FT RACA 2 TOW LAW TOWN 2 Attendance 289
RACA finished the year coming back from a two goal deficit to earn a point at home to rejuvenated Tow Law. Trailing 0-2 at half time, a Louis Calvert penalty on the hour mark gave Albion a lifeline, the recovery being completed on 90 minutes by Callum Johnston.
MATCH SUMMARY
Tow Law made the trip to face RACA for the first time since the 21/22 season due to a three season stint in Division One. The Lawyers had a poor start to the campaign but a managerial change and an influx of new players & things were looking brighter at Ironworks Road with two wins & eight goals scored in the last two games. RACA had also netted eight in their last two games so their was a hope of plenty of goals.
The 289 spectators. had to wait less than two minutes for the first goal, and it was as scruffy as they come, as a Tom White punch out from a Lawyers free kick reached Tow Law’s Will Bennett whose shot crashed into the turf & span to teammate Harry Laviolette who in turn got the ball tangled between his legs, but it ran on to Harvey Walsh who was in the right place to tap home to keep the Lawyers’ recent momentum going. For all the time Albion spent on the offensive, it took until 23 minutes until Tom Orton’s goal was seriously threatened, when a Fergus Lynch shot from a Danny Driver throw in, that was flicked on by George Hayton, whistled just over the Tow Law bar. A 31st minute defensive lapse was to prove costly for Ryton when Walsh took advantage of some indecision & ran out wide, goal side of his marker. He drilled the ball across the box, but just when it looked like it would evade everyone, in slid Zak Benjamin at the far post to knock the ball in with the keeper stranded. Albion nearly reduced the arrears on 39 minutes when Josh Skivington found Callum Johnston who lobbed Orton who had advanced to reduce the angle but defender Norton Tomlinson was on hand to nod the ball to safety before it crossed the line. Orton was called into action again on 45 minutes when a neat move involving Skivington & Louis Calvert saw Johnston on a one on one with the Tow Law keeper, seeing his shot blocked by Orton before the ball was booted upfield by Laviolette.
HT RACA 0 Tow Law Town 2
Albion started the second half chiefly in their opponents’ half without threatening too much until on the hour mark, when from a corner, bodies were falling down all over the box. Eventually referee Jack Whitfield had seen enough to merit a spot kick & pointed to the spot. Calvert stepped up & sent Orton the wrong way to put RACA right back in the game. Albion continued to press as Town sat deeper and deeper but the visitors’ defence held firm though Orton had to stop a close range shot from Glenn Caygill on 84 minutes. Caygill was instrumental in the Albion leveller on 90 minutes when a Scott Olffield ball upfield was nodded down by Calvert setting Caygill up for a shot that Orton could only push into the path of Johnston who was able to tap in past the keeper’s despairing recovery dive . Albion smelt blood & pushed on for the winner in stoppage time but the Tow Law defence were not to be breached a third time and the points were shared.
FT RACA 2 TOW LAW TOWN 2
A draw that felt more like a win as RACA came from 0-2 down & scored such a late leveller, going against the recent grain where Albion have been prone to lose leads. For all that, ground has been lost many the play off rivals, & with just four league home games left to play Ryton are up against it to finish in the top five. No surprise but RACA remain in 9th place where we seem to have been stuck for weeks. Tow Law on this evidence, surely have enough to move clear of any trouble at the foot of the table.
RACA– White, Beesley, Oldfield, Lynch, Hayton, Driver, Skivington (Fletcher 65), Lawson (Hyde 75), Calvert, Johnston (Caygill 80), Dart. Substitutes Not Used- Adotey, Bailey
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
Billingham Synthonia 1 (Webb) Billingham Town 3 (Hogan 2, Stephenson)
Newcastle University 1 (Iverson) Prudhoe YC Seniors 0