Northern League: Seaham Red Star must 'rise to the occasion' in Sunderland RCA clash
There is a derby clash in the Northern League’s second tier this weekend.
Seaham Red Star have been told they must ‘rise to the occasion’ when they host Sunderland RCA on Friday night.
The derby clash kicks off an intriguing weekend across the Northern League’s second tier as Mark Collingwood’s side aim to move on from what was a deeply disappointing 4-1 defeat at Tow Law Town last Saturday. The loss at Ironworks Road saw Red Star slipped to fourteenth place in the Division Two table and they now lie six points and two places above an RCA side that also emerged empty-handed from their own fixture last weekend.
Louis Dodds’ side were already four goals down in their home game with Billingham Synthonia as two goals in the last five minutes from Neal Atkinson and John Anderson acted as mere consolations. The stakes are high for both sides as they prepare to meet on Friday night - and Red Star assistant Michael Johnson has urged his side to ‘turn up and perform’ as they look to return to winning ways on their home patch.
He told The Echo: “We know this is a massive game for the football club and the people within the football club so we have to turn up and perform. It’s as simple as that. The game means a lot to a lot of different people so we have to show up. That’s as a management team, as a squad, as a club and we have to get three points. It’s not a case of it would be nice, it’s a must, we must get three points. That’s the mentality we are going in with. It’s a local derby, it’s a Friday night, there’ll be a big crowd, so we have to rise to the occasion and the message is simple, we have to win in what will be a tough game.”
Division Two fixtures
Friday: AFC Newbiggin v Prudhoe YC Seniors, Billingham Synthonia v Stokesley SC, Seaham Red Star v Sunderland RCA Saturday: Alnwick Town v Seaton Carew, Darlington Town v Tow Law Town, Jarrow v FC Hartlepool, Ryton & Crawcrook Albion v Grangetown Boys Club, Newcastle University v Chester-le-Street Town
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