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Sunderland RCA 2 West Allotment Celtic 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Sunday, 30 January 2022
Saturday, 29 January 2022 - 3:00pm
Northern League 1

Goal scorer Michael Annang-Colquhoun keeps the West Allotment defence busy during the first half of the match.

We welcome West Allotment Celtic to Sunderland LGV Park. Our visitors have been on a phenomenal run of form since they defeated us in November with only two defeats in the last 10 matches. RCA will need to be at their best to overcome this much improved team.

A strong wind had caused the postponement of a number of games in the Northern League but after a quick inspection by the referee Graeme Hopper the match was declared on. This pitch itself was once again in great condition for the time of year, testament to the hard work and dedication of the ground staff, Dave, George, Graham and Norman.

Michael Hoganson failed a late fitness test and Daniel Hawkins is still injured, while AJ continues his rehabilitation with a vigorous pre match warm-up. Will the home fans get a chance to see him back in action before the end of the season only time will tell?

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Swansbury ©, B Errington, Hennis, Carr, Guy, Davison, Annang-Colquhoun, Weirs. Subs: Watts, Winn, Allen, Richardson, Lawrence.

West Allotment Celtic: Hodgson, Baltazar, Leech, Forster, Scott ©, Errington, Thompson, Higgins, Hayton, Larmouth, Parkinson. Subs: Bryan, Monaghan, Martins, Bates.

Northallerton Town 0 Sunderland RCA 2

Submitted by Rob Jones on Sunday, 23 January 2022
Saturday, 22 January 2022 - 3:00pm
Northern League 1

Goal scorer Matty Weirs in the thick of the action.

Sunderland RCA made the trip south to play Northallerton Town at their Calvert Stadium for this EBAC Northern League Div I fixture.

After losing their last two matches 1-0, RCA were looking to bounce back against a Northallerton Town team languishing at the bottom of the table. However earlier in the season they had beaten us 3-2 so this was not going to be easy.

With the pitch looking to be on the heavy side of soft this would be a test of stamina for both teams.

The management team made changes from the team defeated in mid week by Crook Town.

 The teams lined up as follows:

Northallerton Town: Dawson, Marron ©, Hudson, Snook, Graham, Ryder, Chidanyika, Chapman, Rae, Stephenson, Hope. Subs: Thompson, Banks, Ramsbottom, Bruton.

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Swansbury ©, Errington,   Hennis, Carr, Guy, Davison, Annang-Colquhoun, Weirs. Subs: Hoganson, Allen, Lawrence, Watts, Richardson.

Crook Town 1 Sunderland RCA 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Thursday, 20 January 2022
Wednesday, 19 January 2022 - 7:30pm
Durham County FA Frank Pattison Challenge Cup

Simon Jakab clears the ball during the first half of the match.

Sunderland RCA travelled to Crook Town’s Sir Tom Cowie Millfield Stadium for this Durham County FA “Frank Pattison” Challenge Cup 2nd round tie.

Crook Town progressed to this round after a magnificent 1-0 home win against Sunderland AFC while RCA beat Winlaton Community 5-0.

In their previous meeting this season Crook Town took the honours with a 3 – 1 win at Sunderland LGV Park.

The management team made a number of changes to the team which was narrowly beaten by a strong Ashington AFC side on Saturday.

The teams lined up as follows:

Crook Town: Arthur, Eckley-Aldsworth, Pascoe, Fielding, Elgie, Myers, Webb, Hume, Nicholas, Smith, Hurworth Subs: Scott, Harrison, Guy, Tunstall.

Sunderland RCA: Ball, Carr, Hoganson, Jakab, Swansbury, Hawkins ©, Lawrence, Watts, Davison, Winn, Richardson Subs: Allen, Charlton, Hennis, Annang-Colquhoun, Weirs.

The players took to the field as the temperature plummeted.

Sunderland RCA 0 Ashington 1

Submitted by Rob Jones on Sunday, 16 January 2022
Saturday, 15 January 2022 - 3:00pm
Northern League 1

RCA captain Daniel Hawkins on the attack during the first half.

Today we welcomed Ashington to Sunderland LGV Park for this Ebac Northern League Division 1 fixture.

After last week’s match was called off after an outbreak of Covid in the camp left us with just 10 players, two of whom were goalkeepers, it was good to see that the majority had recovered sufficiently to be considered for this match.

