Everyone at Ryton & Crawcrook Albion extends their deepest condolences to Louis Anderson and his family following the sad passing of his mother, Helen.
Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with all the Anderson family at this difficult time.
Rest in peace.
FT BILLINGHAM TOWN 0 RACA 3 Attendance 137
RACA’S late season flourish continued with a 3-0 win at Billingham Town, their best ever result at Bedford Terrace. A first half that had that end of season feel to it sprung into life two minutes before the interval when Ethan Bewley netted his second goal of the season. Morgan Dart made it 2-0 two minutes after half time & a Louis Calvert penalty on 86 minutes wrapped up the points after Town’s Reece Bickerton was red carded. Albion remain in 9th place but can still overtake Alnwick if results go to plan on Saturday in our final league games
MATCH SUMMARY
There wasn’t much hanging on this penultimate league game for both sides & the opening 12 minutes suggested a real end of season mid-table encounter with nothing created until Ryton’s Ethan Bewley received the ball & he swung round and fired it towards the Town goal, bringing a fine save out of George Briggs. Town responded three minutes later when Nzang Ken’s Julian laid a ball to Joel White who ended up in a 1 on 1 with RACA keeper Callum Corkhill, but the visiting goalie just beat him to the loose ball, picking up an injury for his troubles. Albion thought they should be awarded a penalty on 29 minutes when Blues defender Reece Bickerton clumsily clattered into Bewley on the edge of the box but referee Barry Tones awarded only a free kick which came to naught. Bickerton found himself the centre of attention five minutes later when he brought down Louis Calvert with Ryton players claiming he was the last man, but Mr Tones probably correctly, only brandished a yellow card. Albion almost took the lead on 40 minutes when a dink forward from Albe Fletcher landed in the flight path of Morgan Dart & with Billingham defenders looking for the offside flag, Dart hit the post with Briggs beaten. Ryton did take the lead on 41 minutes fron a Callum Johnston corner with Glenn Caygill headed towards goal, eventually Bewley scored from close range despite not hitting the ball cleanly, and with claims that Briggs had been impeded in the build up from both Town players & the home dugout ringing round the ground. Mr Tones was having none of it and the goal stood, Albion taking the 1-0 lead into the interval.
HT Billingham Town 0 RACA 1
Albion came out of the blocks quickly, doubling the advantage on 47 minutes, good work from Calvert out wide saw him float a cross over to the unmarked Dart whose first strike had the sting taken out of it by Briggs, but he slid in to force the ball over the line. Billingham created a chance on 52 minutes when Josh Stiff found Gary Mitchell on the right side of the pitch. Mitchell cut in, beat his marker then played the ball to Kingston Butler but his shot from close range was well wide.
Town came closer on 68 minutes when Butler teed up Storr & his shot just cleared the Ryton bar. Again the Blues created the next chance in the 78th minute, Mitchell finding Marley Casey who brought out a routine save from Corkhill from a difficult shooting angle. Town chances of an unlikely comeback were scuppered on 86 minutes when Bickerton was in trouble again for another clatter into Calvert in the box. This time a penalty was awarded & Bickerton got his marching orders. Calvert slotted the spot lick home for his third penalty success in two games & wrapped up the points for Albion.
FT BILLINGHAM TOWN 0 RACA 3
RACA- Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield, Bewley (Lawson 48), Caygill (Borley 63), Driver, Fletcher (Skivington 57), Hyde (Bailey 56), Calvert, Johnston (Adotey 68), Dart
Tuesday’s Other Division 2 Results
Boldon CA 4 (Gatehill, Robertson, Cowburn 2) Prudhoe YC 0
Redcar Town 2 (Stares, Carmichael) Yarm & Eaglescliffe 4 (Atkinson 3, Dalton)
Tuesday’s Brooks Mileson League Cup Quarter Final Result
Grangetown BC 0 North Shields 2
Wednesday’s E Armstrong Cup Semi Final Result
Darlington Town 6 (McMahon 2, Coles, Wilson, Brown 2) Jarrow 0
Northumberland Senior Cup Semi Final Result
Heaton Stannington 5 Newcastle University 1 (Morris)
Thursday’s Division 2 Result
Redcar Town 2 (Carmichael 2) Seaham Red Star 1(Appleby)
Albion travel to Billingham Town tonight for their penultimate league game before Saturday’s visit to Grangetown & next Tuesday’s revisit to Bedford Terrace for the E Armstrong Cup semi final. RACA will be hoping to extend the unbeaten run to six games against a Blues side who ended a run of four straight defeats with a 1-0 win over Park View on Saturday. Town sit two places behind us in 11th & like us this is their second last league game. This will be our 30th game against Billingham & while we’ve had some heavy defeats off them over the years, our best result was the 5-0 at home to them in September when Louis Anderson and Callum Johnston scored a brace each with an own goal making up the nap hand. Something similar tonight would do nicely at a ground we’ve not won at since the 2016/17 season. If you’re heading down the A19 the postcode for your sat-nav is TS23 4AG. Howay the RACA!
