Match reports

RCA's hat-trick hero John Butler in acrobatic action. Photograph: Simon Mears.

For more photos from the match please click here.

Goal scorers - RCA: Callen (2); Butler (3).

Sunderland RCA travelled to Consett today for our final away fixture of the season. Consett - currently sitting in 7th position in the table with 65 points - had a good win 4-0 at home to Penrith on Easter Monday, but lost 6-3 at Shildon last Saturday.

After an 11 day break, RCA were looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Marske United and Jarrow Roofing.

Interestingly, for fellow statisticians, in RCA’s 40 matches in the league so far this season, the points total of 54 is equally split, with 27 points gained both at home and on the road.

The reverse fixture, back in November at Meadow Park, was an epic 3-3 draw in a match that swung back and forth.

RCA made one change to the side that lost to Jarrow Roofing - Craig Hubbard replaced Ross Preston, with Colin Larkin moving into the centre of defence to partner Greg Swansbury.

The two sides lined up as follows:

Consett: Coombe; Knowles; Lavery; McKinnon; Kay; Ryder; Teasdale; Craggs (c); Sweet; Sullivan; Slocombe.

RCA: Carmichael; Noble; McGuinness; Larkin; Swansbury (c); Hubbard; Charlton; Armstrong; Butler; Callen; Cassidy.

RCA substitute Craig Hubbard fires in a shot during the second half of the match. Photograph: Simon Mears.

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Goal scorers - Marske: Aaron Ramsbottom; Kelly; Earl. RCA: Butler; Swansbury.

Sunderland RCA were back on the road today with a trip to Marske United. This was the third occasion that the sides had met this season, with Marske winning the previous two encounters at Meadow Park by the same scoreline, 4-2. Going into the match, Marske have a good, but by no means invincible, record at home - winning ten and losing seven of their 19 home games played.

RCA, meanwhile, enjoyed a remarkable club-record win, 10-1, at Washington last Saturday and would be looking to keep the momentum going as the season draws to a close.

RCA made one change to the side that thrashed Washington last Saturday, with Jonathan Carmichael replacing Neal Bussey in goal.

The two sides lined up as follows:

Marske: Dean; Bell; O’Sullivan; Butterworth; Andrew Ramsbottom; Wheatley; Bulmer; Gott; Earl; Aaron Ramsbottom; Kelly.

RCA: Carmichael; Noble; McGuinness; Preston; Swansbury (c); Armstrong; Charlton; Larkin; Butler; Callen; Cassidy.

Stephen Callen on the ball in front of a bumper crowd at Meadow Park. Photograph: Simon Mears.

For more photos from the match please click here.

Video highlights from the game from South Shields.

Interview with Julio Arca.

SportsByte match report.

Goal scorers - RCA: Preston. South Shields: Arca; Cogdon.

Sunderland RCA welcomed FA Vase finalists South Shields to Meadow Park for this rearranged Northern League Division One match.

The rags to riches story of Shields is well-documented: just a couple of years ago they were playing at Peterlee in front of a few dozen fans. And now - rightly back in the town - Shields have been regularly pulling in crowds in excess of one thousand all season, including a magnificent sell-out crowd of 3,161 as they demolished Newport Pagnell Town in the FA Vase Quarter Final - an irony not lost on all at RCA as we were beaten by Newport in the Fifth Round after missing a whole host of chances to finish off the tie, losing in extra-time, and missing out on a bumper pay day and setting up a potentially fascinating all-Northern League Quarter Final. Since then, Shields have, of course, gone on to reach the final at Wembley and are still, incredibly, chasing an unprecedented quadruple - with finals also to come in the Durham County Challenge and League Cups. Furthermore, after Shildon’s victory over North Shields last Saturday, the League title is also now back in South Shields’ hands - North and South Shields meet on April 8th in what may well turn out to be a title-decider.

RCA had a very good win at Seaham Red Star last Saturday and have recovered well since the immense disappointment of going out of the Vase - notwithstanding the odd blip at Newcastle Benfield.

Shields took their incredible winning run to 27 matches on Tuesday evening with a 4-0 victory over Newton Aycliffe.

Back in October, in the reverse fixture, RCA took a deserved 2-0 lead at Mariners Park as Shields were reduced to 10-men after a foul lead to RCA’s second goal - with only 20 minutes of the match remaining. Shields, however, threw everything at RCA in the latter stages and grabbed a late equaliser through a brilliant Julio Arca strike.

RCA had the rare opportunity to name the same XI that started the previous match at Seaham Red Star.

The two sides lined up as follows:

RCA: Carmichael; Richardson; McGuinness; Preston; Swansbury (c); Armstrong; Charlton; Larkin; Butler; Callen; Cassidy.

South Shields: Jameson; Baxter; Lough; Storey; Morse; Shaw (c); Nicholson; Phillips; Cogdon; Stephenson; Finnigan.

RCA's Ross Preston defends Benfield's John Campbell in the second half of the match. Photograph: Simon Mears.

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Goal scorers - Benfield: Campbell (5); McEvoy.

Sunderland RCA travelled to Newcastle Benfield this evening for another rearranged Northern League fixture. The original match, on January 14th, was abandoned after 21 minutes due to a part of the pitch being frozen. RCA had weathered early pressure from the home side to take the lead in the ninth minute with a well-worked goal from Stephen Callen. Michael Charlton hit the post with a lovely chip, and then, shortly after, the captains gathered with the referee over the part of the pitch that was causing concern and it was handshakes all round - match abandoned.

The two clubs have remarkably similar records so far this season: Both have 48 points, made up of 13 wins and nine draws. RCA have a game in hand, but Benfield have a superior goal-difference.

Benfield were worthy winners, 3-1, in the reverse fixture at Meadow Park back in September - although the RCA side was severely depleted that night.

RCA made two changes to the side that drew nil-nil with Newton Aycliffe on Saturday - Craig Hodgson and Michael Charlton were both ruled out injured and were replaced by James Armstrong and James Cassidy.

The sides lined up as follows:

Benfield: Grainger; Turnbull (c); Dummett; McArdle; Tobin; Scorbie; McCarthy; McEvoy; Brayson; Campbell; Cornish.

RCA: Carmichael; Richardson; McGuinness; Preston; Swansbury (c); Armstrong; Cassidy; Hubbard; Butler; Larkin; Callen.