This was to be not only our first match of the New Year but our first game since the win against Penrith on 18th December 2021.

There were two added bonuses on the selection front with Greg Swansbury declaring himself fully fit and Andrew Johnson doing a partial warm up after knee surgery.

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Swansbury, Errington, Hennis, Hawkins ©, Guy, Davison, Weirs, Annang-Colquhoun. Subs: Taylor, Carr, Winn, Hoganson, Watts.

Ashington: Dryden, Sampson, Doyle, Aziakonou, Coppen, Harmison ©, Briggs, Anderson, Johnson, Spooner, Robinson, Subs: Kalthoeber, Ross, Taylor, Lashley, McHugh.

Sunderland RCA 2 Penrith 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Sunday, 19 December 2021
Saturday, 18 December 2021 - 3:00pm
Northern League 1

Kieran Charlton sets up a first half attack.

At this time of the year it is unusual to extend a WARM welcome to our friends from across the Pennines but today’s mild weather provided such an opportunity.

Therefore a warm welcome was extended to our visitors Penrith for this Ebac Northern League fixture at Sunderland LGV Park.

A presentation was made to long serving Penrith mascot Bradley Hodgson who is retiring at the end of the season after 17 years to set out on a new venture. All at RCA wish him well and success in whatever he decides to do. There will always be a welcome for him at Sunderland RCA. 

The management team recalled Ben Errington and Craig Hennis to the starting line-up against bottom of the table Penrith.

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Charlton, Hawkins ©, Errington, Hennis, Weirs, Guy, Davison, Winn, Taylor. Subs: Annang-Colquhoun, Carr, Watts, Hunter, Ball.

Penrith: Taylor, Best, Faustino ©, Moynan, L Brown, Patrick, Pilkington, Storey, Armstrong, M Brown. Subs: Milburn, Reay, Dean-Norman.

Sunderland RCA 4 Winlaton Community 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Tuesday, 14 December 2021 - 7:30pm
Durham County FA Frank Pattison Challenge Cup

Layton Watts in action during the second half of the match.

More photos from the match are here.

Sunderland RCA welcomed Winlaton Community FC to Sunderland LGV Park for this Durham County “Frank Pattison” Challenge Cup 1st round tie.

Winlaton have had a good start to the season and currently lie second in the Bay Plastics Northern Football Alliance and they defeated Washington in the last round of this competition, while they are two divisions below RCA recent history has shown RCA to play below par in these games.

The management team made changes to the team that drew with North Shields 12 days ago in our last League game. Recent signing Callum Guy was named in the starting eleven to make his RCA debut while Michael Annang-Colquhoun and Taylor Richardson returned to the starting lineup. 

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Ball, Weirs, Jakab, Hawkins ©, Carr, Winn, Guy, Davison, Annang-Colquhoun, Richardson. Subs: Hennis, Marrs, Bell, Watts, Errington.

Winlaton:  Staples, Hagan, Shepherd, Backhouse, Henderson, Wharton, Best ©, Pentland, Aiston, Collins, Candlish. Subs: Carrick, Cameron, Hendry, Priestley.

Sunderland RCA 0 North Shields 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Sunday, 5 December 2021
Saturday, 4 December 2021 - 3:00pm
Northern League 1

Mark Davison plays the ball to Jonathan Carr during the second half of the match.

Third placed North Shields were the visitors to Sunderland LGV Park for this EBAC Northern League fixture.

After the problems caused by Storm Arwen last week it was a testament to the RCA ground staff that the pitch and the spectator areas were in such good order, a great effort by Dave, George and Graham.

RCA made one change to the team that beat Guisborough Town bringing in the experienced Chris Winn for Michael Annang-Colquhoun.

Unfortunately the run of bad luck continues to blight club captain Greg Swansbury who is now isolating awaiting the results of a PCR Covid test.

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Hawkins ©, Errington, Hennis, Lawrence, Carr, Davison, Weirs, Winn. Subs: Richardson, Annang-Colquhoun, Allen, Hunter, Ball.

North Shields: Marshall, Cartwright, McDonald, Ormeston, Myers, Walkers, Robinson, Forster ©, Wilson, Cunningham, Hird. Subs: Cassidy, Leonard, Smith, Paterson, Milburn.