FT RACA 8 Durham United 1 Attendance 420
Four goals from Louis Calvert, including two from the spot, ensured Albion finished the home campaign in style as they brushed Durham United aside 8-1. Morgan Dart, Callum Johnston & a late brace from substitute Joe Groves-Forbes completed the rout for the hosts with Tomas Boothroyd getting United’s goal which at the time was an early equaliser. Albion move up a place in the Division 2 table ahead of Newcastle University into 9th.
MATCH SUMMARY
Albion finished off the home campaign against Durham United in front of a crowd swelled by numerous junior sides & their parents invited for the season’s final curtain at The Oldhaulage.
This was Durham’s first visit to RACA and while there was little at stake for both sides, Ryton clearly weren’t at the beach just yet. It took only 4 minutes for Albion to open the scoring, a ball forward was flicked on by Ethan Bewley to Morgan Dart, & with United defenders William Rees and Zach Gamster leaving the ball for each other to deal with,Dart took full advantage to fire the ball past Sam Allen in the Durham goal. Bewley had half a chance to make it 2-0 on 8 minutes when he outmuscled his marker & advanced into the Durham box, but his shot was blocked by Allen’s legs. But it was the visitors who would score next when their two top scorers combined in the 10th minute, Phil Kay charging up the centre of the pitch & laying the ball to Tomas Boothroyd who kept the forward momentum going & slotted past the advancing Ryton keeper Callum Corkhill to make it 1-1. Albion were given a golden opportunity to restore the lead on 17 minutes when during a Ryton attack, referee Mr Higgott decided Rees had chopped down Dart just inside the United box & awarded a penalty. Louis Calvert stepped up to take & score the spot kick but only after his initial kick was saved by Allen who pushed the ball on to the post & as it rolled along the goal-line Calvert was able to prod it over the line to make it 2-1. RACA extended the lead on 35 minutes when following some head tennis in the Durham box, saw a poor clearance result in the ball landing at the feet of Callum Johnston who volleyed first time straight in the back of the net. As Albion began to turn the screw, Josh Skivington came close to getting on the scoresheet himself when he saw his 38th minute strike from distance tipped over the bar by Allen. Albion were awarded another penalty in the 40th minute when Calvert controlled a crossed ball well & while advancing inside the box,was brought down by Noah Melville who appeared to lose his footing while chasing down Calvert. This time Calvert fired home without incident to make it 4-1. Durham should have reduced the deficit in stoppage time when a United attack saw Zuhair Abdullah lob Corkhill, but his shot hit the bar, the ball bouncing to the unmarked Finlay Ferguson who with only Corkhill to beat could only tamely head it straight at the keeper.
HT RACA 4 Durham United 1
RACA started the second half in full swing & Calvert got his hattrick on 51 minutes after Scott Oldfield found him in space in the middle of the United half. With defenders backing off,Calvert took his chance from 30 yards, the ball swerving a little in the air and sailing past Allen to make it 5-1. 5-1 became 6-1 on 71 minutes when another Oldfield ball forward ended up at the feet of Calvert via a poor header from defender Rees. The Albion no9 hit the post with his initial effort but nodded the rebound home for his fourth of the match. Rees’ forgettable day at the office got even worse when he looked to be harshly given a second yellow card for a challenge on Ryton substitute Joe Groves-Forbes on 80 minutes and Durham’s task became even harder. From the resulting free kick a Nathan Beesley cross reached Groves-Forbes & with half the goal gaping in front of him managed to put his effort over the bar. However Groves-Forbes made amends on 84 minutes when he latched on to an Oldfield cross and slid the ball into the net from close range- 7-1. Ryton and Groves-Forbes hadn’t yet finished with Durham as a move involving Albe Fletcher saw Groves-Forbes net his second goal in 5 minutes to complete the rout & record a second time this season RACA scored eight at home.
Durham United finish their season on a low but will be pleased with their season overall & will be gracing the Northern League for a second season. RACA still have two more league games to play, the next being another trip down the A19 to face Billingham Town on Tuesday evening
FT RACA 8 DURHAM UNITED 1
RACA– Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield, Bewley (Groves-Forbes 58), Hayton, Caygill, (Driver 58) Lawson (Hyde 46), Skivington (Fletcher 46), Calvert, Dart, Johnston (Bailey 65).
