RACA are looking for a sixth win on the spin against Chester-le-Street Town at the Oldhaulage Stadium on Saturday following the novelty of not having a midweek game. The Cestrians are level on points with us following their 1-0 win on Tuesday night over Sunderland West End at Moor Park with identical wins, draws and losses to us, but with them having an inferior goal difference. Chester have been regular opponents over the years having met 32 times in our Northern League era with the highest profile game arguably being the Ernest Armstrong Cup final of 2018 at Consett which Chester won 2-0. Albion did however do the double over the Cestrians last season winning this corresponding fixture 1-0 with Jack Errington the man on target.

Kick Off is at the usual 3pm slot if you’re up for it.

Tuesday’s Second Division Results

Billingham Town 3 (Watt 3) Seaham Red Star 1 (Rutherford)
Boldon CA 0 Park View 1 (Wilkinson)
Chester-le-Street Town 1 (Norris) Sunderland West End 0

Northumberland Senior Cup Result

Alnwick Town 4 (Anderson, Agostinho, Clark 2) Prudhoe Town 0

Wednesday’s Second Division Results

Esh Winning 1 (Tones) Yarm & Eaglescliffe 3 (Marshall, Roberts, Harrison)
Jarrow 2 (Hudson, Barber) Tow Law Town 0

Thursday’s Second Division Latest

Durham United 3 (Dixon, Kay, Bell) Grangetown BC 0

Defender Scott Oldfield is back at the Albion. The 35 year old re-signed for the club again today, having already made 72 appearances for us & scoring one goal to date. Welcome back Scott. Going the other way is James Blakey who has returned to Heaton Stannington ‘A’ having made three starts & three substitution appearances in his brief time at RACA.

RACA 3 AFC NEWBIGGIN 2 (Attendance 140)

RACA made it five straight wins with a narrow win over AFC Newbiggin in a pulsating game at the Oldhaulage Stadium despite falling behind to an early Matthew Nelson goal. Callum Johnson’s equaliser had the sides level at half time & a second half brace from Declan Bissett either side of an Ethan Smith goal for Biggin ensured another three points for Ryton, though the fine sequence of clean sheets has ended. Both sides are to be commended for providing the drenched spectators with such a good game in grim conditions with heavy rain & an easterly breeze picking up in the second half to make it a difficult playing and viewing experience.

MATCH REPORT

AFC Newbiggin made their debut at the Oldhaulage Stadium amid a steady downpour of rain, but such was the extent of the dry summer, the pitch soaked up the water without issue & even at kick off the surface was still firm. Still these were challenging conditions for players & spectators alike & perhaps predictably it was a mistake that led to the opening goal on 6 minutes. Fergus Lynch having helped win the ball from a Biggin attack then played it across the box, but it didn’t reach its intended target. Instead Matthew Nelson picked up the stray ball & struck it sweetly first time past Callum Corkhill and into the corner of Ryton net to put Newbiggin ahead and end a run of 367 minutes of Albion not conceding a goal. The visitors created another good chance from a break in the 10^th minute when Bradley Higgins outpaced the Albion defence & crossed from the right, the ball going over Corkhill but it was too far ahead of Ethan Smith who would have had a simple tap in, but instead the ball skidded out for a goal kick. At the other end, Callum Johnston went on a fine solo run to the edge of the Biggin box before unleashing his shot but it went over the bar. Johnston was to have better fortune on 31 minutes when he picked up a Josh Skivington ball launched upfield, then cut into the box, lobbed keeper Robert Hodgson, and slotted home past the despairing slide of defender Brendan Balmbra to ensure RACA would go into the interval all square