Sunderland RCA 1 Guisborough Town 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Sunday, 21 November 2021
Saturday, 20 November 2021 - 3:00pm
Northern League 1

Mark Davison and Michael Annang-Colquhoun in action during the second half of the match.

More photos from the match are here.

RCA welcomed Guisborough Town to Sunderland LGV Park for this EBAC Northern League fixture. RCA would be looking to avenge the 2-0 scoreline from the previous meeting between the two teams this season.

The late withdrawal of Sunderland AFC Work Experience goalkeeper Harrison Bond meant that RCA had to make one change to the team who performed so heroically last week at West Auckland with Keaton Marrs stepping into the No 1 shirt.

There was also a welcome return to the squad for club captain Greg Swansbury after a lengthy spell out with a rib injury.

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Hawkins ©, Errington, Hennis, Lawrence, Carr, Davison, Annang-Colquhoun, Weirs. Subs: Winn, Watts, Swansbury, Richardson, Allen

Guisborough Town: Dean, Redman, Jackson, Dillon, Hood, Risborough, Bartliff, Waites, Preston, Johnson, Rowe. Subs: Marshall, Hope, Wright-Simpson, Spozio, Fairless.

West Auckland Town 0 Sunderland RCA 1

Submitted by Rob Jones on Saturday, 13 November 2021
Friday, 12 November 2021 - 7:30pm
Northern League 1

It was all hands on deck at times, as RCA defended superbly throughout the match.

Our first Friday night football for quite some time and we travel to West Auckland’s “Wanted Stadium” for an EBAC Northern League Div. I clash. West Auckland are currently lying second in the league and are unbeaten in their last eight games, so a tough test for the RCA lads.

The return from injury of Bond and Allen were a welcome boost to the squad ahead of the match and the addition of Carr travelling up from York meant that there was almost a full squad to choose from.

The management made three changes to the team who were beaten in mid-week, bringing in Bond, Carr and Lawrence to replace Marrs, Watts and Richardson.

The teams lined up as follows:

West Auckland Town: Guthrie, Hegarty, Cobain, Thompson, Brown, Potter, Horwood, Fryatt, Blinco, Mitchell, Bell. Subs: Lavery, Wright, Dowson, Bennett, Scott.

Sunderland RCA: Bond, Jakab, Charlton, Hawkins ©, B Errington, Hennis, Lawrence, Carr, Davison, Annang-Colquhoun, Weirs. Subs: Richardson, Watts, J Croft, Allen, Marrs.

Before the match there was a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate Armistice Day, the wreath was laid by Ex-Serviceman Adam Gray and it was followed by Yvonne Wood’s beautiful rendition of the “Last Post” and finally a minutes silence was impeccably observed.

West Allotment Celtic 1 Sunderland RCA 0

Submitted by Rob Jones on Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Tuesday, 9 November 2021 - 7:30pm
Northern League 1

RCA's Michael Annang-Colquhoun tangles with West Allotment's Luke Parkinson during the first half of the match.

Tonight we travelled through the Tyne Tunnel to newly promoted West Allotment Celtic to play at their new East Palmersville Sports Pavilion. After a shaky start to life back in the first division West Allotment seem to have steadied the ship, winning three of their last four fixtures and things are looking a lot brighter. RCA will need to produce the sort of performance seen by the lads in their win over Whitley Bay and the narrow defeat against table topping Consett on Saturday to get anything out of this match.

The Injury curse which has plagued us all season had struck again with Harrison Bond unable to play due to a back injury sustained in the match on Saturday and his place was taken by Marrs.  Leading goal scorer Mark Davison passed a fitness test on his injured ankle and played. Unfortunately Winn and assistant Manager Dan Madden were both isolating following positive lateral flow tests.

The teams lined up as follows:

West Allotment Celtic: Hodgson, Baltazar, Parkinson, Forster, Scott ©, Errington, Thompson, Chapim, Hayton, Larmouth, Martins. Subs: Bryan, Leech, Donaghey, Higgins, Walker.

Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Jakab, Charlton, Hawkins ©, B Errington, Hennis, Weirs, Watts, Davison, Annang-Colquhoun, Richardson. Subs: J Croft, Lawrence, Herdman.

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