Report

Just five days after picking up a first win since early November, Heaton Stan made it back-to-back league wins for the first time all season by thrashing Bradford (Park Avenue) at Grounsell Park.

In the reverse game at Horsfall Stadium back in September, the Stan were 2-0 down inside six minutes after a mistake-laden start, but there was to be nothing of the sort tonight as they flew out of the traps and should’ve had a penalty less than two minutes into the game. A free kick inside the Stan half was driven towards the box and eventually flicked into the path of Connor Walker who ran onto the ball, tried to go around away goalkeeper Cameron Mason and was pulled down in the process – nothing doing according to the referee.

Mason would give away a penalty 14 minutes later. The move started with another long free kick which caused chaos in the box, eventually falling to Walker on the edge of the area, who fed Hopper to the right of the goalkeeper. The ball was lofted into the centre and in trying to claim the ball but dropping it, Mason clattered Jay Errington. Hopper stepped up and calmly slotted away his ninth goal of the season to open the scoring.

The chances to put breathing space between the sides kept coming. Just a minute after the restart, Hopper was able to shoot on the turn after a lovely touch but couldn’t generate enough power. There was a goalmouth scramble three minutes later, another Hopper chance lacking power shortly after that, and then another scramble from a corner on 33 minutes.

Typically, completely against the run of play, Bradford had an equaliser before half time. A throw into the box bounced uo to the arm of Capewell, the referee gave a penalty which was dispatched into Brass’ bottom left corner – the goalkeeper guessing correctly but just fingertips away from it.

The resumption of the game after the interval was delayed after a new assistant referee was required – but the Stan didn’t let the interruption ruin their flow as they started the second half just as they did the first – on the front foot and looking to punish a Bradford side clearly not at the races.

Dan Groves, Leighton Hopper and Jay Errington all had good chances before Connor Walker restored the Stan’s lead on 59 minutes. After a good spell of controlling the possession, Jay Errington received the ball wide on the edge of the box, used his strength to beat two defenders off him, drilled a low ball into the centre for Walker to cleverly prod the ball into the bottom corner for his first goal since September and just his second for the Stan overall.

Attempts to kill the game off were still flowing nicely but nothing was going in. Alex Payne had a good effort from the edge of the area which looked as though it was heading in but it skimmed wide. On 72 minutes, Jay Errington forced a big save from Mason who had a very busy night in the Bradford goal.

Some breathing space finally came on 83 minutes. The Stan played an overload on a Bradford throw and had a lot of attacking players high up the pitch. Winning the second ball, it was Errington who fed Walker in the area who raced towards Mason and cheekily lifted the ball past him for his second goal of the night, capping a man of the match performance.

The game was well and truly sewn up four minutes later, and just one minute after the introduction of Konner Lamb from the bench. Some careless play in midfield from the away side allowed the Stan to break with pace, Lamb given the ball inside his own half with acres of space to run into, reaching the box, pulling off a trademark Lamb chop onto his left foot and bending into the far post to score.

Supporters will start to feel that Northern Premier League East Division survival is possible after taking six points and playing fantastic football against two of the division’s top sides. Attention now turns to an away game at Sherwood Colliery, another newly promoted side fighting for their life, as we look to take three points on the road for the first time since August.

Liam Milburn

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