RACA came from behind at Sunderland West End with new boys Matty Hayton and Morgan Dart announcing their arrival by bagging all three of Albion’s goals & in doing so extended the remarkable run of nine games unbeaten, eight of those being victories.

 Albion made the first of two consecutive trips to the Ford Hub to face the regular hosts Sunderland West End with both new signings in the squad, Matty Hayton as no11 & Morgan Dart on the bench. With RACA in scintillating form of late it came as a slight surprise when West End opened the scoring on 18 minutes. Luke Page made a poweful run forward then laid the ball wide to Lewis Charlton whose cross into the box was met by Craig Linsell who wrong footed his marker & fired home to score his fifth goal of the season. It was another Linsell, Adam in the Sunderland goal who was made to work in the 29^th minute tipping a dangerous dipping free kick from Declan Bissett over his bar. Daniel Craggs called the West End stopper into action on 36 minutes firing in a shot from distance, but in fairness, Linsell gathered comfortably, despite the shot seemingly taking a slight deflection off a defender. The Wearsiders weren’t too far away from making it 2-0 when awarded a free kick on the edge of the Ryton box in the 43^rd minute. Tom Goundry struck the ball low and hard, it fizzing just the wrong side of the post from his perspective, although keeper Brogan Colquhoun didn’t look to concerned that the shot was goalbound. Colquhoun was forced into a save just before the interval when another Page run forward culminated in him laying off a good pass to Linsell whose attempted lob over the stopper was pushed out for a corner.

HT Sunderland West End 1 RACA 0

 In an early portent of things to come, Louis Calvert had the ball in the West End net after a minute of the second half but it was rightly chalked off for off-side, but just three minutes later he was on-side when Dylan Lawson took advantage of some dithering in the Sunderland defence & poked the ball forward to Calvert, but he shot wide with just Linsell to beat albeit from an awkward angle. Linsell had more to do on 51 minutes, pushing away a useful Craggs free kick out for a corner. Albion did get on level terms on 55 minutes when Linsell could only parry a Lawson  shot to the feet of debutant Matty Hayton who blasted home from close range to open his account for Ryton. There were strong calls for a Sunderland penalty and a red card when Colquhoun brought down Craig Linsell on the edge of the box, but the RACA keeper was fortunate only to be given a yellow & West End had to make do with a free kick. On the hour mark, Albion should have taken the lead when Matty Todd found the unmarked Declan Bissett, but the RACA number 10 could only sky his shot over the bar. Hayton tested Adam Linsell again with a fine strike following good work down the right wing from Joe Groves-Forbes, the keeper diving to push the ball out for another Albion corner. Another Lawson-Hayton combo saw the latter fire narrowly wide in the 78^th minute & two minutes later Linsell had to smother a Lawson shot from close range. Morgan Dart was brought on for his debut & made an almost instant impact scoring on 84 minutes having been set up by Calvert to put RACA 2-1 up after finding himself in space inside the box. Sunderland’s best effort for an equaliser a trundling shot from distance from Taylor Ford which while on target, was an easy gather for Colquhoun. Dart wasn’t finished with his contribution and got his double top in the 89th minute, taking advantage of slack defending to slot home Matty Harrison’s head flick to keep the successful run going. If he can keep this ratio of goals to minutes played up, we’re on to a good thing! Albion stay in 4th place despite the win.

FT SUNDERLAND WEST END 1 RACA 3 Attendance 60

RACA- Colquhoun, Groves-Forbes, Ledger, Burrell (Lawson 36), Errington capt (Caygill 90), Oldfield, Lynch, Craggs, Calvert (Harrison 86), Bissett (Dart 81), Hayton (Todd 76).

ENL Pos: 4th.

Albion have signed Bedlington Terriers’ top scorer forward Matty Hayton. Hayton led the scoring charts at the Dr Pitt with six goals this season & was also top scorer last season with 23 goals (22 in the league). He’s sure to be an exciting addition to an already potent RACA front line. Welcome aboard the good ship RACA Matty.

Midfielder Josh Walker has left RACA and joined fellow Division 2 side Alnwick Town. Josh, who we signed from Heaton Stannington, made six starts & seven substitute appearances for Albion this season & we wish him well in his new venture at St James’ Park. Meanwhile Owen Mitchell has signed for 1st Division West Allotment. A late August signing from Blue Star, Owen didn’t feature in any starting line ups for Nathan Beckham in his time at the Oldhaulage Stadium but did make six appearances as a substitute. Again best wishes to Owen in jumping up a division.

Ryton & Crawcrook Albion is today pleased to announce 22 Law as the new sponsor for the Main Stand at The Oldhaulage Stadium.

The Whickham-based solicitors have signed a 3-year sponsorship deal with the Club.

The agreement will see the Main Stand rebranded as the 22 Law Main Stand with immediate effect, with the company’s branding displayed across the top.

The Main Stand was decked out in the 22 Law branding for Albion’s FA Vase win over Garstang on Saturday.

