grangetown BC 0 Alnwick Town 6 (Potts 3, Clark 2, Patterson)
Jarrow 1 (Hudson) Yarm & Eaglescliffe 2 (Roberts, Atkinson)
Newcastle University 2 (Morris, Aldcroft) Chester-le-Street Town 1 (Nelson)
Seaham Red Star 5 (Porrit, O’Connor 2, Appleby 2) Prudhoe YC 0
Tow Law Town 1 (Adams) Boldon CA 1 (Robertson)