HT RACA 1 AFC Newbiggin 1

Albion got their noses in front following a fine 54^th minute move involving Louis Calvert, Rhys McLeod and Declan Bisset, McLeod playing an accurate defence splitting pass to Bisset who struck the ball first time curling it past Hodgson to score his fifth goal of the season. The old adage of being at your most vulnerable when you’ve just scored, was endorsed when within two minutes AFC Newbiggin drew level. Nelson crossed the ball into Ryton box, reaching Smith who had time to control the it & while it wasn’t the cleanest of strikes, the ball ended up in its intended location, the back of the Albion net to restore parity. Johnston brought a fine save out of Hodgson on 69 minutes when he picked up a stray ball on the edge of the ‘D’ following a tackle, He struck it well but the Biggin keeper was able to push the ball out for a corner. Unfortunately for Hodgson, it was a spill from him that gave RACA what was to be the winner. McLeod crossed into the box & Hodgson dived down to smother the wet ball which slipped from his grip right to the feet of Bisset who had the easy task of tapping home to make it 3-2. Albion kept pushing for another & Johnston’s speed on 80 minutes saw him outpace the Newbiggin defenders & with just Hodgson to beat, tried the chip but it had insufficient height & the goalkeeper comfortably plucked the ball out of the air. Newbiggin pushed up for an equaliser, a scramble in the Ryton box was followed by a last second free kick with Hodgson also joining in up front. With the last touch of the game, Cody Short jumped up to get his head on to the ball, but he put it wide & Albion had their fifth win in succession to close up on the top three.

RACA– Corkhill, Skivington, Dart, McLeod (Whittaker 85), Lynch, Driver, Bisset, Fletcher, Calvert, Johnston, Anderson, Anderson. Substitutes Not Used, Cairns, Luke, Bailey, Dodds.

Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results

Alnwick Town 1 (Cherry) Esh Winning 0
Prudhoe YC Seniors 3 (Baty, Wilson, Berman) Durham United 2 (Kay, Bramwell)
Seaham Red Star 0 Chester-le-Street Town 1 (Marriott)
Sunderland RCA 0 Darlington Town 1 (McMahon)

FA Vase Results Involving Division 2 Sides

Barnoldswick Town 10 Sunderland West End 1 (McCabe)

Billingham Synthonia 4 (Hodgkinson, Grey, Evans, Connolly) Tow Law Town 2 (Tomlinson, Dominic)
Eccleshill United 1 Park View 1 (Wilkinson) Eccleshall win 2-0 on penalties
FC Hartlepool 1 (O’Gorman) West Allotment Celtic 2
Grangetown Boys Club 1 (Leka) Tadcaster Albion 4
Newcastle Benfield 3 Boldon CA 0
Pickering Town 0 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1 (Roberts)
Thornaby 0 Jarrow 1 (Beattie)
Whickham 1 Redcar Town 5 (Carmichael 2, Robinson-Coley 2, Harrison)

RACA host Northern League newcomers AFC Newbiggin tomorrow (Saturday) in a fixture brought forward from March with neither side playing in the FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round for which this weekend was put aside for. Following the fine win over Darlington on Wednesday, RACA look to make it 5 wins and/or 5 clean sheets in a row against a Newbiggin side who’ve adapted well to the step up to the Northern League following their promotion from the Northern Alliance, sitting slap bang in mid table and also coming in to the game following a midweek win, beating Sunderland RCA 2-1 at Holcim Park. We’ve not met Biggin in a competitive game but did play them at Newbiggin before the start of last season in a friendly that finished 2-2. Former Albion favourite, Richie Hoggins transferred over to the Northumberland coast earlier in the season & has netted for his new club three times, although hasn’t featured in their last two games. This game marks the end of the frantic start to the 25/26 season as we finally have a free midweek to look forward to before Chester-le-Street Town come to the Tyne Valley on Saturday.

Our upturn in fortunes & goals has the standings for top scorer as follows-

7- Anderson

5- Calvert

4- Bisset, Johnston, Salkeld

2- Dodds, Groves-Forbes

1- Lynch

Kick off is at the usual 3pm, hope to see a few of you there

DARLINGTON TOWN 0 RACA 3

Albion made it four straight wins and four clean sheets with this win at the Eastbourne Community Stadium over Darlington Town. Louis Anderson took just 58 seconds to put Ryton ahead & both he and Callum Johnston grabbed second half goals to beat a Darlo side who created plenty of chances themselves but were let down by poor finishing. RACA move up to 4th place with this latest 3 points

MATCH SUMMARY

RACA travelled to Darlington Town with both sides in completely differing form, RACA on a run of three wins without conceding while Town had gone five games without scoring a goal.

