Albion face a tough test on Wednesday when we welcome division leaders Seaham Red Star to the Oldhaulage Stadium for the first time in a decade. Star have won all three of their games so far scoring eleven goals in the process & are one of two sides in the division along with Redcar Town still with a 100% record. When we last met Seaham in the 15/16 season, the then first division outfit put us out of the League Cup and the Durham Challenge Cup with us hosting both ties so we’ve a score to settle on Wednesday. If you’re planning to come along to cheer the lads on, kick off is at 7:30pm.

Tuesday Night’s 2nd Division Results

Alnwick Town 4 (Bright, Wilkinson, Potts 2) Tow Law Town 1 (Marsden)

Boldon CA 3 (Robertson 2, Watts) FC Hartlepool 0

Chester le Street Town 1 (Nelson) Billingham Town 0

Redcar Town 1 (McLeod) Sunderland RCA 3 (Knight 3)

This month’s lucky winners are-

1st prize No 100 M Otterson who wins £100

2nd Prize No 103 D Ord who wins £75

3rd Prize No 41 J Maude who wins £25

next draw is on 06/09/2025

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 at the club on 07720 413390 . Thank-you

Ryton’s jittery start to the season continued with a poor performance at Sunderland RCA, deservedly coming away from Meadow Park empty handed. Trailing after just three minutes, they were 0-2 down by the time the interval belatedly came following a series of injuries. Sunderland converted a penalty on 53 minutes to put the game beyond Albion’s reach and although Louis Anderson did scramble a goal back on 68 minutes, Ryton were never going to salvage anything from this game despite upping their game a little towards the end of the match.

MATCH SUMMARY

An injury hit Albion travelled to Ryhope to face Sunderland RCA with a late signing in Craig Scott to bolster the squad missing Callum Johnston, Rhys McLeod and Ryan Bailey through various injuries. But Albion were to get off to a bad start as it took just three minutes for RCA to open the scoring when the bounce of the ball from a long punt upfield deceived the Ryton defence and Dennis Knight cleverly lobbed keeper Callum Corkhill to score the first goal of the season at Meadow Park. The game was being held up with a series of injuries not least of all a head clash between RCA keeper Karl Dryden and Kurtis Dodds that ended up with the latter being substituted after sustaining another head knock. Albion’s first shot on target game from Fergus Lynch on 18 minutes but it was an easy save for Dryden. More sloppy defending from Ryton gifted a second goal in the 25^th minute when Jackson Ward was able to take advantage of a short pass back & slot the ball home from a tight angle. In a half short on quality and chances, the home side were the better of the two, and on the half hour mark Archie Dodds launched a dangerous cross from the right straight to Knight but the Ryhope number 9 could only lob the ball over the bar. Knight had a chance to make it 3-0 on 33 minutes but he was unable to make a clean contact on Ward’s cross with the goal gaping in what was the last significant action of the first half.

HT Sunderland RCA 2 RACA 0

The second half saw Albion concede another early goal, this time from the penalty spot on 52 minutes, Liam Laffrey deemed to have been tripped in the box & Knight coolly slotting home to make it 3-0. This at least sparked a reaction from Ryton as a neat move saw Josh Skivington put in a fine cross but Louis Anderson couldn’t make full contact with his head & the ball went harmlessly wide. Out of nowhere RACA got on the scoresheet on 67 minutes following a jinking run from Jack Elliot whose cross was spilt by Dryden and Anderson was in the right place to bundle the ball home. Sunderland immediately responded with a powerful shot from Chris Thompson that looked to be goalbound until deflected by a RACA defender. Substitutions seemed to galvanise Albion late on and they even began to look dangerous at times without ever threatening the unlikely comeback, but the damage had been done in the first three quarters of the game. Sunderland get their first win while RACA lose their second away game by the same scoreline and much to ponder for the RACA management team.

