RACA 2 GRANGETOWN BOYS CLUB 1 Attendance 83
RACA finally got the win they desperately needed, but made hard work of it against a resolute Grangetown side. The two Louis, Calvert and Anderson scored in the 27th & 37th minutes respectively to put Albion in a comfortable position, but a first half stoppage time goal from James O’Brien changed the complexion of the game as both sides cancelled each other out in a scrappy second half where both sides struggled to retain possession. Boysie’s hopes of salvaging a point were dented when their keeper Luke Teare was dismissed late in the game & RACA were able to end their winless run.
MATCH SUMMARY
This fixture brought together two sides bang out of form, collectively having lost their last eight league games & while it was a bright and breezy day, Newcastle United having a home kick off at 3pm had its inevitable impact on the attendance as it dipped to two figures for the first time this season. Alfie Hyde made his Albion debut in midfield while midweek goalscorer Callum Johnston was only on the bench. In an opening quarter of the game where both keepers were virtual spectators, it was Grangetown who probably shaded things, not looking like a side short of confidence if not creating a final product. It look until 24 minutes for a keeper to get their top dirty when Rhys McLeod’s low free kick was tipped round the post by Boysie keeper Luke Teare. The visitors cleared the resulting corner and broke smartly, Morgan Dart in the RACA defence twice denying James O’Brien who saw his second shot blocked just a yard off the line before the home defence were able to clear to safety. Ryton pushed forward, Declan Bisset played the ball wide to Jack Elliott who popped the ball into a crowded box where Bisset flicked the ball to Louis Calvert who poked it home past Teare to break the deadlock. The lead was doubled in the 37th minute when Calvert dispossessed Andy Doddy midway in the Grangetown half, raced forward & found Louis Anderson who blasted a beauty into the top of the net giving Teare no chance and a distraught Doddy on his knees. It was Albion’s turn to be caught in possession in the 39th minute when Danny Driver received the ball with both O’Brien and Brandon Gredziak bearing down on him. Gredziak got a touch on the ball which ran to O’Brien who jinked past two defenders but his curling shot was a yard wide. O’Brien was to get on the scoresheet before the interval though, when Gredziak found Joe Dixon in space & the Boysie captain tried to lob Callum Corkhill from distance, the ball going over the keeper and bouncing off the bar and back into play. O Brien reacted the quickest and he just had to slot the ball past Corkhill to bring his side back into the game.
HT RACA 2 Grangetown BC 1
RACA didn’t look to be too shaken by the late Grangetown goal, and in the 49th minute Declan Bisset did his trademark dance past three defenders then unleashed a powerful shot with an upward trajectory that just went over the bar,but promised much for the half ahead. Instead neither side were able to keep a hold of the ball for long, forays forward breaking down before reaching the respective danger areas though in the 57th minute McLeod did have a shot but it was blocked by the Teessiders’ defence, the stray ball falling to Calvert who fired high and wide. In fact the main moot point of the second half came on 83 minutes when Teare was deemed to have handled the ball outside the box with RACA’s Davie Luke bearing down on him. Referee Michael Moore didn’t hesitate in producing the red card to Teare who might well have shed a few as he trudged off leaving Boysie to reshuffle the pack, Adam Lincoln taking over duties between the sticks. After a four minute build up to the subsequent free kick, it proved anti-climatic as Bisset put it over the bar. Ryton weren’t able to take advantage of the extra man although Luke wasn’t too far off with a stoppage time shot, but most importantly came away with the three points.
FT RACA 2 GRANGETOWN BOYS CLUB 1
Not a convincing performance against a struggling Grangetown side who put in a decent shift but mission accomplished in getting the win and moving back up the table to 9th place. As a side, RACA also maintain their 100% record against Grangetown BC.
RACA- Corkhill, Groves Forbes (Fletcher 52) Dart, Hyde, Dodds, Driver (Emmerson 53), Bisset, McLeod, Anderson, Elliott (Luke 63) Calvert (Johnston 68). Unused Substitute- Skivington
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
Alnwick Town 2 (Clarke, Aziakounou) Chester-le-Street Town 0
Billingham Synthonia 4 (Gray 2, Irvine, Poole) AFC Newbiggin 2 (Johnstone, Hills)
Esh Winning 0 Jarrow 2 (Hardie 2)
Redcar Town 2 (Clark, Carmichael) Durham United 1 (Kay)
Seaham Red Star 2 (Thynne, Lines) Tow Law Town 0
Sunderland RCA 2 (Stanton, Dodds) FC Hartlepool 1 (Gavin)