And things went bang to form in just 58 seconds when Albe Fletcher crossed from the right wing & Louis Anderson was on hand to flick the ball home from inside the box to net his 6^th goal of the season. Darlo must have feared the worst, especially when within a minute of the opener, Louis Calvert and Callum Johnston combined, the latter unleashing a shot that narrowly went over Nicholas Cranston in the Town goal’s bar. The hosts’ first chance came on 6 minutes when a header from Brandon Mallaburn bounced between teammate Ryu Williamson and Albion keeper Callum Corkhill, both went for the ball and got a touch each, the result of which was the ball going over the bar to safety from a RACA perspective. A minute later & Williamson was in the thick of things again outpacing the Ryton defence in the centre of the park, but his shot with just Corkhill to beat was well blocked with his feet by the keeper. Corkhill came to the rescue again on 16 minutes when in another Darlington attack, Williamson, Jim Wilson & Mallaburn played a neat move that ended up with Mallaburn going for goal but his shot was comfortably blocked. Albion almost got a textbook goal on 21 minutes when Declan Bissett did a spin & turn with the ball that left two Darlington players flat footed, then played a pin-point accurate cross to Calvert who was just denied by Cranston who was alert to the danger & blocked the shot with his feet. Cranston got the better of Calvert again on the 25 minute mark when the Ryton forward outpaced defender Luke Jackson following a punt upfield, but again saw his effort blocked by the stopper. Darlo almost equalised on 31 minutes when Reece Brown flicked a long throw in with his head which for once had Corkhill beaten but the ball bounced on the top of the bar and out of play. Then following a spell of sustained Albion pressure, Town broke smartly with James Beauchamp receiving the ball ,then going on a run before cutting inside the box but his resultant shot sailed over the bar. Darlo finished the half on the offensive, on 44 minutes, once again Williamson with the run down the right flank but again Corkhill was not for breaching and blocked the shot

HT Darlington Town 0 RACA 1

The second half started a bit less frenetically as the first though Johnstone was set up for a 48^th minute shot by Calvert, but like so many of the shots before the break at that end, it was fired over the bar, The same pair combined a minute later but this time Cranston blocked Johnson’s shot to keep his side in the game. At the other end Williamson turned provider when on 53 minutes he crossed to Wilson who spun round and shot, but it was just wide of the target. The home side came even closer to scring on 56 minutes when a Mallaburn cross was headed goalwards by Beauchamp but Danny Driver was on hand to scoop the ball to safety before it crossed the line. Town were to pay for their missed opportunities when Ryton extended the lead on 57 minutes. Bisset pulled back the ball from the by-line across the box to Johnston and while Cranston had committed himself to trying to block the cross, there were still three Darlington defenders in the environs of the RACA Number 10, but he steadied himself then popped the ball home to the dejection of the black & white clad defence. Not surprisingly the pace slackened a little given the effort both sides had put in but that didn’t stop Ryton sub Rhys McLeod from going on a solo run then launching a 25 yard piledriver that had Cranston at full stretch but the ball whizzed the wrong side of the crossbar. However Albion were to seal the deal on 73 minutes when McLeod curled in a shot that might well have found the back of the net, but Anderson was taking no chances as he slid in to divert the ball into the other end of the goal albeit trundling over the line in slow motion. Darlington plugged on, Beauchamp hit an 80^th minute shot, that looked to trigger a back injury, which was on target but it was an easy catch for Corkhill. Darlo sub Ciaran Dixon also managed to despatch an 89^th minute shot despite being surrounded by yellow shirts but it too went magnet-like into Corkhill’s mid-riff. So Albion’s defence held firm again but the three goal margin might have been a bit flattering as Darlington created plenty of chances, but their profligate finishing means their ‘goals for’ ledger continues to gather dust. Albion meanwhile, finally win away from the Tyne Valley, move up to 4^th place and push the goal difference up to plus 17. Can the run continue on Saturday against league newcomers AFC Newbiggin?

FT DARLINGTON TOWN 0 RACA 3 Attendance 78

RACA– Corkhill, Skivington, Dart, Luke, Lynch, Driver, Bisset (Whittaker 64), Fletcher (McLeod 55), Calvert (Adotey 76), Johnston, Anderson.

