The re-arranged Ernest Armstrong 1st Round Cup tie against Prudhoe is expected to take place on Tuesday 16th December, not our usual Wednesday evening as Newcastle United are at home to Fulham in the Carabou Cup that night & we need to avoid clashing with them at all costs. Kick off will be the usual 7:30pm
Tuesday’s Division 2 Result
Sunderland RCA 0 Park View 2 (Boddy, Pye)
Tuesday’s Durham Challenge Cup Result
Shildon 4 Jarrow 0
This month’s lucky winners are-
1st prize No 77 D Muse who wins £100
2nd Prize No 98 A Armstrong who wins £75
3rd Prize No 89 S Oliver who wins £25
Next month’s draw is on 04/01/2026
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 Kevin Wilkinson at the club. Thank-you
Red Star have contacted RACA to say the pitch has several areas of standing water and is highly unlikely to go ahead although this can’t be confirmed until referee Kevin McKitterick makes his inspection shortly. The weather forecast in SR7 is for persistent rain from 5pm so that will also add to the water problem. We will confirm the game is off or on on this site once we hear of a definite decision being made
*** MATCH CONFIRMED AS POSTPONED ***
Friday Night’s Division 2 Result
Billingham Synthonia 1 (Irvine) Darlington Town 1 (Bondarenko)
Saturday’s Division 2 Results
Billingham Town 3 (Mitchell 2, o.g.) Grangetown BC 3 (Urwin, Leka, Martin)
Boldon CA 4 (o.g. Humble, Kerridge, McGuinness) Tow Law Town 2 (Benjamin, Walsh)
FC Hartlepool 3 (Bennett, Bayes 2) Alnwick Town 0
The re-arranged away game at Seaham is scheduled for Friday evening but that might be subject to the forecasted rainfall later this week. Star had the disappointment of being put out the Ernest Armstrong Cup on Wednesday by Yarm & Eaglescliffe but won their last league game at Prudhoe although that was over two weeks ago. Albion’s historical form against Seaham isn’t great- In our last six meetings we’ve drawn one and lost five including this season’s reverse fixture where we lost 0-1 to a Lewis Porritt goal, the only game this season where we’ve had a man sent off. We have to go back to 2011/12 for our last win at what is now The Alexandra Steakhouse Stadium though we also won there in 2008/09. Best check the Northern League website or RACA’s twitter account before heading off for this one but if you are planning on heading there, the postcode & address is-
271 Station Rd, Seaham SR7 0BH.
Tuesday’s Ernest Armstrong 1st Round Result
Yarm & Eaglescliffe 2 (Atkinson, Marshall) Seaham Red Star 1 (Wilds)
Tuesday’s Brookes Mileson League Cup Results
Alnwick Town 2 (Agostinho, Smith) Shildon 4 (Played at Shildon)
Kendal Town 5 Chester-le-Street Town 2 (Stephenson, Conroy)
Wednesday’s Division 2 Result
Jarrow 3 (Bates, Karim, Cunningham) Billingham Synthonia 2 (Irvine)
FT RACA 2 PRUDHOE YC 2 Attendance 135
For the second consecutive game RACA let a lead slip, this time in the Tyne Valley Derby played in horrendous conditions at the Oldhaulage Stadium. In the only Division 2 game on grass that wasn’t either postponed or abandoned due to the torrential rain, Louis Anderson’s 27th minute had the hosts 1-0 up at the interval. When he doubled the lead just after the break it looked rosy for Ryton but former RACA man, Jordan Plunkett scored a quick brace to salvage a point for Prudhoe & deny Ryton doing the double over their neighbours.
MATCH SUMMARY
With the Ernest Armstrong Cup tie between RACA and Prudhoe being postponed on Wednesday, the sides were keen to get this one on despite the forecast of heavy rain. Thankfully the expected arrival of the rain clouds kept getting deferred, ensuring the game would at least start, but by kick off, the skies were dark & the first of what were to be many raindrops began to fall on the already wet playing surface. The weather also had a major impact on the derby day attendance with only 135 hardy souls braving the elements which also included a stiff breeze, when three times that figure might be expected in more clement conditions.
