Report

The Stan’s 1st pre-season match for 2025-26 was a very competitive one as they took on local rivals Newcastle Benfield from Northern League Division 1 in the annual Jimmy Rowe Memorial Trophy. A last-minute winning goal meant that the Stan successfully defended the trophy and have won cups in their last 2 games having also won the Northumberland Senior Cup on their last outing in May. There were 2 new signings in the starting 11 in the form of Luke Carr & Dale Pearson & 2 other new signings, James Blakey, who has stepped up from the A team, & Alfie Livermore started form the bench. Goalkeeping coach Tom Flynn stepped in for keeper Lewis Brass who was getting married.

In front of a bumper crowd of 407, both sides started positively but it was Benfield who had the 1st clear effort in the 4th minute when they headed wide. 4 minutes later & a Stan free kick into the Benfield box was cleared. In 12 minutes, the visitors saw a speculative long-range effort easily caught by Flynn. A minute later, from a free kick & in a busy box, Shepherd tapped the ball into the Benfield net but the flag was up for offside. 2 minutes later & Hopper ran into the box, but his final ball went wide. There was more Stan pressure when in 17 minutes an attack was blocked but a minute later Flynn had to get down to save a long-range effort. In 20 minutes, Hopper advanced into the Benfield box & his shot was blocked then deflected for a corner. From the corner, Hopper’s header towards the net was cleared for another corner from which efforts by Hopper & Milburn were blocked. In 23 minutes, a Benfield corner was cleared followed by a quieter 10-minute period. In 33 minutes, Benfield shot over the Stan bar & soon after they shot just wide. Both teams continued to try & attack, but the next clear effort was not until the 41st minute when a Stan effort was punched over the bar by the Benfield keeper. The half ended 0-0 with everything still to play for.

The Stan made 3 half time substitutions although there was a relatively uneventful start to the 2nd half. In 50 minutes, a Benfield corner went straight out at the far post. The same thing happened 2 minutes later from a Stan corner. Benfield then had the closest effort so far when, from a free kick into the Stan box, the ball was cleared but the rebound shot went just over the Stan bar. A minute later in the 54th, a poor Stan clearance allowed a Benfield trialist to get the ball & shoot past Flynn for 0-1. The Stan were level in the 57th minute, when a Slaughter free kick into the box hit the post & Pearson, on his debut, put his rebound effort into the net from close range. 5 minutes later, Benfield had 3 corners in a row but there was then a quieter period until they shot wide in the 68th minute. In 75 minutes, Benfield shot wide again & a minute later they came closer when they shot just wide under pressure. 2 minutes later, sub Livermore crossed to Hopper but he couldn’t get his shot in. This was followed by some more pressure from the Stan which did not come to anything. In 82 minutes, a Benfield long shot wa deflected for a corner. In 85 minutes, a Stan attack was blocked & the ball from the resulting corner went wide. A long-range effort from the Stan then went over. A minute later there was a poor clearance by Grove but it was followed by an even worse move when the resulting Benfield effort went wide. At the other end, a ball by Groves was cleared followed soon after by a Pearson shot that went just wide under pressure. In the 90th minute though, Pearson got his 2nd goal & the Stan winner after the ball had been deflected out for a corner. From the corner, 2 Stan efforts in the crowded Benfield 6 yard box were cleared but Pearson made sure the 3rd effort went into the net for 2-1.

Although Benfield put up a good fight, the Stan deservedly won although only due to a late 2nd goal from new signing Pearson who had a great debut even without his goals. So, its 5 out of 5 wins for the Stan in the Jimmy Rowe Memorial Trophy. Next up on Thursday the Stan cross the water to play their 1st pre-season friendly against Boldon Community Association.

Kevin Mochrie

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