Wednesday’s Other Division 2 Results

Esh Winning 0 Newcastle University 3 (Redford, Morris, Carr)

Jarrow 3 (Cunningham, Hudson, Taylor) Sunderland West End 3 (Clarke, Anderson, Norton)

Prudhoe YC 0 Park View 1 (Loveday)

Thursday’s Division 2 Result

Durham United 2 (Kay, Hopkins) FC Hartlepool 1 (McGee)

RACA travel to Darlington Town on Wednesday hoping to extend the winning run to four games having defeated both Billingham sides and the University in a trio of home matches that saw us score 11 goals without reply. Town meanwhile are on a goal drought that has seen them go five games without scoring & picking up just the one point in that sequence with a home goalless draw against Sunderland RCA.

A banker away win then? Well to temper enthusiasm Albion still haven’t won a match outside the Tyne Valley this season, drawing one and losing four of our trips outside our homeland, so the travel pills will need to take effect in midweek. We’ve also never won at the Eastbourne Community Stadium though we have only played there the once, a 2-2 draw last season with Messrs Caygill and Calvert on target for us. With this being only Darlo’s second season at this level, we’ve only met three times in total, the other two games being played at Crawcrook last season, a 1-1 draw in the league and a 3-0 win in the Durham Challenge Cup Preliminary Round.

If you’re game for a long trip south, the address for your satnav is The Eastbourne Community Stadium, Bourne Ave, Darlington DL1 1LJ where the kick off is at 7:30pm

Tuesday’s Division 2 Results

AFC Newbiggin 2 (Elliott, Smith) Sunderland RCA 1 (Knight)

Alnwick Town 0 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 4 (Jones, Atkinson 3)

Billingham Town 0 Redcar Town 1 (o.g.)

Chester le Street Town 0 Seaham Red Star 2 (Thynne, Stephenson)

Grangetown BC 2 (Dixon 2) Tow Law Town 1 (Burnicle)

RACA 5 BILLINGHAM TOWN 0

Ryton finished their home medley of four games by turning on the style again to comfortably see off Billingham Town knocking up a third straight victory and keeping a third clean sheet in a row. Louis Anderson and Callum Johnston got a brace each & Rhys McLeod had a shot deflected in by a Town defender as Albion close in on the play off places.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ryton faced the blue half of Billingham at the Oldhaulage Stadium in the last of four homes games on the trot, having beaten the green half 2-0 and the University 4-0 in the previous week. And RACA took up where they left off, and were ahead in less than three minutes when a Town attack broke down & Josh Skivington booted the ball upfield to Louis Anderson who despite the attentions of two Billingham defenders, got the better of them to storm towards goal & slot home off the inside of the post past Jaan Yaqub in the Town goal. The visitors replied almost immediately when Leo Myers fired in a cross from the left flank that fell to Gary Mitchell but the Town No9 scooped his shot narrowly over the bar. Anderson should really have got his second goal on the quarter hour mark when Callum Johnston crossed to him in the six yard box, but he allowed the ball to run up his leg and it was an easy catch for Yaqub. It was Johnston himself who’d be next on the score sheet on 16 minutes when Declan Bisset played a beautiful curling ball up to him, he beat his man, steadied himself & curled the ball into the net from the edge of the box.The Albion fans were nearly treat to the goal of the season on 27 minutes when Morgan Dart, with the ball near the half way line spied Yaqub out of position & launched a strike that was bang on target but the Billingham keeper was able to recover and pluck the ball out of the air to safely. The Albion finished the half as they started it, with a goal. Anderson cut in from the left flank and struck a low show which Yaqub got down low to save, but he could only divert the ball to the feet of Johnston who had the easy task of tapping home in first half stoppage time.