FT SUNDERLAND RCA 3 RACA 1 Attendance 109

RACA– Corkhill, Fletcher (Bisset 54), Ord (Groves-Forbes 52), Russel (Skivington 45), Caygill, Dodds (Salkeld 14), Elliot, Luke, Anderson, Lynch (Scott 69), Dart (Scott 69)

Position 14th

Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results

AFC Newbiggin 5 (Barber 2, Cooper 2, Smith) Billingham Synthonia 1 (Raby)

Billingham Town 0 Darlington Town 3 (Coles, McMahon, Dixon)

Durham United 3 (Bramwell 2, Boothroyd) Park View 3 (Siyanbola, o.g. Robson)

FC Hartlepool 4 (Daley, Close, O’Gorman, McGee) Esh Winning 0

Grangetown BC 0 Alnwick Town 6 (Potts 3, Clark 2, Patterson)

Jarrow 1 (Hudson) Yarm & Eaglescliffe 2 (Roberts, Atkinson)

Newcastle University 2 (Morris, Aldcroft) Chester-le-Street Town 1 (Nelson)

Seaham Red Star 5 (Porrit, O’Connor 2, Appleby 2) Prudhoe YC 0

Tow Law Town 1 (Adams) Boldon CA 1 (Robertson)

Hot on the heels of playing one Sunderland side on Wednesday, we visit the other on Saturday as Albion travel to Meadow Park to face Sunderland RCA who play their first home game having drawn at Prudhoe and lost at Seaham in their two games to date. We did the double over RCA last season but hadn’t played them since 2011 before that & have a good record against the Wearsiders, having won nine of our ten league games against them. Like with West End, RACA and RCA haven’t played out a draw in the 13 competitive games to date. Callum Johnson (hamstring tweak) and Ryan Bailey (knee) are doubtful for Saturday so the RACA management team might have to do some rejigging of the side.

If you’re coming to the game the address for your sat-nav is Meadow Park, Beechbrooke, Ryhope, Sunderland SR2 0NZ

Friday Night’s Division 2 Result

Sunderland West End 1 (Norton) Redcar Town 3 (Smith, Carmichael, Robinson-Coley)

A Kurtis Dodds header was the difference in the sides in RACA’s first home game of the campaign in a match that won’t live long in the memory. The deciding goal was a bullet header from a corner on 12 minutes in a fairly even contest but although Albion claim the three points, it might be at a price with possible long term injuries picked up on the night.

MATCH SUMMARY

Albion welcomed Sunderland West End to the Oldhaulage Stadium for the opening home fixture with both sides keen to get points on the board having suffered defeats on Saturday.

It was the Wearsiders who created the first chance in the 3^rd minute when Mark Davison blasted a shot from the edge of the Ryton box which Callum Corkhill had to dive to push out for a corner. But it was Albion who opened the scoring on 12 minutes when the second of a brace of Louis Calvert corners was headed home by Kurtis Dodds amid a crowded penalty area. On 24 minutes Ryton were dealt a blow when Ryan Bailey pulled up with what looked like a pulled hamstring & had to hobble off. Sunderland created a half chance on the half hour mark when Harvey Hope had time to collect a lay off & try to lob Corkhill, but his effort went narrowly wide. Calvert was in the thick of it for Albion on 35 minutes when he magnificently controlled a punt upfield to him, then shrugged off the attention of two markers as he racad towards the Sunderland goal, but his shot was a weak one, straight at keeper Neal Bussey who gathered comfortably. West’s Zohair Benali went on an eyecatching run on 43 minutes to the RACA byline and tried to squeeze the ball past Corkhill from the narrow angle but the keeper was able to push the ball out for a corner that came to nothing. Two minutes later Benali caused the Albion defence more issues after dispossessing Josh Skivington then squaring the ball across the box where Glenn Caygill was able to deflect it out for a corner though a yard the other way & it would have been an own goal. During this move Calum Johnston’s turn to pull up lame in another blow for RACA. The corner was the last action of the first half & it featured a mini scramble in the Ryton box before the referee’s whistle blew,