The opening period of the game gave little for the soaked spectators to cheer, Prudhoe pumping decent crosses into the Ryton box, but keeper Callum Corkhill intercepting them with relative ease as the visitors had no-one to meet the ball. Albion hadn’t offered much up front until the 25th minute when Rhys McLeod picked up a stray ball following a tackle outside the Prudhoe box. He found Louis Anderson who slipped the ball past the advancing Seniors keeper Sam Wilson & it fizzed into the net. Anderson could have had a second goal just two minutes later when Ryton played a good move upfield, Louis Calvert laying the ball to Anderson, but this time Thomas was able to block the shot with his legs, the ball bouncing away to safety. Another chance for RACA to double the lead came on 37 minutes when following a period of pressure on the Prudhoe goal, Rhys McLeod on the left flank, drilled in a low cross that evaded everyone in the box and just went beyond the far post & it remained 1-0. Calvert and Anderson combined again in the 42nd minute, the latter breaking clear of his marker but again he was thwarted by the advancing Thomas in the one-on-one, the keeper getting his foot in the way of the shot. A minute after that & Prudhoe had Corkhill diving in the mud when Freddie Marr laid the ball off to James Simpson & his shot was scrambled past the post by the RACA keeper and the goal remained intact.
HT RACA 1 Prudhoe YC 0
In increasingly difficult conditions RACA took only two minutes to get on the scoresheet again,this time from a corner which Anderson powered home with his head to give his side a bit of breathing space. He wasn’t too far off getting his hat-trick on 55 minutes when his shot from distance skidded not far wide of the Prudhoe post with Wilson scrambling in his muddy box to block the effort. There was some sever goalmouth drama in the 58th minute when a McLeod free kick struck the Prudhoe post, the ball rebounding to an off balance Craig Scott whose shot crashed into defender Will Morris, the ball now striking the Prudhoe bar off Morris, bouncing downwards where Wilson could push the ball out to relative safety. And how Ryton were to rue those near misses as from nowhere the Seniors got back in the game. A 62nd minute Marr free kick was connected with by Jay Plunkett, the ball bouncing in the box & off into the corner of the net to make it 2-1. This spurred on the visitors & on 67 minutes they won a corner following a Morris shot. Marr’s ball in instigated some head tennis which ultimately saw Plunkett on target again with his header to equalise, the ex Albion player haunting his ex employer with a 5 minute brace. Prudhoe could well have gone ahead on 73 minutes when Elijah Berman found the unmarked Tom Wilson whose shot from a tight angle was only partially blocked by Corkhill the ball rolling towards the goal line until RACA captain George Hayton was able to scramble the ball clear. The last chance of note fell to Albion on 73 minutes when an intended Prudhoe clearance stuck in the surface water & McLeod fired in a decent low drive that was just wide of the post, though Wilson looked to have it covered. The players & officials were to be commended for being able to provide a competitive spectacle for the closing minutes even if there was no significant goalmouth action, the honours even in this drenched derby.
FT RACA 2 PRUDHOE YC SENORS 2
RACA will feel this as two points dropped having led by two goals, but the filthy conditions were a real leveller & Prudhoe came into their own midway into the second half & showed that from set pieces at least, they are more than capable of converting chances. This was Albion’s first point against the Seniors at Kingsley Park having lost the three previous encounters but that will be of scant consolation to the RACA management. It was also the first draw at home & the first score draw home or away this season.
RACA– Corkhill. Beesley, Fletcher, Lynch (Skivington 79), Scott, Hayton, Hyde (Lawson 79), Groves-Forbes, Anderson, McLeod (Parker 84), Calvert (Driver 90). Substitute not used Dodds
Saturday’s Other Division Two Result
Durham United 0 Alnwick Town 3 (Agostinho, Anderson 2)
After Wednesday’s cup postponement we try again on Saturday for a league Tyne Valley derby which will be the eighth Northern League meeting of the two sides. RACA have finally put their stamp on the fixture of late, winning the last two games including the 4-1 win over Dean Walker’s men at Essity Park in August. The injured Jack Salkeld, Joe Groves-Forbes and Louis Anderson were on target for RACA in that game, while Prudhoe’s Brad Rogers put the ball in his own net. The Seniors’ goal in the right net came from Tom Wilson . It hasn’t always been like that though as Albion managed to pick up a paltry one point from fifteen in the opening five derbies & have lost all three home games against the red & black side of the Tyne Valley, so Albion gaffer Nathan Beckham will be keen to break with tradition there.
