FT RACA 4 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY 2 Attendance 57
Albion booked their place in the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup with a 4-2 win over the University at The Oldhaulage Stadium, the second time this season they put four goals past The Students. The hosts were 3-0 up after 20 minutes with goals from Louis Calvert, Callum Johnston and Louis Anderson and seemingly cruising, but Kane Morris pulled a goal back on 22 minutes. Ryton restored the three goal cushion from a 73rd minute Anderson penalty only for Tom Iverson to throw the University a lifeline with a goal on 84 minutes, but despite late pressure from the visitors Albion held out.
MATCH SUMMARY
This cup tie looked to be in some doubt with standing water on the pitch following intensive afternoon rain, but referee Zak Logue was satisfied the pitch was playable when testing the bounce of a match ball, a decision that proved correct as the water slowly drained and the forecast evening rain failed to materialise. That left the sparse crowd of 57 with an E Armstrong quarter final cup tie with RACA hoping to replicate the league outcome at the Oldhaulage Stadium in September when they comfortably beat their neighbours 4-0.
It didn’t take long for Ryton to get the ball rolling on that quest, after just two minutes into the match, a Nathan Beesley cross found the head of Louis Calvert & he outjumped his marker to nod home past University keeper Ross Logan. The Students had to wait until the 11th minute for their first real effort, Jos Storr bringing a trademark block with the legs from Callum Corkhill, from which RACA broke away, Louis Anderson finding Calvert with a fine pass & his shot was blocked well by the outstretched Logan. Storr was on the warpath again on the quarter hour mark when after some neat footwork in the Albion box, he drilled a low shot that Corkhill parried before pouncing on the loose ball with three defenders shepherding the ball and keeper before a University player could react. The visiting defence were caught cold on 18 minutes & three Albion forwards were against a sole defender & Calvert’s cross fell between Anderson & Callum Johnston the former tapping home to make it 2-0. The Uni appealed for offside but Calvert was clearly in his own half when he received the ball from his defence. It got from bad to worse for the Students just two minutes later when Albe Fletcher found Johnston who had the freedom of Crawcrook, cutting towards the University goal and slotting past the exposed Logan to make it 3-0. To the University’s credit they struck back on 22 minutes, Jack McClaren finding Kane Morris who waltzed through the Ryton box and tapped into an empty net to put his side back in the game. The visitors pressed on, McClaren brought a good save from Corkhill in the 27th minute before defences began to get the upper hand & while the game still flowed from end to end, the forwards weren’t having it all their own way & there was no more scoring in the first half.
HT RACA 3 Newcastle University 1
The visitors came out the sharper after the interval & Jacob Milner forced Corkhill into a save when he headed Finlay Allen’s cross on target on 51 minutes, while another Uni substitute Matty Foster ought to have done better from a Morris cross when he headed the ball into the ground with just the keeper to beat & it ended up as an easy gather for Corkhill. Nevertheless the warning signs against complacency were there for Albion to react to. As it was Albion who were given an opportunity to extend the lead on 73 minutes when Anderson was tripped in the box & Mr Logue awarded a penalty which Anderson took himself, cheekily chipping it into one side of the goal as Logan guessed the other way. Still the Students plugged on, Tom Iverson brought another low save out of Corkhill on 82 minutes, but Iverson beat the keeper two minutes later when Milner found him unmarked & he drilled home to make it 4-2. The Scholars pressed on for another consolation, Stephen Pennington saw his headed from a Foster corner cleared off the line on 88 minutes, and after a series of University corners, Corkhill had to claw away a shot from Allen that looked like it would end up in the top corner, but RACA held on to the two goal advantage and progress to the semi finals
FT RACA 4 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY 2
RACA- Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield (Skivington 76), Fletcher, Hayton, Driver, Dart, Lawson (Hyde 55), Anderson, Johnston (Bewley 68), Calvert (Groves-Forbes 58). Substitute Not Used- Caygill
Tuesday Night’s Division 2 Result
Grangetown BC 2 (Williams-Muthana, Young) Durham United 1 (Kitching)