Match reports

Teams

Clitheroe Town
Wilczynski, Ja Gregory, Thompson, Jefferies, Snowden; Jo Gregory, Hazeldine, Bianga, Wood; Anoruo, Recizac. Subs Daniels, Cannon-Noren, Sloane, not used, Ashforth.

Sunderland RCA
Pocklington, C. Davis, Lilley, Hodgson, McNab, Charlton, Page, Armstrong, Moan, Davison, Larkin. Subs O’Neill, McGuinness, J. Davis.

Attendance: 230

Apologies if this report reads as a little bit unlikely; I was there and I can’t believe it.

Teams

Sunderland RCA
Pocklington, Lilley, McNab, Hodgson, Preston (C), Clayton Davis, Dylan Elliott, Page, Moan, Larkin, Davison. Bench O'Neill, Kokoska, Limbo, Jonathan Davis, McGuinness.

Goals: Davison, Moan

Dunston UTS
Dryden, Marrs, Halliday, Stafford, Grant-Soulsby, Capewell, Thear, Pearson, Fitzpatrick, Heslop, Jack Elliott. Bench: Callum Elliott, Brookes, Hall, Nellis, Haley.

Goals: Heslop, Nellis, Stafford (pen)

Officials

Referee: Mr James Bancroft. Assistant referees: Mr Leonard Thurlow and Mr David Watson.

This was a cracking game between two good sides, clever inventive football, good strikes on goal, powerful challenges and top quality defending; and then a weird ending.

The game kicked off in a blustery wind and was immediately being played at a breathtaking pace. Dunston had the better of the early exchanges playing up the slope and into the breeze, which maybe allowed for more controlled football. The game was played mostly in midfield for the first quarter of an hour, and neither goalkeeper was seriously troubled. In the 16th minute a good move from RCA, as they finally got their passing together, ended with a super Colin Larkin strike which rattled the crossbar. Dunston responded with sustained pressure for a long period, and a number of corners and free kicks enabled them to get dangerous balls into the box, which were mostly dealt with confidently by RCA central defenders Craig Hodgson and Ross Preston and goalkeeper Scott Pocklington. As the half hour was reached RCA began to get more of a grip on the game with Clayton Davis looking dangerous running hard down the right and Dylan Elliott and Luke Page getting their foot on the ball and able to get better passes out wide and into their front men. In the 34th minute, though, Dunston might well have scored as a clever free kick from the corner of the box skimmed the cross bar.

Luke Page rises high in typically dynamic fashion. (More photos from the match here, where the photographer has been distracted by the Whickham sunset.)

Teams

Whickham
Morden, Lancaster, Hedley, Martin, Clasper, Peareth (C) (74), Wharton, Burrell (70), Teasdale, Collins (74), Mole. Bench: Brown, Jelley (74), Belford, Norton (74), Fisher (70).

Sunderland RCA
Pocklington, Clayton Davis, McNab, Lilley, Swansbury (C), Armstrong (65), Charlton, Elliott (75), Davison (78), Page, Callen. Bench: Larkin, Finch, McGuinness (78), Preston (65), Jonathan Davis (75).

Officials

Referee: Mr Craig Dean. Assistant referees: Mr David Fittes and Mr Karl Barron.

Goals

Sunderland RCA: Stephen Callen (2), Luke Page.

This was a match - far from a classic, to put it politely - where RCA deservedly came out on top, but were challenged by a determined and physical Whickham side. The home team had good openings to both halves of the match. RCA captain Greg Swansbury and his central defensive partner (later right back), Sam Lilley were both singled out for praise by manager Martin Swales, along with Stephen Callen, who after scoring a goal in each half, frustratingly missed out on a hat trick in added time. I would also mention Luke Page, who played number 10 before dropping back to a more familiar midfield position after RCA's second goal, for a typically dynamic performance. There was some discussion of whether it was Luke or Adam McGuinness who scored RCA's third, but RCA secretary Chris Lowther was on hand to say it was Page's goal.

Nathan O'Neill bursts through the Jarrow Roofing defence.

For more photos from the match please click here.

For Connor Lamb's match report please click here.

Goal scorers - RCA: Callen (2); Elliott; Charlton. Jarrow Roofing: Anderson.

Sunderland RCA went into tonight's match with Jarrow Roofing knowing that a win would guarantee fourth-place and would equal RCA’s best ever Northern League finish.

RCA again made one change to the side that won at Newton Aycliffe last night, with Stephen Callen returning in place of Colin Larkin.

The two sides lined up as follows:

RCA: Pocklington; Armstrong; McNab; Preston; Swansbury (c); Elliott; Charlton; Hodgson; O'Neill; Page; Callen. Subs: Larkin; Limbo; McGuinness; Noble; Ashton.

Jarrow Roofing; Regan; Varga; Walton; Vipond; Myers; Marshall (c); Gardiner; Petrache; Campbell; Anderson; Palmer.