HT RACA 1 Sunderland West End 0

A quiet start to the second half awoke from its slumber on 63 minutes when Ryton’s Dan Ord played a fine cross-field ball to Calvert who cut in , his shot beating Bussey, but not the far post, the ball smacking off the upright and away to safety. Sunderland responded with a break of their own on 67 minutes, Ashley Davis finding Thomas Hunter whose powerful shot was saved by Corkhill. The visitors had another chance to level things up on 72 minutes when Benali found Hope in space, but his shot sailed over the bar. RACA looked to be in with a chance of doubling the lead on 86 minutes when Anderson found Jack Elliott racing down the wing in bags of space and only a fine intervention from defender Owen Smith prevented a 1 on 1 situation from arising with Elliott & the West End keeper. The Wearsiders went straight up to the other end where former Albion man Luke McCabe headed the ball to Davison who in turn headed down the ball to Benali whose cross-box shot was knocked out for a corner by Caygill. The last action of the game saw Anderson marginally outpace Smith as the two raced towards the Sunderland goal with only Bussey in front of them, eventually Smith knocking Anderson over. Referee Mr Studholme awarded the free kick to Albion and chose to give Smith a yellow card rather than a possible red. Declan Bisset, not long on as a substitute took the free kick which cleared the wall but also looped just over the West End bar. And that was that, RACA taking the three points in a fairly even game without really clicking into gear but moved up to 14TH place while West End remain pointless but have the stage to themselves on Friday with a tough task as they entertain Redcar Town at the Ford Hub.

RACA Line Up– Corkhill, Skivington, Fletcher (Dart 56), Ord, Caygill, Dodds, Johnston (Elliot 46), Bailey (Luke 25), Anderson, Lynch (Salkeld 89), Calvert (Bisset 81)

FT RACA 1 SUNDERLAND WEST END 0 Attendance 185

Position 14TH

Wednesday’s Other Division 2 Results

Billingham Synthonia 0 Chester-Le-Street Town 4 (Brownsword, Bainbridge, Hall, Little)

Esh Winning 0 Tow Law Town 2 (Herron 2)

Jarrow 0 Park View 2 (Young, Conroy)

Prudhoe YC Seniors 0 Billingham Town 2 (Stares, Mitchell)

Thursday’s Division 2 Result

Newcastle University 2 (Pennington, Foster) Darlington Town 0

Albion kick off the season at The Oldhaulage Stadium on Wednesday evening with the visit of Sunderland West End, one of the two teams who had a worse result than us on the opening day having gone down 4-1 at home to Seaham Red Star. Kick off is at 7:30pm, it’s forecast for dry evening so head down if you can to cheer on the RACA as we aim to get the first points on the board and begin the climb up the table.

Since they joined the Northern League in 2019/20 season, we’ve played West End 11 times in league and cup and there hasn’t been a drawn game to date with RACA winning 7 and losing 4. (and for those of you keeping count it’s 138 competitive games since Albion played a 0-0!) However the Wearsiders have done better in the Tyne Valley than at home in the league, having won three of their five trips to NE40, although we did thump them 6-1 at HQ in the Durham Challenge Cup 1^st Round in 21/22.

Tuesday Night’s Division 2 Results

Alnwick Town 4 (Potts 3, Clark) v Durham United 0

Boldon CA 1 (Williams) v Grangetown BC 1 (Dixon)

Redcar Town 3 (Smith, Carmichael, Robinson-Coley) FC Hartlepool 0

Seaham Red Star 2 (Robinson, Thynne) v Sunderland RCA 1 (Guy)

Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1 (Atkinson) v AFC Newbiggin 1 (Elliott)

RACA+ brings you all the best of the action from all of our matches on our social media platforms and YouTube channel.

Albion made it three losses from three at FC Hartlepool’s home despite leading in this afternoon’s pipe-opener for 25/26. After a goalless first half, Callum Johnston got his first goal for Ryton on the hour mark, but Pool struck back when new signing Jake Stott levelled on 64 minutes. Fin O’ Gorman put the hosts ahead on 80 minutes & sealed the deal netting a 90th minute penalty.

