FT RACA 4 BOLDON CA 2 Attendance 170
RACA played out a second 4-2 home win in five days with this victory over out of form Boldon CA. Despite the goals it wasn’t that great a spectacle, particularly the first half where the goals were the only highlights. Louis Anderson opened the scoring for Ryton on 29 minutes, but Kyren Whitehead levelled on 35 minutes only for a deft flick from Ethan Bewley to put the Albion ahead again a minute later. Louis Calvert looked to have put the game beyond Boldon making it 3-1 on 67 minutes, but Kevin Humble’s 78th minute goal gave the South Tynesiders a lifeline only for Calvert to complete the scoring on 86 minutes & make it 4-2 , this final score & results elsewhere adding to Boldon’s league worries.
MATCH SUMMARY
This game marked the end of Ryton’s intense spell of four games in eight days, & while a home game against a Boldon side in poor form & who had never beaten RACA in nine attempts would suggest a home win, it remained to see how much the last three games had taken out of the squad. With Fergus Lynch’s return scuppered by an injury the pre-match warm up, Ethan Bewley was elevated to the starting XI.
While the blustery conditions didn’t help, the first quarter of the game was all but devoid of goalmouth action & it was RACA’s opening goal from a free kick on 29 minutes that was the first point of note. Dylan Lawson floated the ball into the box & Louis Anderson raced in to bullet a powerful header past recent Boldon signing from Birtley Town, Decklan Greenwood. Boldon’s 35th minute leveller also came from a free kick, Kevin Humble’s cross was headed into the six yard area by Luke Grant & Kyren Whitehead headed home to make it 1-1. The visitors barely had time to enjoy their equaliser when they fell behind just a minute later. A Lawson corner bounced around the ‘Villa’ box before Ethan Bewley put the ball in the net with a cheeky flick to get his first goal for the Albion. Anderson came close to grabbing his second goal of the game in the 39th minute when he had time to control an Albe Fletcher cross, but his shot across the bows just went wide of the post. Ryton were finishing the half the stronger side & in stoppage time came close from another corner when Nathan Beesley sprinted into the box to connect with the ball but it just cleared the bar.
HT RACA 2 Boldon CA 1
RACA created the first chance of the second half when a Boldon move broke down, Anderson picking up the pieces & spotting Louis Calvert on the left wing, played the ball out to him.Calvert cut inside & with Greenwood trying to narrow the angle chose to shoot, but his effort went just beyond the post. The debutant Boldon keeper had to pull off a fine save from Anderson on 56 minutes but was powerless to prevent Albion making it 3-1 in the 62nd minute when Calvert & Anderson descended on him from a break forward, the former rounding him & slotting home. Boldon has a golden chance to reduce the deficit n 74 minutes when a Max Gardiner cross was met by Whitehead, but with the goal gaping he put his header over the bar. However the visitors did score a second on 79 minutes from a Max Cowburn corner which bounced around the six yard area until Kevin Humble prodded the ball home. Boldon pressed on for the leveller bringing a couple of comfortable saves out of Callum Corkhill, but on 86 minutes Calvert took advantage of a poor defensive touch from Grant & sped towards the goal, putting the result beyond doubt by slotting past Greenwood to make it 4-2. To Boldon’s credit they battled on & Corkhill was forced into a double save from Cowburn then Humble in stoppage time, but it wasn’t to be for the South Tynesiders, & Albion maintain their unbeaten record against The Villa & can enjoy a week’s rest before the Tow Law game on Easter Saturday.
FT RACA 4 BOLDON CA 2
RACA- Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield, Bewley (Skivington 66), Hayton, Driver, Fletcher (Hyde 77), Lawson (Ord 87), Anderson, Groves-Forbes (Johnston 54), Calvert. Substitute not used- Lynch
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
Billingham Synthonia 7 (Healy 2, Evans 3, Marsay, Hodgkinson) Newcastle University 0
Chester-le-Street Town 4 (Brownsword, Robson 2, Chapman) Jarrow 6 (Hudson, Hardie, Beattie, Barber 2 Rutherford)
Esh Winning 5 (o.g. Cherrie, Atkinson, Zamor 2) Sunderland RCA 1 (Knight)
FC Hartlepool 2 (Spalding, Appleby) Redcar Town 1 (Smith)
Park View 1 (Boddy) Tow Law Town 1 (Bates)
Prudhoe YC 2 (Plunkett, Baty) AFC Newbiggin 1 (Elliott)
Seaham Red Star 2 (O’Connor, Leonard) Alnwick Town 0
Yarm & Eaglescliffe 6 (Fixter 2, Atkinson 3, Dalton) Durham United 1 (Kay)