HT RACA 3 Billingham Town 0

Ryton started the second half on the front foot, a fine solo run from Bisset culminated with him laying the ball to Johnston whose shot was deflected a couple of feet over the Town bar. The Teessiders came close to pulling a goal back on 61 minutes when Mitchell cleverly back heeled the ball to Joel White who beat his marker then his subsequent shot beat Ryton keeper Callum Corkhill but went wide of the post by a yard. RACA should have put the result beyond doubt when a 65^th minute move involving Louis Calvert, Johnston and Anderson saw Johnston fire the ball to the far post to the awaiting Anderson but he could only loop the ball over the bar from two yards out. The home side continued to take advantage of some leaded footed defending, Dart the next to come close with a 78^th minute grass cutter that went not too far wide of the Billingham post. A minute later Billingham’s White was proving to be their most potent threat in the second half, coming close once again with a shot following a corner but any remote hopes of a comeback were well and truly snuffed out in the 83^rd minute. Albion substitutes Albe Fletcher and Rhys McLeod combined with the latter striking a shot that the luckless Jamie Poole diverted into his own net with Yaqub looking to have the original shot covered. RACA finished the scoring on 92 minutes, once again leaving the Billingham defence in the rear view mirrors as McLeod played the ball out to Charlie Whittaker who in turn played the ball across the goal line where Johnston was waiting to tap into an empty net and continue the massive upturn in performance.

FT RACA 5 BILLINGHAM TOWN 0

RACA– Corkhill, Skivington (Whittaker 79), Dart, Salkeld, Dodds (Lynch 50), Driver, Bisset (Fletcher 71), Luke, Calvert (Cairns 77), Johnston (McLeod 66), Anderson

Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results

Billingham Synthonia 0 Esh Winning 1 (Ellis)

FC Hartlepool 0 Jarrow 3 (Barber 3)

Grangetown 2 (Paterson, Dixon) Prudhoe 1 (Rogers)

Newcastle University 0 Redcar Town 4 (McLeod, Clark 2, Robinson-Coley)

Park View 0 Alnwick Town 2 (Aziakounou, Anderson)

Seaham Red Star 2 (Appleby 2) Darlington Town 0

Sunderland RCA 0 Chester-le-Street Town 3 (Brownsword, o.g. Simpson)

Sunderland West End 2 (Benali, Davison) AFC Newbiggin 1 (Smith)

Tow Law Town 0 Durham United 0

Yarm & Eaglescliffe 3 (Atkinson 2, Wild) Boldon CA 1 (Purvis)

The draw for the 1st Round (last 32 stage) of the Durham Challenge Cup was made this evening & last of the hat were ourselves being drawn away to first division strugglers Crook Town. The tie at Millfield will be played the midweek before Saturday 11th October. We’ve not played the Black And Amber at Millfield since 2019/20 & not in a cup fixture since 2009/10 when we won in the semi final of the same competition 1-0

In the last of our sequence of four successive home games we welcome Billingham Town to HQ on Saturday who themselves are playing their fifth consecutive away league game. The blue half of Billingham sit in 15th place but have games in hand over most of their second division rivals, and come into the game buoyed by a win over National League North side Darlington in the Durham Challenge Cup in midweek, beating The Quakers on penalties after a 3-3 draw after 90 minutes. RACA also come into the game on a high following the impressive 4-0 win over Newcastle University on Wednesday night, once again played in front of a 200+ attendance on what was one rainy night, so that was a particularly great crowd. The three points propelled us right up to 7th place, our highest position since last season, and those who braved the elements were rewarded with what is generally agreed as our finest performance of the season to date.

Town are one of our most regular opponents since we joined the Northern League, today’s fixture being the 29th meeting between the sides but we have been on the receiving end of a few hidings in those encounters. Our joint record home defeat was at the hands of Billingham, a 0-8 reverse in the 2017/18 season that prompted the resignation of manager Paul Dobie, & we conceded nine goals in a 9-2 loss at Bedford Terrace in 2022/23 plus that 0-6 reverse there last season to list just three. We did at least win this corresponding fixture last season 2-1 with Abu Salim and Dale Burrell on target for Ryton back in August and also won the controversial E Armstrong cup tie here where the floodlights temporarily packed in.

If you’re wanting to see if we can make it three wins and three clean sheets in a row, kick off is at the usual time of 3pm

Albion tore up the recent form book in recent games between these sides with a comprehensive 4-0 over the Uni at a soggy Oldhaulage Stadium. Leading 1-0 at half time through a Jack Salkeld goal, Ryton turned on the style against their near neighbours in the second half though the University’s Adam Redford’s 47th minute dismissal helped things along as further goals from Joe Groves-Forbes, Salkeld & Declan Bisset completed the scoring. However a late serious looking injury to Dan Ord took the some of the shine off the victory.

