RCA 3-2 Seaham Red Star – Match Report

Sunderland RCA made it five league wins on the spin as they twice came from behind to defeat local rivals Seaham Red Star at Meadow Park.

Lewis Lukeman’s late strike secured victory after Seaham had led in both halves through striker Ryan Appleby.

Quality headers from in-form striker Aiden Stanton and skipper Christopher Thompson ensured RCA were never out of the game before the winner came in the first minute of stoppage time.

Mark Forrest made three changes from the midweek nine-goal thriller against Ryton & Crawcrook Albion as Jackson Ward and Thompson returned to the XI.

Central defender Jamie Harwood was awarded a debut following his arrival from Northallerton Town earlier in the week.

The hosts were given a golden chance to take the lead after just four minutes when Stanton won the ball in the opposition area before being felled by McKellan Lines.

Stanton stepped up to take the spot kick himself, but goalkeeper Shaun Newbrook was equal to it and made the save.

Both teams struggled to create anything clear cut for the majority of the first half, with Harwood’s header from a free-kick and Dan Wilds’ blocked effort inside the area the closest either side came.

Six minutes before the break, a counter attack saw Ward set free in behind the Red Star defence, but he was twice denied by Newbrook.

Unfortunately that would be Ward’s last action of the game as he injured himself during the attack.

While the first half looked destined to finish goalless, a chance out of nothing appeared for the visitors. Lines won the ball in midfield and his pass over the top found Appleby who calmly controlled and slotted into the far corner.

RCA’s first chance after the interval came from an Archie Dodds corner that found the head of Dom Moan, but a defender was well placed on the line to clear.

It was almost two for Seaham with 25 minutes left to play as Rutherford rode several challenges before feeding Cameron McHarg the ball to finish. Karl Dryden made himself big, however, and kept the deficit to one.

Two minutes later, the deficit was none! Lukeman drew a foul from Ben Chaplin on the right-hand-side, and Dodds’ free-kick was met by Stanton who headed home his eighth goal in his last six.

It didn’t take long for Red Star to regain the advantage, although their second of the afternoon was not shy of controversy.

When Lines and Jack Patterson both challenged for the ball on halfway, the Seaham midfielder inadvertently knocked the ball on with his right hand, the referee allowed play to continue and Appleby raced in to finish over Dryden and restore the visitor’s lead.

The home side showed great character and didn’t let the misfortune dampen spirits as on 79 minutes scores were level once again.

Another excellent Dodds free-kick, this time slightly deeper, was glanced goalwards by Thompson and nestled in the bottom corner.

RCA had the wind in their sails and were searching for a winner, as the pressure built, an exchanging of words between McHarg and the referee saw the Red Star man sin binned for the remainder of the game.

In the first minute of stoppage time, RCA made the man advantage count.

One last excellent Dodds delivery was helped on by Harwood to Lukeman at the back post whose first time volley flew into the far bottom corner to seal a tremendous victory.

That’s now five wins in a row in league football for the lads in red & white and they look to make it six away to Ryton & Crawcrook Albion at Kingsley Park this Saturday, 3:00pm kick-off.

Sunderland RCA: Dryden, Thompson, Charlton, Moan, Fowler, Harwood, Patterson, Dodds, Stanton, Lukeman, Ward (Simpson 40).

Seaham Red Star: Newbrook, Cowan, Chaplin (Duffy 84), Lines, McHarg, Burton, Weirs, Robinson (McGeorge 85), Appleby, Wilds, Rutherford (Gray 66).