A brace from Chris McDonald and a goal by Dan Wilson ultimately wasn’t enough for three points as a late goal from Bradley Fewster secured a point for Redcar in a Boxing Day cracker at Green Lane.

Jon McDonald made one change to the side from last Friday’s 3-0 win over Blyth Town with Elliott Stephenson replacing Dan Lowson in between the posts.

The game started fairly even with both teams creating chances inside the first twenty minutes of the game. Louis Johnson had a great chance to put Redcar ahead however his effort was straight at Elliot Stephenson before JJ O’Donnell’s effort from the edge of the area was cleared off the line.

The game died down until the 40th minute when Oscar Fletcher found room inside the box and slotted past Stephenson to put Redcar ahead at the break. Three minutes later he had the chance to make it 2-0 however his effort lashed off the post.

Dunston came out the second half the stronger with Dan Turner winning a penalty following being tripped inside the area. Chris McDonald stepped up and scored despite Mazfari getting a hand to the penalty to draw Dunston level early on in the second half.

A few moments later, following a foul given away by the Dunston defence, Redcar’s Fletcher took the free kick quickly and rolled it into an empty goal to controversially put Redcar back into the lead.

The Fed responded again a few moments later when David Robinson was brought down in the box by Mazfari giving Dunston a second penalty in ten minutes. Chris McDonald stepped up again and lashed it into the top left corner to bring Dunston back level.

Dunston continued the momentum following the equaliser shooting towards a roaring away end and following a Fin Neary poke through the ball dropped at Dan Wilson’s feet inside the six-yard box and he made no mistake as he slotted past Mazfari to send the away fans into pandemonium.

Redcar pressed late on for a winner and despite Stephenson making a vital stop from Adam Boyes’ effort in the 94th minute, Redcar managed to snatch a point at the death with Bradley Fewster equalising well past the allocated added time.

Next up for Dunston is a home game to start 2026 against Newton Aycliffe on the 3rd of January at the UTS Stadium.

Redcar: Mazfari, Guru (Burlace, 79’), Round (Fewster, 79’), May, Burgess, Lay, Burns (Taylor, 64’), Bartliff, Boyes, Fletcher, Johnson (Anderson, 80’)

Substitutes: McDonald

Yellow Cards: Guru

Goals: Fletcher (41, 56’), Fewster (90+8’)

Dunston: Stephenson, H.Neary, McDonald, Turnbull (F.Neary, 57’), Walker (Baxter, 83’), Devitt, O’Donnell (Shaw, 77’), Edwards, Wilson (Djalo, 82’), Robinson, Turner (Briggs, 85’)

Substitutes: Baxter

Yellow Cards: Walker, Briggs

Goals: McDonald (52’, 59’), Wilson (61’)

Attendance: 352

By Thomas Boyle