Albion followed on from Saturday’s Vase win with a comfortable 5-0 win over FC Hartlepool to keep the pressure on the teams above them in Division 2. Leading 3-0 at half time from goals from Jack Errington & a brace from Morgan Dart, the home side didn’t sit back & scored another two goals early in the second half with strikes from Matty Harrison and Louis Calvert. Pool to their credit kept on battling to the end but were unable to breach the Ryton rearguard.

Albion were hoping to maintain their 100% record over FC Hartlepool at home & could have got off to a great start in the 5th minute when Rhys McLeod fired over a low cross from the left wing but Louis Calvert just couldn’t make contact to tap the ball into an empty net. The hosts were looking dangerous again in the 9th minute when Josh Skivington floated a free kick into the box & Matty Harrison leapt highest to head towards goal forcing a fine save from Pool keeper George Briggs who pushed the ball to the relative safely of a corner. Unfortunately for Briggs, the respite was only temporary as from McLeod’s corner, Jack Errington took advantage of a bounce off a defender’s leg to stab home from close range to put RACA ahead. Morgan Dart called Briggs into action two minutes later, his shot being parried & Aidan Chainey just got to the loose ball first to clear to safety. Hartlepool’s first good chance came in the 19th minute when early substitute Kris Summers looped a pass to Mikey McKee whose low shot was just deflected off keeper Brogan Colquhoun for a corner. But was Ryton who were to extend the lead on 29 minutes when a ball was launched upfield that evaded everyone except Morgan Dart who got goal side of his marked & arrowed home past Briggs. Albion’s third goal & Dart’s second on 35 minutes was very similar with Dart’s speed in picking up a ball punted forward saw him beat the Pool defence & fire past Briggs from a tighter angle than his first goal. So RACA went into the interval with a healthy lead & at that stage there was little to think that they’d let this advantage slip.

HT RACA 3 FC Hartlepool 0

There was a touch of controversy about Albion’s fourth goal in the 51st minute when Dale Burrell may have clipped Hartlepool defender Jacob Lamb on his run down the right wing touchline, referee Stephen Clifford waving play on despite Lamb tumbling to the floor. Undeterred Burrell continued his run & squared the ball to an unmarked Harrison who won’t score an easier goal all season, tapping the ball into an empty net. So incensed were the visitors, that while the Ryton players were celebrating, two Pool players were sent to the sin bin for comments made to Mr Clifford. Despite the two man deficit, the visitors created a decent chance in the 54th minute, McGee forcing a save from Colquhoun, the rebound being fired over by Smith. However RACA took advantage of the numerical difference on 58 minutes when Jack Ledger found Fergus Lynch who laid the ball to Calvert who left his marker in his wake and slotted home to make it 5-0. Calvert chanced his arm with a dipping shot on 62 minutes but it went narrowly wide. Hartlepool despite the hopeless situation kept plugging away & McGee hammered a 69th minute shot against the Ryton post. Calvert should have made it 6-0 in the 73rd minute when McLeod found him unmarked with just the keeper to beat, but he managed to sky his effort from four yards out. McGee came close to a consolation goal in the 75th minute, firing just wide from a difficult angle. Then it was McLeod’s turn to miss an easy scoring opportunity with just three minutes to go when Calvert charged down a loose ball that Briggs was trying to collect, having won that duel he squared the ball to the Ryton No10 who screwed his shot badly high, wide & handsome. Thankfully that didn’t matter too much as the game was well & truly won by then though RACA stay in 5th place despite the win.

FT RACA 5 FC HARTLEPOOL 0 Attendance 218

RACA- Colquhoun, Skivington, Oldfield (Ledger 52), Burrell (Craggs 54), Errington, Caygill, Lynch (Hayton 59), Dart (Groves-Forbes 59), Calvert , McLeod , Harrison (Todd 59)

ENL Pos: 5th.