Ryton & Crawcrook Albion edged a dramatic nine-goal thriller at Sunderland RCA to reach Round Two of the Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup, played in relentless rain at Meadow Park on Tuesday evening.

Albion made the perfect start when Morgan Dart opened the scoring in the third minute with a superb strike. The hosts responded quickly, however, with Lewis Lukeman equalising just two minutes later, before Aidan Stanton put RCA ahead on ten minutes.

RACA hit back in style. Louis Calvert levelled the match just after the half-hour mark, and moments later Nathan Beesley fired Albion in front. The momentum continued as Louis Anderson added a fourth before half-time, giving Ryton a 4-2 lead at the interval.

RCA reduced the deficit when Stanton converted from the penalty spot midway through the second half, but substitute Callum Johnston restored Albion’s two-goal cushion with a superb curling finish from the edge of the box with just over ten minutes remaining. Stanton completed his hat-trick almost immediately to make it 5-4, setting up a tense finale, but RACA held firm to secure a memorable victory.

The win sets up a Round Two trip to Birtley Town.

RACA: White, Beesley, Dart, Lynch (Fletcher 84), Hayton, Dodds, Groves-Forbes, Hyde (Parker 60), Anderson (Skivington 80), McLeod, Calvert (Johnston 67). Sub not used: Whittaker.
Attendance: 84.