FT RACA 4 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY 0

MATCH SUMMARY

Albion welcomed near neighbours Newcastle University to a wet Oldhaulage Stadium seriously overdue a victory over the Students following a dismal run of form & Nathan Beckham was able to field Rhys McLeod on the bench for the first time this season following his pre-season shoulder dislocation. It was the home side who mastered the conditions better & created an early chance from a 4^th minute Josh Skivington corner which Louis Anderson got his head to but it flashed wide of the Uni goal. Two minutes later a flick upfield from Louis Calvert saw Jack Elliott burst forward, having the legs to outrun the University defence but his shot was a simple stop for keeper Will Lacey. The Students’ first chance came in the 8^th minute when Kane Morris went on a solo run down the right wing but the cross-come-shot was blocked by RACA keeper Callum Corkhill before it could reach Jacob Milner who’d made a similar run forward. Their second chance came just seconds later with a speculative shot from distance from Adam Pow which had Corkhill scrambling across his line to escort the ball just wide of the Ryton goal. RACA took the lead on 12 minutes with a goal that was as simple as it was impressive. A Skivington corner was met by Jack Salkeld who leapt higher than all in red shirts, his bullet header giving Lacey no chance & Albion were ahead. While dominating most of the rest of the half Albion couldn’t get the final touch that would give a two goal cushion & they had to settle for the minimum advantage at the interval

HT RACA 1 Newcastle University 0

The University’s hopes of taking something from the game were given a blow a minute into the second half when their captain Adam Redford was late with a challenge on Jack Elliott and referee Zak Logue decided rather harshly it seemed to produce a straight red card. It took about 20 minutes before Albion took advantage of the extra man though they were helped by a clumsy three man move by the Uni to try to clear the ball from their defensive area. Joe Groves-Forbes nipped in to pick up the stray ball, cut into the box and found a gap twixt defender and post with his shot to double the advantage. 2-0 became 3-0 as the rain continued to fall, in the 75^th minute Ryton played the ball out from the back, Louis Calvert finding Salkeld who got goal side of his markers, then took the ball wide, drawing Lacey out of his goal before slotting coolly past him to surely wrap up the points. There was a glimmer of hope on 77 minutes that the visitors might pull one back from a throw in that was flicked on to Alexander Humble whose flick from short range was on target but lacked the necessary venom and Corkhill was able to dive on the ball and prevent the consolation. Albion’s worst moment of the game came not from a goal from the University, but an 81^st minute injury to Dan Ord who appeared to land awkwardly when defending a corner & had to be carried off the field after lengthy treatment. With all the substitutes used, it was 10 against 10 for the remainder of the game but that didn’t stop RACA from scoring their fourth and probably best goal of the night on 88 minutes.when Declan Bisset was played in by Charlie Whittaker & he played a lovely dink that went over the advancing Lacey & into the back of the net for 4-0. The Uni plugged on for a consolation goal but long range efforts from Jos Storr and Humble were never likely going to trouble Corkhill even in the slippy conditions & Albion won back to back games for the first time this season.

RACA– Corkhill, Skivington (Fletcher 74), Dart, Luke (McLeod 78), Driver, Dodds, Salkeld , Groves-Forbes (Bisset 78), Calvert, Elliott (Ord 67), Anderson (Whittaker 67).

Wednesdays Other Division 2 Results

Darlington Town 0 Sunderland RCA 0

Prudhoe YC 2 (Wright, Symington) Alnwick Town 4 (Smith, Clark, Potts, Agostinho)

Wednesday’s Durham Challenge Cup Results

Esh Winning 0 Brandon United 3

Jarrow 2 (Cunningham, Beattie) Hartlepool United 2 Jarrow win 3-1 on penalties

Gateshead Rutherford 1 Park View 1 (Bannister) Rutherford Win 4-3 on penalties

Willington 2 Tow Law Town 3 (Wilson, Marsden, Bennett)