11:16AM, Sat Jan 28, 2012

Sunderland RCA 1 - 1 Penrith

Sunderland RCA failed to take advantage of leaders Whitley Bay being on FA Carlsberg duty and they remain second after being held to a draw by fifth-from-bottom Penrith.

The strong wind made it very difficult but RCA still carved out a couple of early opportunities but neither Lee Owens nor Mark Davison tested goalkeeper James Holland.

It was the Cumbrians who struck first on 28 minutes when a good crossfield ball found Benjamin Jackson and he calmly side-footed home past Neith Atkinson.

Martyn Coleman nearly made it two before the Wearsiders came more into the game. Mark Davison and Tom Berj both fired just wide. Within a minute of the restart Carl Beasley slid in the equaliser and thereafter, there were chances at both ends but neither side managed a winning goal.

SUNDERLAND RCA: Atkinson, Jones, McGuinness, Oates, Beasley, Close, Walton, Cuthbertson, Davison, Berj, Owens (Jennings). Man of the Match: Close.

PENRITH: Holland, Clasper (Nugent), Wood, Davidson, Gray, Paul, Ainsworth, Jackson (Jones), Coleman, Gill (Bowman), Allison. Man of the Match: Davidson.