FT SEAHAM RED STAR 1 RACA 5 Attendance 112
Albion got 2026 off to a blistering start with a remarkable 5-1 win at second placed Seaham Red Star. Louis Anderson opened the scoring on 11 minutes, then on 19 minutes Star’s Cameron McHarg was dismissed & Louis Calvert made it 2-0 to Ryton just seconds later. Three minutes later & it was 3-0 thanks to a Callum Johnston goal. Anderson scored a worldie on 63 minutes, then completed his hattrick on 69 minutes to make it 5-0, before Matty Weirs got a late consolation for the home side on 87 minutes. RACA finally move off 9th spot up a place to 8th as a result.
MATCH SUMMARY
RACA made their first trip to Station Road since being on the wrong end of a 0-6 drubbing in the 2014/15 season & facing a Star side in second place in the table and on a run of four straight wins conceding just one goal in that sequence. This was both sides’ first game of 2026 so any ring rustiness was liable to be exploited.
Albion looked keen & hungry in the opening stages of the game with a high press that was giving the Seaham some early problems, & were rewarded for their persistence on 11 minutes when Morgan Dart crossed into the box from the by-line & Louis Anderson relatively unmarked, glanced the ball off his head & beyond Seaham keeper Shaun Newbrook and into the net. Newbrook was called into action three minutes later when Callum Johnston swung in a powerful free kick that the keeper pushed away leading to frantic activity in the box before the referee blew for an infringement to release the pressure on the Red Star defence. Seaham received a further blow on 18 minutes when referee David Mitchell gave Cameron McHarg a second yellow card just two minutes after issuing the first one. To add insult to injury Albion doubled their lead within a minute, Johnston firing in a cross that was only partially cleared to Louis Calvert who fired home from close range to score his seventh goal in four games. It just got better for RACA as on 21 minutes a ball forward from Anderson was headed past the despairing arms of Newbrook & into the net from the head of Johnston to put Albion firmly in the driving seat against a Seaham side who looked anything like a promotion hopeful. The home side did finally steady the ship and make some forays into the Ryton defensive area, Lewis Porrit testing hitherto virtual spectator Callum Corkhill in the Ryton goal with a 37th minute shot but by and large the yellow defensive wall stood firm. Albion could well have gone into the interval four up but Johnston came out second best in a one on one with Newbrook late in the half but an unexpected three goal and one man advantage was more than satisfactory.
HT Seaham Red Star 0 RACA 3
The early stages of the second half saw a more even encounter but any hopes of a comeback from the hosts were blown out of the water with a rocket of a fourth goal on 63 minutes. Glenn Caygill pumped the ball upfield to George Hayton who cut inside his marker and laid the ball to Anderson who thumped the ball first time past the helpless Newbrook and into the net for 4-0. Albion went nap on 69 minutes with Anderson getting his hattrick, again from a ball from the left wing, this time Anderson controlled it despite the attentions of the Seaham defence, sped past his markers & slotted home for 5-0. Red Star plugged on for a consolation goal, Jack Thynne saw his effort charged down by Corkhill before their persistence paid off on 87 minutes when Matty Weirs sneaked in that consolation to total silence in the stadium, to salvage something from a bad night at the office for the hosts.
FT SEAHAM RED STAR 1 RACA 5
Albion off to a perfect start to the new year with their best ever result over Star, with a fine energetic performance where they fully deserved the three points.
RACA- Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield, Lynch (Hyde 59), Hayton, Caygill (Driver 73), Lawson (Bailey 75), Dart (Fletcher 70), Anderson, Calvert (Skivington 50), Johnston.
Tuesday’s Other Division 2 Result
Chester le Street Town 3 (Marriot, Greenwood, Robson) Newcastle University 2 (Morris, A Redford)