FT PRUDHOE YC SENIORS 0 RACA 1
Albion finally put one over their Tyne Valley neighbours at the sixth attempt winning 1-0 in the early kick off at Essity Park. Morgan Dart’s first half goal was the difference in the sides in a poor game that was riddled with stoppages particularly in the second half, but it was the occasion and result that mattered for the Albion fans as they await how the other play off chasers get on in a day of staggered kick offs.
MATCH SUMMARY
This much awaited Tyne Valley derby looked as if it briefly may have been in doubt as from nowhere the fog off the Tyne rolled in during the warm ups, shrouding the pitch and causing the kick off to be put back 15 minutes to allow the bright sun overhead to burn off the mist. The game started off as brightly as the now mist free Essity Park, the first chance of note falling to RACA on 4 minutes when Fergus Lynch flicked on a ball from a throw in to Louis Calvert whose shot from a tight angle was palmed out for a corner by Tom Dawson in the Prudhoe goal. The Seniors’ first chance of note was on 8 minutes when a fine ball across the width of the pitch from Lucca Taylor found Matty Law who raced down the right wing, cut in & tried to lob Albion keeper Brogan Colquhoun but saw his shot bounce back off the post. There was more than a little controversy on 27 minutes when Prudhoe’s Michael Wright was brought down on the edge of the Ryton box & initially it looked as if referee Ellie Mason had awarded a penalty to the hosts, but in the end a free kick was given & after much protestation from the Prudhoe players the free kick proved anti-climatic as it was blasted straight into the RACA wall by Taylor & away to safety. How pivotal that was to prove as RACA took the lead a minute later when Glenn Caygill lobbed the ball upfield to Morgan Dart who sprung the off side trap, darted forward & slotted the ball past the advancing Dawson. The Seniors immediately responded with Law forcing Colquhoun to dive low & block his low drive but that was the nearest they or Albion would come to adding to the goal tally in the first half
HT Prudhoe YC 0 RACA 1
Unfortunately the second half of this derby game was remembered more for countless stoppages, some but not all, due to injuries as a result of meaty challenges, although Calvert did test Dawson on the hour mark with a clever dipping shot that the keeper gathered at the second attempt. Albion were reduced to ten men following the ugliest of the industrial challenges on 66 minutes when Fergus Lynch and Prudhoe’s Liam Dalton had a coming together going for a high ball but Lynch’s feet were on the high side & Dalton clearly came of worse, the result of which was a red card for Lynch & Dalton going off with an arm injury. The extra man didn’t seem to spur Prudhoe on too much, in fact Ryton had a penalty claim waived away on 73 minutes, and ended up against ten men when in stoppage time, Prudhoe’s Jordan Plunkett also got his marching orders after leading into a challenge with Charlie Grieveson. Albion held on to the lead without a great deal of difficulty & finally got the better of their neighbours. Apart from the result, RACA fans would have been particularly pleased to see Richie Hoggins make a cameo appearance as substitute following his health issues. The win puts a bit of daylight between ourselves & Prudhoe although the other key results didn’t go in Albion’s favour.
FT PRUDHOE YC SENIORS 0 RACA 1 Attendance 286
RACA- Colquhoun, Skivington (Groves-Forbes 46), Oldfield, Burrell, Errington, Caygill, Lynch (s/o), Grieveson, Calvert (Todd 80), Dart (Hoggins 87), Hayton (McLeod 70)