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
Alnwick Town 3 (Smith 2, Anderson) Darlington Town 1 (Coles)
Billingham Town 1 (Close) Park View 0
Boldon CA 0 Chester-le-Street Town 1 (Robson)
Esh Winning 0 AFC Newbiggin 1 (Lizinde)
Newcastle University 1 (Murphy) Yarm & Eaglescliffe 2 (Williams, Atkinson)
Redcar Town 2 (Gott 2) Jarrow 1 (Armstrong)
Seaham Red Star 2 (Charlton, Stanley) Grangetown BC 1 (Urwin)
Sunderland RCA 0 Tow Law Town 0
Sunderland West End 1 (Robinson) FC Hartlepool 3 (Newall, Scott, McGee)
RACA play their last home game on Saturday & welcome new opponents to The Oldhaulage in the form of Durham United. The University side won the Wearside League last season & after a sticky start to their Northern League maiden season, they have comfortably moved clear of the relegation scrap. We lost our game at Maiden Castle 1-2 on a bitterly cold November evening, Louis Anderson scoring our goal that night, but that game was the second game we played there after the original fixture was abandoned following that horrible injury to Jack Salkeld. United finished their home campaign on Easter Sunday with a 4-2 win over Esh Winning as part of the Easter Groundhop which ended a run of five successive defeats. With both sides with only league position to play for, hopefully we’ll see an entertaining match with the pressure off. RACA will be striving to make it five unbeaten & would settle for the scoreline of the last two home games which we won 4-2.
Kick off is 3pm, hope you can make it…Howay the RACA!!
Wednesday’s Division 2 Results
Redcar Town 4 (Smith, Robinson-Coley 3) Chester-le-Street 1 (Huddleston)
Tow Law Town 2 (Walsh 2) Billingham Town 1 (Butler)
Thursday’s Division 2 Result
Newcastle University 1 (Murphy) FC Hartlepool 2 (Daley 2)
Friday’s Division 2 Result
Billingham Synthonia 2 (Irvine, Evans) Prudhoe YC 1 (Symington)
STOKESLEY BACK IN DIVISION 2
Congratulations to Stokesley Sports Club who will be back in Division 2 next season after an 11 year absence, having won the North Riding League at the weekend having beaten second placed Lealholm 2-0. They will be playing their first games away from the North Riding FA headquarters however as they are laying a 4G pitch.
1st prize No 81 A Wood who wins £100
2nd Prize No 57 I Innes who wins £75
3rd Prize No 72 Sam Moore who wins £25
Next month’s draw is on 03/05/2026
Well done to our three winners, if you’d like to take part in this monthly fundraiser from just £5 a month, please contact us via the usual channels on the foot of the homepage or contact Paul le Patourel on 07720 413390. Thank-you
Easter Monday Division 2 Results
Jarrow 2 (Barber, Hardie) Boldon CA 2 (Laidler, Grant)
Redcar Town 2 (Stares, Gott) Newcastle University 1 (Rogozinski)
Sunderland West End 2 (Benali 2) Sunderland RCA 4 (o.g. Knight 2, Domba)
Tuesday Division 2 Results
Prudhoe YC 1 (Baty) Grangetown BC 2 (Urwin, Doddy)
Yarm & Eaglescliffe 6 (Jones, Atkinson 4, Williams) Esh Winning 1 (Ellis)
FT TOW LAW TOWN 1 RACA 1 Attendance 509
Albion & Tow Law shared the spoils again at a windy Ironworks Road, Louis Anderson’s 34th minute strike cancelling out Joe Bates’ opening goal four minutes earlier in front of a bumper Easter groundhop crowd of 509. Both games between the sides this season finished all square.
MATCH SUMMARY
Albion travelled to Tow Law as part of the Easter Groundhop a probably facing their first ever 6:30pm kick off on a Saturday. While RACA now only had a highest league position to play for, the Lawyers still weren’t clear of relegation worries. In blustery conditions courtesy of Storm Dave it was the visitors who created the first chance in the 5th minute when a ball forward from Scott Oldfield was flicked on by Louis Anderson to Louis Calvert who ran between two defenders but launched his shot over Tom Orton’s goal. The next chance again fell to Calvert on 21 minutes following good work from Callum Johnston out wide who crossed to Calvert only for him to sky his effort again. The Ryton no11 came closer to scoring on 26 minutes when Danny Driver launched his trademark long throw into the Tow Law box, Calvert got his head on the ball but Orton dived low to save it. For all those chances it was The Lawyers who opened the scoring on the half hour mark when Joe Bates was the recipient of a throw in & he spun on a sixpence in the box and blasted his shot home. It didn’t take long for RACA to restore parity, as on 34 minutes a headed flick on by Calvert found Anderson who cut in & despite the attentions of several defenders slotted home to make it 1-1.
