Match reports

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Sunderland RCA welcomed Ryhope CW to The Sunderland LGV Stadium for the opening league game of the season.

Both teams were in action mid week in the FA Cup with RCA winning against Durham City while RCW were defeated by Consett.

We also welcome every one of the 206 spectators who made the effort to attend; we thank them for their patience and compliance with the COVID restrictions in place.

As always the work done behind the scenes tends to go unnoticed so we again thank the ground staff Dave and George for presenting a pitch in fantastic condition also thanks to the committee and volunteers who have worked so hard to get this match on.If you feel you would like to get involved i.e. help out in some way, either on match days or the days leading to a game, please speak to the Secretary, Chairman or any of the Committee members. “Many hands make light work”.

On to the teams for today, RCA had to make changes to the team from Tuesday night with Fairley failing a fitness test, Preston unavailable and when O’Neill pulled up in the warm-up another change was required. RCW also had injury problems with Winter and Price both unable to play.

The teams lined up as follows:

Sunderland RCA: Dean, Forster, Callaghan, Errington, Swansbury ©, Hodgson, C Davis, Elliott, Callen, Hope, Davison; Subs: Best, Larkin, Carr, Armstrong, Dorward.

Ryhope CW: Harkess, Morris, Gordon, Riding ©, Walker, Trewick, K Davis, Wallace, Hird, Hotchkiss, Bird; Subs: Winter, Weirs, Vincent, Ellis, Judson.

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Our first game back at the Sunderland LGV Park and our final game of pre-season was both a welcome return and round off with a five-star performance defeating an eager Durham United side.

We were delighted to welcome spectators back for the first time since March and would like to thank everyone in attendance for their compliance with our COVID restrictions.

Excellent work from the club's committee and volunteers as the pitch was in fantastic condition and was primed and ready to welcome football back.

The first friendly of the new season and we travel to Birtley Town, the weather is kind a downpour two hours before the match and then the sun came out.

The pitch was in excellent condition and all the new Covid-19 restriction were in place. Players arriving with their kit on is a bit surreal as is the team talks taking place in the main stands or on the pitch.

Only a few committee men and the odd injured player from both teams formed the crowd.

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RCA travelled up to Ashington for this Northern League Division 1 fixture. Only a month ago they had beaten Ashington 5-1 but how fortunes seemed to have changed with RCA only winning one of their last five matches while Ashington had won one and drawn two of theirs.

The management team made three changes to the team beaten by Seaham Red Star at the weekend with Allen, Best and J Leonard replacing, Green, Hennis and Davison and a change of formation to 3-5-1-1.

The teams lined up as follows:

SRCA:Dean, Allen, R Leonard, Hodgson, Swansbury ©, Best, J Leonard, Elliott, K Davis, O’Neill, Lawson. Subs: Davison, Ezard, Slack, Hennis, Green.

Ashington: McHugh, Kalthoeber, Gaffney, Luke, Gourley, Bramley, Johnston, Emmerson, Taggart, Price, Hanson. Subs: Anderson, Edwards, Eastlake, Ross, Scott.