YARM & EAGLESCLIFFE 1 RACA 0 Attendance 116
Albion succumbed to a late Josh Larkin goal in a scrappy but competitive game at Bedford Terrace thus ending the 5 game unbeaten run & the perfect start to 2026. With goalmouth action at a premium, Josh Larkin’s goal ironically came as Yarm looked as if they were flagging, but they held on to the three points without too many concerns that RACA would get the equaliser.
MATCH SUMMARY
Albion made the trek down the A19 in fine form to face another side flying high in Division 2, Yarm & Eaglescliffe, who were bouncing after their midweek win over National League North side Scarborough Athletic in the North Riding Senior Cup. Any fears the game might be a victim of the weather were dispelled on arrival at Bedford Terrace, with conditions dry & the pitch perfectly playable. The expectancy was for a close game and so it proved.
There was little to report in the opening quarter hour as both defences were on top, though there was lengthy treatment to Yarm players Sam Conway and Josh Marsh. The first chance fell to Albion on 18 minutes when Louis Anderson teed up Morgan Dart on the edge of the box, but defender Jack Dalton, alert to the danger, raced back to deflect the effort out for a corner. Fergus Lynch took the said corner which ended up at the feet of Glenn Caygill who prodded his shot narrowly wide. Another Ryton corner on 21 minutes saw Anderson outjump everyone but his header went just over the bar in the best chance to score to date. The Eagles really should have taken the lead on 25 minutes when a flick from Conway to Eagles’ top scorer Tom Atkinson caught the RACA defence flat footed & with just keeper Callum Corkhill to beat, uncharacteristically put his effort beyond the far post. Harry Williams brought a comfortable save out of Corkhill with a shot from distance in the 37th minute but that it for first half goal action & the sides went into the interval; all square.
HT Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1 RACA 0
The second half opened up as just as even as the first, though a break down the right wing for Y&E saw Atkinson fire a cross across the box that just evaded Conway who had slid into the box hoping to make the telling contact. As the half went on, the hosts looked to begin to flag, possibly the exertions at Scarborough taking their toll, and Ryton were looking the more potent though home keeper Lee Roberts wasn’t really troubled by Albion’s wayward shooting. So it was a bit against the run of play when Josh Larkin‘s cross come shot from the right evaded Corkhill & ended up in the net, despite Albion defenders looking to have scrambled the ball clear but only to Jack Dalton who blasted the ball into the top corner, but referee Callum Donnelly had already decided Larkin’s 82nd minute shot has crossed the line. Albion plugged on for the leveller, Dart put one over the bar & Josh Skivington got a shot on target but it was an easy gather for Roberts. However it wasn’t to be for RACA and a delighted Eagles took the three points to bolster their title aspirations.
FT YARM AND EAGLESCLIFFE 1 RACA 0
A disappointing result in a game that Albion deserved something out of, but the shooting boots were left in the changing room today. Next up it’s cup action at home for Ryton on Wednesday who stay in 8th place in the division.
RACA– Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield, Lynch (Driver 88), Hayton, Caygill, Lawson (Skivington), Dart, Anderson, Fletcher (McLeod 84), Calvert (Johnston 63) Substitute not used- Bailey
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
Billingham Synthonia 5 (Healy 2, Smith 2, Raby) Seaham Red Star 0
Durham United 1 (Kay) Jarrow FC 2 (Hardie, Bates)
Park View AFC 2 (Siyanbola, Young) Redcar Town 2 (Carmichael, Harrison)