22 Law Managing Director Andrew Daverson, pictured with Ryton Manager Nathan Beckham, said: “22 Law are excited to be involved with Ryton and Crawcrook Albion – a local family orientated community football club who are clearly on the up and going places and share our ethos at 22 Law of supporting the local community.”

Ryton & Crawcrook Albion Chairman Richard Hands said: “This is another fantastic commercial deal for the Club.

“I’d like to personally thank Andrew and his team at 22 Law for their support and look forward to working with them over the 3 years.”

22 Law was established in 1976 and specialises in commercial and residential conveyancing as well as wills and probate services. Visit www.22law.co.uk for more details.

---

---

The crazy run of home draws in the cup competitions continued with our 8th consecutive tie to be played at the Oldhaulage Stadium, and like in the last round of the FA Vase we’ve been drawn against North West Counties League opponents. This time it’s against Premier League opposition (the same as last season’s victors Cheadle Town) in the form of Barnoldswick Town about whom we’ll feature more about nearer the fixture which is set to be played on October 19th. As it stands ‘Barlick’ are in 13th place in the division but have up to six games in hand of everyone else in the table so a tough task awaits the Albion next month.

After the intensity of games of late, RACA have the luxury of a free midweek before Saturday’s trip to the Ford Hub to play Sunderland West End. On this terrific run of picking up sixteen out of eighteen available points, Albion might well fancy their chances against West End especially having won the corresponding fixture last season 5-0. The Wearsiders have had an in & out season so far, losing five of their first six, then winning their next three league games before embarking on a mixed bag of results that sees them sitting in 15th place. In the cups they also have a mixed record having narrowly lost to Jarrow in the FA Vase but beating neighbours Sunderland RCA in the Durham Challenge Cup. If by Saturday after this mega break you’re itching for RACA action, the address of the Ford Hub is- Keelmans Lane, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR4 0HB

Albion have signed experienced winger Morgan Dart from North Shields. He brings a wealth of Northern League experience having played for Ashington, Blyth Spartans, Seaham Red Star and Ryhope CW. Welcome aboard Morgan.

RACA made it through to the 1st Round of the FA Vase with a 5-2 win over Garstang at the Oldhaulage Stadium. A Louis Calvert treble plus a goal each from Abu Salim and Matty Todd put Albion into the hat for Monday’s draw at the expense of the North West Counties League outfit

Garstang made the 250 mile round trip to Crawcrook in the hope of ending RACA’s fine run of results despite their own inauspicious start to the season. Traditionally, Ryton’s Vase games against North West Counties League have brought goals, at least four in each game with every team scoring in the six previous ties & this was to prove no different.

 Albion were the dominant side in the opening period penning Garstang into their own half as the visitors struggled to clear their lines effectively & it came as no surprise when Louis Calvert opened the scoring on 19 minutes with a beautiful free kick that sailed past Garstang keeper Joshua Lucas & into the top corner of the net. RACA doubled the lead on 26 minutes when Abu Salim scored his 11^th goal of the season across three different competitions with a well struck shot from the edge of the box. Calvert had the hosts seemingly with one foot in the next round on 34 minutes when his gentle flick past Lucas just had the momentum to cross the line & thwart the Garstang defenders’ attempts to reach the ball in time. So RACA went into the interval with a comfortable lead & surely destined reach the 1^st Round proper for the first time in 15 seasons

HT RACA 3 Garstang 0

But what a difference a break makes. The Lancastrians’ manager, former Blackpool player Guy Heffernan, presumably had some choice words to say to his side as they started the second half with much more gusto & shocked the home fans when Andrew Murphy pulled a goal back within a minute of the restart. Then in the 52^nd minute came a key decision that could well have changed the destiny of the game. Garstang again had the ball in the Ryton net following a corner, but just as the men in red were congratulating each other, they noticed the stand side linesman’s flag up as the ball from the corner was deemed to have gone out of play before swinging back into the box. Who knows how Albion would have reacted to having their lead cut to one goal within seven minutes of the restart, but as it happens Calvert restored the two goal cushion with a fine shot from the edge of the box & in the process scored a first hattrick of the season for a Ryton player. This seemed to settle the home side’s nerves & deflate Garstang who were making a decent fist of getting back on level terms. Calvert wasn’t far off getting a fourth goal on 61 minutes with another decent effort from distance that whistled past Lucas’ post. Rhys McLeod rattled said post with his 73^rd minute effort to almost make the game safe, but just two minutes later, Garstang substitute Owen Pye launched a cross cum shot from wide on the right wing that sailed over Albion keeper Brogan Colquhoun & into the net, which if intended as a shot would have been a goal of the season, though Pye’s reserved celebration in contrast to his team mates suggested it was intended as a cross. Whether shot or cross it was a goal to make it 4-2 and it was game on again, & the visitors sensing some hope of salvaging something pressed forward in more numbers. Unfortunately for Garstang, that left them short at the back & RACA sub Matty Todd took full advantage of some ponderous defending, dispossessing his opponent & firing home to make it 5-2 on 80 minutes. Todd could have made it 6-2 in the 82^nd minute, but his goal-bound effort was well saved by Lucas. To Garstang’s credit they still pressed forward despite their ship having sailed & Murphy gave Colquhoun something to think about in the 88^th minute, beating two defenders then striking his shot on target although this was comfortably smothered by the Ryton stopper.

