Match reports

RCA’s first away trip of the season took them to Guisborough Town and for once the traffic was light and everyone arrived pretty much on time.

The management team made two changes to the side that won on Saturday with Dylan Elliott and Mark Davison starting in place of Thomas McAloon and Stephen Callen.

Teams: Guisborough Town: Catterick, Marron, McAvoy, Hawkins, Marshall, Rowbotham (C), Howard, Snaith, Earl, Coleman, Ferguson.  Subs: Graham, Holdsworth, McNeill, Taylor, Robinson.

SRCA: Dean, Allen, McNab, Preston, Swansbury (C), Hodgson, Davis, Moan, Davison, Elliott, Charlton. Subs: McAloon, O’Neill, Dorward, Green, Whitehead.

Thomas McAloon fends off the Wolviston tackler, with Michael Charlton on hand, in Tuesday night's 4-0 friendly win. Photograph: Simon Mears. More photos from the match are here.

Sunderland RCA: Robbie Dean; Clayton Davis, Ross McNab, Ross Preston, Greg Swansbury, Craig Hodgson, Michael Charlton, Dominic Moan, Steve Callen, Kyle Davis, Thomas McAloon;. Subs Lewis Green, Aaron Croft, Kylan Whitehead.

After the cancellation of the match against Barnoldwick Town on Saturday we welcomed Wolviston FC to Sunderland LGV Park for this hastily arranged pre-season friendly. The threatened rain kept away and the match kicked off on a lovely summers evening.

RCA got off to a dream start when Callen latched onto a perfect through ball, side stepped a challenge and smashed the ball into the bottom corner of the net to put the hosts 1 -0 up inside three minutes.

Wolviston tried to respond to this early setback but RCA relaxed into their passing game and the visitors found it difficult to retain possession for any period of time.

RCA starting line up: Dean; C. Davis, Hodgson, Lilley, McNab; Charlton, Elliott, Moan, McAloon, Davison, K. Davis

RCA made the trip out to Durham to face Brandon in our latest pre-season friendly. Many thanks to Brandon for their hospitality, and good luck for the coming season. 

Brandon looked to have a young and lively team who should have a successful season in the Northern League Second Division, we wish them well.

RCA were short of a few regulars for today’s game, which meant a starting opportunity for others and a chance to stake their claim.

RCA started very brightly and might well have been a couple ahead in the first ten minutes, with McAloon and Davison having decent chances. The game was being played at a lively pace with Brandon looking good on the break, a theme which was to become more evident as the game wore on. RCA were trying to control the ball, and Dylan Elliott and Dom Moan showed up with some good control in the centre of the park, with Dylan also successfully spraying longer passes cross field on a number of occasions. At the back Rob Dean looked a very safe pair of hands when called into action, was quick off his line, and also used the ball well from hand and foot. The unfamiliar back four unit gelled well, although Sam Lilley unfortunately had to go off after only fifteen minutes to be replaced by youngster Green, and we looked comfortable in defence with the full backs, particularly Clayton Davis, also getting forward at pace whenever the chance presented. It was a good competitive first half with both sides having their chances, but at the break it was goalless.

RCA continued their pre-season warm up with a friendly against Billingham Synthonia from the EBAC Northern League Division 2.

The opening minutes saw RCA trying to control the tempo of the game with Synners taking a more direct approach.

Synners whilst trying to play out from the back were constantly harrassed and forced into mistakes by RCA's forwards and midfield and in the 23rd minute Callen siezed on a poor pass and, with the keeper out of position pulled the ball back to Davison who slotted into an empty net.

On 30 minutes O'Neill limped off to be replaced by Moan. He took only five minutes to put his stamp on the match with a superb 25 yard strike which flew past the Synners Keeper. Callen was again instrumental in the build up.