Match reports

Stephen Callen at full pelt on his way to opening the scoring against Whitley Bay. Photograph: Simon Mears.

For more photos from the match please click here.

RCA goal scorers: Callen; Robinson.

Sunderland RCA welcomed Whitley Bay to Meadow Park for an important mid-table clash - with both sides looking for a win to push towards the upper echelons of the table. Last season RCA ‘did the double’ over Bay in the league, however, this season Bay took the points at Hillheads with a 3-2 win in the reverse fixture back in September.

RCA made two changes to the side that defeated Penrith last Saturday. Craig Hodgson returned to central midfield and Stephen Callen to the left wing, in place of James Armstrong and Kevin Gordon, who took a place on the bench.

The sides lined up like this:

RCA: Carmichael, Richardson, McGuinness, Preston, Swansbury ©, Hodgson, Cassidy, Larkin, McBryde, Charlton, Callen.

Whitley Bay: Flynn, Munro, McDonald ©, Hall, Anderson, Allen, Potter, Patton, Shanks, Brooks, Kempster.

RCA's hat-trick hero Colin Larkin in action at a foggy UTS Stadium. Photograph: Simon Mears.

For more photos from the match please click here.

FA Vase day: a special day. Matchday anticipation - heightened. An extra spring in the step. For clubs at our level, the Vase offers a very real opportunity for Wembley glory. This isn’t fantasy football or Roy of the Rovers stuff; recent history shows that the last eight Vase finals contested have featured at least one Northern League club - with seven of those finals being victorious for our teams. And we need look no further than today’s hosts, Dunston UTS, to realise that dreams can become reality. Dunston lifted the Vase - at Wembley - as recently as May 2012 thanks to a 2-0 win over fellow Northern League side West Auckland Town in the final.

With the two sides reaching the Fifth Round of the Vase last season, both entered this year’s competition at the Second Round stage, which saw Dunston defeat Hemsworth MW 3-1 on Tuesday and RCA narrowly beat Stockton Town - courtesy of an extra-time penalty scored by Colin Larkin - to set up today’s Third Round match.

RCA made one change to the side that lost at West Auckland last Saturday. Clayton Davis returned at right back with Luke Richardson moving to left back, and James Armstrong slotted into central midfield. With RCA unable to call upon the services of Ross Preston and Adam McGuinness, who were both cup-tied after playing for Washington in the First Qualifying Round, Craig Hodgson was moved from central midfield to partner Greg Swansbury in the centre of defence.

The two teams lined up as follows:

Dunston: Holden, Pearson, Halliday, Slaughter, Capewell, Gilhespy, Smith, Burrell ©, Heslop, Luccock, Thear.

RCA: Carmichael, Davis, Richardson, Hodgson, Swansbury ©, Robinson, Charlton, Larkin, Butler, Armstrong, Callen.

​Greg Swansbury comes away with the ball during the first half of the epic 3 -3 encounter with Consett. Photograph by Simon Mears.

​More of Simon's photographs here.

Goal scorers: SRCA: Larkin (2), Robinson:  Consett: Nellis, Sullivan, Sweet

The RCA Management team made five changes to the team which played against Northallerton in the Brooks Mileson League Cup in midweek. Returning to the first eleven were C Davis, Hodgson, Butler and Larkin while Mark Robinson was selected in the strating eleven for the first time since he joined the club.

Fifth placed Consett came to Meadow Park on the back of and impressive run of seven unbeaten matches.

​James Armstrong goes past two Stockton defenders and the referee during the vase match at Meadow Park. Photograph by Simon Mears.

More of Simon's photographs are here.

Goalscorer: SRCA: Larkin,  Stockton: None.

The management team had massive defensive problems ahead of today's FA Vase match with Preston and McGuinness cup tied and Swansbury suspended. To add to the problem McNab failed a late fitness test on his back and so a reshuffle was made with central midfielder Hodgson moving to centre back alongside Larkin and C Davis was drafted in at right back. Armstrong was recalled to play in the centre of midfiled with Charlton and McBryde partnered Butler up front.

So it was a much changed team which took to the field for this important match against a team who had already knocked out Holker Old Boys, Whitley Bay and Eccleshill United in previous rounds.

Before the match there was a minute's silence which was impeccably observed by everyone in the ground.