HT Tow Law Town 1 RACA 1
In a second half short of scoring opportunities, Albion had the first chance on 58 minutes when a ball that looked to be going out of play was kept in by a Calvert overhead kick, Johnston being first to react, but he could only direct his powerful header over Orton’s bar. Anderson came close to scoring his second of the evening on 67 minutes following some good solo work in the Tow Law box, jinking past defenders then drilling in a low shot that went just the wrong side of the post with Orton flat footed in the middle of his goal. The 70th minute saw Ryton come even closer to scoring when a Johnston free kick into the home box ricocheted about until Glenn Caygill headed against the post and then the ball was scrambled clear to safety. Tow Law did bring a save out of Callum Corkhill on 74 minutes but Ryton came closer to scoring 2 minutes later, again from a Driver throw in. This time Caygill flicked it on & Orton intercepted the ball, palming it out but only to Anderson whose shot hit the bar via the turf on the six yard line. Tow Law came within a whisker of winning the game themselves when in the 89th minute a neat move ended with a shot that clipped the post with Corkhill beaten, but the game ended in a draw as it did in reverse fixture at The Oldhaulage Stadium earlier in the season.
FT TOW LAW TOWN 1 RACA 1
RACA- Corkhill, Beesley (Dart 84), Oldfield, Driver,Hayton, Caygill, Fletcher, Lawson, Anderson, Johnston (Bewley 76), Calvert. Substitutes not used- Skivington, Bailey, Hyde
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
AFC Newbiggin 1 (Turnbull) Alnwick Town 1 (Shell)
Darlington Town 1 (Beauchamp) Yarm & Eaglescliffe 4 (Atkinson 4)
Park View 0 Chester-le-Street Town 1 (Stephenson)
Prudhoe YC 0 Newcastle University 3 (Foster 2, Manning)
Brooks Mileson League Cup 3rd Round Result
Thornaby 7 Boldon CA 1 (Barker)
Sunday’s Division 2 Results
Billingham Town 0 Billingham Synthonia 2 (Healey, Irvine)
Durham United 4 (Kay 3, Boothroyd) Esh Winning 2 (Jowett, Cherrie)
Albion make the trip down the A68 to play Tow Law Town on Saturday as part of the Northern League Groundhop, & because of that it’s an unusual kick off of 6:30pm. The Lawyers are not totally safe from relegation but a positive result at AFC Newbiggin on Wednesday evening would help their cause no end. The teams drew 2-2 at the Oldhaulage Stadium just after Christmas, Calvert and Johnston netting for RACA, & Town are on an unbeaten run of four league games, so we’re in for a tough game, though the lads will have enjoyed a week without a competitive game after the nonsense of last week. If you’re heading to the game, remember the late kick off & the address is Ironworks Road, Tow Law, County Durham, DL13 4EQ. Howay the RACA!!!
Tuesday’s Division 2 Results
Boldon CA 0 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1 (Atkinson)
Redcar Town 2 (Taylor, Stares) Billingham Town 0
Seaham Red Star 3 (McGeorge, Appleby, Leonard) Newcastle University 2 (Foster, Ragonzinski)
Wednesday’s Division 2 Results
AFC Newbiggin 2 (Smith, Lizande) Tow Law Town 2 (Walsh, Groves)
Jarrow 4 (Hardie, Bissett, Beattie, Karim) Grangetown BC 1 (Martin)
Thursday’s Brooks Mileson League Cup Result
Newcastle University 3 (Iverson, Storr, Milner) Darlington Town 0
Good Friday Division Two Results
FC Hartlepool 1 (Gavin) Seaham Red Star 0
Grangetown BC 0 Redcar Town 1 (Stares)
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)
RACA finish the crazy eight days with a home game against Boldon CA who are on a really poor run of form in the league, but are faring much better in the Brookes Mileson League Cup where they are up against Thornaby in the 3rd round. However they’ve not won in Division 2 since an away win at Esh Winning in mid January, picking up just one point in the eight subsequent games, that a decent 0-0 at Park View, but lost their last game 6-1 at Darlington Town on Saturday. Since Boldon’s promotion to the Northern League, Albion are unbeaten against ‘The Villa’ in our nine games to date, the latest a rare 0-0 for us on South Tyneside way back in August. The signs would perhaps indicate a home win, but it remains to see how much the last week has taken out of the Ryton players, and Boldon most definitely have something to play for as they aren’t clear of relegation yet. That said, Boldon and the other sides at the foot of the table will have had some pressure removed from them following Sunderland West End’s sad announcement that they will be resigning from the Northern League at the end of the season, presumably reducing the relegated teams by one. Kick off on Saturday is the usual 3pm, hope a few of you can make it……Howay The RACA!