Kick off tomorrow is at 3pm so hope you can get down to what’s always a much awaited fixture, your support is appreciated by all. The weather forecast in NE40 is for a fair bit of rain so keep an eye out on social media & the Northern League website just in case this match is in jeopardy too, but hopefully we can enjoy a full blooded derby game. Hope to see you there.
Tonight’s E Armstrong Cup game v Prudhoe has been postponed due to an unplayable pitch. Hopefully it will dry/thaw out sufficiently for Saturday’s league game against Prudhoe to go ahead.
Wednesday Night’s North Riding 2nd Round Cup Results–
Stokesley SC 0 Redcar Town 2 (Duffield, Carmichael)
Yarm & Eaglescliffe 3 (Dalton, Roberts, Williams) York City 3 (Yarm win 3-0 on penalties)
Last Saturday’s postponed game at Seaham Red Star has been re-arranged for Friday 5th December, with kick off at 7.30pm. That weekend was originally empty.
Tuesday’s Ernest Armstrong Cup Results
AFC Newbiggin 1 (Smith) Alnwick Town 5 (Aziakonou 2, Anderson, Lively, Baston)
Billingham Town 7 (Stephenson, Stiff 2, Robinson, Hogan, Littlefair 2) Billingham Synthonia 4 (Mallia, Owen, Waller, Hodgkinson)
Grangetown BC 0 Chester-le-Street Town 3 (Brownsword, Stephenson, Marriott)
Sunderland RCA 2 (Stanton) Park View Academy 2 (Sykes, Mallinson) (RCA win 4-1 on penalties)
The Northern League fixture computer & the velvet bag have contrived to pair RACA & Prudhoe YC Seniors together twice in 4 days.
First up on Wednesday evening we host our neighbours in an Ernest Armstrong 1st Round tie, then on Saturday it’s a rinse & repeat in the league with The Oldhaulage Stadium the venue again.
The club will be producing a Tyne Valley derby double header programme to mark the occasion, this the first time that Ryton & Prudhoe YC have met in a cup competition, and on Saturday it will be the eighth Northern League meeting of the two sides. RACA have finally put their stamp on the fixture of late, winning the last two games including the 4-1 win over Dean Walker’s men at Essity Park in August. But it hasn’t always been like that as Albion picked up a paltry one point from fifteen in the opening five derbies & have lost all three home games against the red & black side of the fence, so Nathan Beckham will be keen to break with tradition there.
Kick off tomorrow is at 7:30pm so hope you can get down to what’s always a much awaited fixture, your support is appreciated by all. The weather forecast in NE40 isn’t the best with sub zero temperatures overnight but a mild if drizzly day tomorrow. Keep an eye out on social media & the Northern League website just in case the match is in jeopardy, but hopefully we can enjoy a Wednesday derby battle under the lights. Hope to see you there.
Please note that today’s game at Seaham Red Star has been postponed due to the weather. It has now been rescheduled for Friday 5th December at 7.30pm.
Results of the Division 2 games that went ahead-
Billingham Synthonia 5 (Mallia, Connelly, Lamb, Marsay, Evans) Durham United 0
Billingham Town 3 (Mitchell, Robinson, Stiff) Chester-le-Street Town 3 (Stephenson, Greenwood, Robson)
FC Hartlepool 4 (Bayes 2, McGee, Spalding) Boldon CA 1 (Watts)
Prudhoe YC 1` (Plunkett) Darlington Town 2 (Brown, Wilson)
Sunderland West End 3 ( Deehan, Appleby, Davis) Esh Winning 0
