MATCH PREVIEW: An evening of firsts
There has been no time to dwell on Saturday’s opening day defeat at Gainsborough Trinity, with Reds now focused on the historic first NPL fixture at the Fibrus Community Stadium on Tuesday evening (7.45pm).
And what a cracking game to launch our groundshare arrangement with Workington Town RLFC, as all-conquering Redcar Athletic travel from east to west for the inaugural meeting between the clubs.
Athletic made a good solid start to the season at the weekend marking their first ever game at Step 3 with a goalless draw against Bury before a four-figure crowd, the best in the league, watching two of the fancied teams go toe-to-toe.
It doesn’t seem too long ago that Redcar were travelling across the A66 for Wearside fixtures against Cleator Moor Celtic and Windscale but one has to admire the rapid progress they have made in recent years.
Last season they romped to the NPL Division One East title in their debut season in this league, recording thirty-three victories in the process. They scored an incredible 140 league goals with Adam Boyes (41), Louis Johnson (26), Brad Fewster (24) and Oscar Fletcher (19) sharing 110 of them.
The stats for the recent past are quite staggering with 250 league goals netted in the last two seasons, back-to-back titles celebrated and 250 league points obtained in three seasons of football.
They have been upwardly mobile since enjoying a bit of good fortune during the Covid interrupted seasons when they got promoted, on a points-per-game calculation, to the Northern League top flight. Three seasons of consolidation followed then two championships (and two promotions) later, they are playing at the highest level in their thirty-year history.
Billy Barr will make one tweak to the squad which travelled to Lincolnshire, with Brennan Dickenson drafted in after an impressive preseason with the club.
Danny Eccles and Brad Carroll will be the notable absentees, again, but the manager is considering changes to Saturday’s line-up.
A cracking game in prospect, don’t be late!