MATCH SUMMARY

Albion faced a difficult start to the season with a trip to FC Hartlepool at a venue they’d not collected a point previously. Though the first half was lively enough the defences were clearly on top. The first effort on target came from the hosts in the 6th minute when Josh Daley struck from the edge of the box but it was straight at Callum Corkhill. Ryton’s new keeper had to work harder on 23 minutes when Joe Spalding went on a decent solo run, cutting infield before unleashing a shot that Corkhill had to dive low to smother. Albion’s best chance came on the half hour when a Declan Bisset launched a fine cross from the right flank but it was fractionally too far forward of the unmarked Louis Calvert on the far post who couldn’t make a clean contact & ended up firing over the bar. Pool’s best chance of the first half came on 32 minutes when Fin O’ Gorman drew Corkhill out of his goal, then took the ball wide before finding Spalding in the box but his shot was well blocked by Glenn Caygill.

HT FC Hartlepool 0 RACA 0

RACA started the second half the stronger of the two sides with both Callum Johnston & Calvert forcing good saves from Hartlepool keeper Cameron Simpson in the opening minutes. Johnson had a chance to open the scoring on 56 minutes when Bisset’s cross found him unmarked but his powerful shot could find the side netting. He was to find the target on 60 minutes though when persistence from Calvert saw him fire an overhead kick into the box which Johnston struck home for RACA’s first of the season. The lead would only last four minutes though as Spalding saw substitute Jake Stott’s run & split the RACA defence with his through ball which Stott slotted home. This seemed to spur on the hosts as they came back into the game & on 80 minutes took advantage of poor Albion defending when Spalding’s dink across the box found O’Gorman goal-side of his marker & he had the simple task of heading into an empty net to make it 2-1. FC wrapped up the points on 90 minutes following a fine save from Corkhill from a Lewy Green shot but as the ball ran free in the box, Albe Fletcher was rather harshly deemed to have fouled Stott in the box & referee Mr Stephenson pointed to the spot. Fin O’Gorman struck the spot kick beautifully giving Corkhill no chance & RACA were consigned to an opening day defeat.

A disappointing start but only a short wait to get back on track with a home game against Sunderland West End on Wednesday who also started the campaign with a defeat.

FC HARTLEPOOL 3 RACA 1 Attendance 144

RACA- Corkhill, Skivington, Fletcher, Ord (Luke 69), Caygill, Dodds, Bailey (Salkeld 69), Johnston (Groves-Forbes 77), Anderson, Bisset (Dart 64), Calvert (Elliott 69).

POS: 20th.

SATURDAY’S OTHER DIVISION 2 RESULTS

AFC Newbiggin 1 (Smith) Park View 2 (Loveday, Conroy)

Billingham Town 3 (Stares 2, Hogan) Newcastle University 2 (Pennington, Manning)

Chester-Le-Street Town 0 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 1 (Conway)

Durham United 3 (Kay 3) Boldon CA 4 (Robertson 2, Foy, Kirton)

Grangetown BC 1 (Dixon) Esh Winning 2 (Swinburn, Ashcroft-Brown)

Jarrow 4 (Bates 2, Jackson, Hardie) Alnwick 3 (Potts, Eggleston 2)

Sunderland West End 1 (Hodgson) Seaham Red Star 4 (Weirs 3, Luaba)

Tow Law 0 Redcar Town 1 (Clark)

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The 2nd Division season kicks off with two Friday night games, the results of which are

Darlington Town 2 (Coles, McMahon) Billingham Synthonia 0

Prudhoe YC 0 Sunderland RCA 0

Albion kick off the season on Saturday afternoon with a trip down the A19 to FC Hartlepool. If you want to catch the new look RACA in their first competitive game the place to be is Grayfields Enclosure, Jesmond Road, Hartlepool, TS24 8PJ. Kick off at 3pm.