 So Albion make it seven wins and a draw from the last eight games & eagerly await the opposition in the next round being drawn on Monday lunchtime. An all round good day for the club the only negative being the slightly disappointing attendance of 125.

Best wishes to Garstang in their NWCL campaign & we trust they enjoyed their trip to the Tyne Valley despite the result.

FT RACA 5 GARSTANG 2 Attendance 125

RACA- Colquhoun, Skivington, Ledger, Lynch (Lawson 65), Oldfield, Errington, Craggs (Walker 65), McLeod, Calvert (Grieveson 70), Salim (Harrison 77), Groves-Forbes (Todd 70)

It’s that time of the season again as FA Vase fever hits the Oldhaulage Stadium. This season we welcome Garstang FC to the Tyne Valley in a 2nd Qualifying Round tie, as we play host in a cup tie again (currently seven home draws in a row in cup competitions) . Garstang, which is roughly equidistant from Blackpool and Preston, play in the North West Counties League First Division North, which is Step 6, the same as the Northern League 2nd Division, but while RACA sit in third from top in NL2, Garstang are third from bottom of their division so on standings & current form, Albion should be fancied to progress. However that combo of cup football and playing teams from a different part of the pyramid can seriously cloud the issue so an Albion win is far from guaranteed. Garstang will be the 7th NWCL side we’ve faced over the years in the FA Vase, the most recent being Cheadle Town who beat us 5-3 last season, although they were from the Premier League, a level above Garstang. This is such an important fixture for clubs our size, as thanks to Isuzu’s generous sponsorship of the competition, the winners of the tie stand to win £975, a very welcome cash injection for whoever wins the game. For the optimists amongst the ranks we are only eight wins from a Wembley appearance, but realistically speaking each round we can progress from brings increasing prizemoney plus the prestige of progressing in a national competition and the opportunity of a fun away trip if we can stop being drawn at home in these cup competitions. Today’s game will be resolved one way or another with no replay and the game going to penalties if level after 90 minutes.

We’ll be producing a match day programme for this game so if you do intend coming you can pick one up at the entrance hut. Really hope we can get a good turnout for this game to cheer on the black and blue. HOWAY THE RACA!

Albion made it six wins from seven games with a hard fought 2-1 win over Redcar Town despite being well off their best form. All the goals came in the first half, Jack Errington & Fergus Lynch scoring for RACA with Chris Dickinson netting from the penalty spot for Town. The win moves Ryton up to third place in the table.

On a perfect moonlit night for a football match, Ryton made it six wins and a draw from the last seven games against an out of form Redcar Town. This wasn’t a classic despite the strips resembling the Milan derby, more like two industrious sides giving it their all without much in the way of end product. It was the Teessiders who created the first key chance on 16 minutes when a Jack Chapman free kick was flicked on by Chris Dickinson to Matthew Crossen who’d crept into the box but he put his flick from close range narrowly wide. So it was to be Ryton who’d break the deadlock with a goal as scruffy as they come. A 24th minute Rhys McCloud corner was flicked on by Daniel Craggs into a mass of players, Jack Errington shooting goalward into the melee & somehow the ball found its way into the net with a suspicion of own goal about it but the RACA captain was credited with his second goal of the season. Redcar should have levelled the score just two minutes later when a cross across the box from the right wing was missed by everyone except Foster Garton, but his shot was cleared off the line by Albion defender Josh Skivington. Dickinson wasn’t too far off with a speculative shot from distance in the 32nd minute, but he was to get on the scoresheet five minutes later from the penalty spot after Oli Locker was brought down in the RACA box by Errington, making no mistake with his strike. However parity only lasted six minutes when an Abu Salim cross was beautifully headed home by Fergus Lynch giving Redcar keeper Michael Algie no chance & ensuring Albion went into the interval ahead.

The second half had lots of huffing & puffing but was typified by fouls & injuries rather than goalscoring chances with neither keeper being inconvenienced too much by the opposing forwards, the exception being Algie’s top drawer one handed save from a Louis Calvert strike on 79 minutes that could have wrapped up the points for RACA. Other than that it was a case of Albion keeping Redcar at bay and keeping the surge up the table in full swing with another three points.

FT RACA 2 REDCAR TOWN 1 Attendance 212

RACA- Colquhoun, Skivington, Ledger (Walker 62), Lynch, Oldfield, Errington, Craggs, McLeod, Calvert (Lawson 82), Salim (Bisset 76), Groves-Forbes (Todd 75)

ENL Pos: 3rd.