Report

Tell me Ma me ma I won’t be home for tea, I’m going to SJP Que Sera Sera. After a 35 year wait, the Stan will again be playing at St James’ Park although it is 45 years since they have been in the Senior Cup final. A crowd of 1652 watched the Stan take on Newcastle United Under 21s in the 1^st ever Senior Cup match between the 2 clubs in the Stan’s 52^nd season in the competition. The whole team put in a fantastic performance against their full-time opponents who included players with international experience & some who have been in the 1^st team squad including for Champions League matches. The Stan scored 3 great goals, achieved a clean sheet & restricted their opponents to just 2 clear shots. There were 2 changes from Saturday’s defeat against Carlton with Evans & Shepherd replacing Burn & Marriott. It was Kane Evans 100^th start for the club.

Apart from a Newcastle cross into the Stan box going out in the 3^rd minute, it was the Stan who started the livelier & in 4 minutes Hopper did a 1-2 to advance into the Newcastle box but Harris got down to save easily. There was more Stan pressure before Harris easily collected from a long-range header from a long range throw. In 6 minutes, Capewell headed just wide from a corner.2 minutes later & Adamson ran through, but Harris got to the ball 1^st. The Stan kept attacking & in 12 minutes a Hopper shot was deflected for a corner. From it, Adamson headed just wide. Hopper attacked into the box again in 14 minutes, but the ball was eventually cleared. The Stan were 1-0 up in the 15^th minute when a joined up attack saw Adamson shoot against the right post but the ball went across the goal for Hopper to tap it into the net. The Stan Army erupted. In the 19^th minute, after 16 minutes of the ball only leaving the Newcastle half once, Stanton had Newcastle’s 1^st shot of the match but it went high & wide. In 22 minutes, Newcastle got their 1^st corner but Brass made sure he caught the ball from it. A long ball was then sent into the Newcastle box but it was missed by Slaughter. In 27 minutes Turnbull cleared in the Stan box. In 30 minutes, Hopper twisted & turned before shooting just wide from the edge of the box. In 38 minutes, Harris got up to save under pressure from a Stan corner. The Stan kept pressing & in 42 mutes a defender did well to stop Hopper shooting. A joined-up Newcastle attack in 44 minutes was stopped by a great block by Shepherd. In 44 minutes, Newcastle were down to 10 men when Bailey was sent off for a 2^nd bookable when he fouled Walker. In the 4^th minute of added time, the Stan headed wide from a throw in.

The start of the 2^nd half saw Lamb replace Hopper. In 50 minutes, Harris got up to catch a Slaughter cross into the box. 2 minutes later & a Stephenson free kick at the side of the box looked like it was going into the net but Harris got up to save. Lamb & Walker were combining well although it was a Capewell header from a corner in 54 minutes that was deflected for another corner. The Stan kept the pressure on & in 57 minutes a long-range Lamb effort went just wide. Stephenson then took a free kick from halfway which was initially blocked before Lamb chipped the ball over the defence but Harris caught it. In 61 minutes, a Turnbull long ball to Stephenson was put out for a throw in. From it, Adamson shot from the edge of the box & the ball went through the crowd & into the net for 2-0. In 65 minutes, it was nearly 3-0 when a Stephenson free kick from just outside the box went just over. The Stan kept the pressure on & in 70 minutes, from a Stephenson cross, Lamb’s effort was saved by Harris. It was still one way traffic until Newcastle had their 1^st effort of the 2^nd half put out by Brass in the 77^th minute. In the 80^th minute, a Shepherd effort went straight to Harris. It was all Stan pressure until a Newcastle attack was cleared in the 89^th minute. There was icing on the win for the Stan in the 90^th minute when a Stephenson free kick from halfway was put into the net by Marriott. There was 4 minutes of added time followed by Doris day starting singing.

Everyone associated with the club was ecstatic about the win & the Stan Army partied into the night. Thanks must go to all the volunteers, Newcastle United for their support & help & to all the fans. As well as a cup final to look forward to, both the win & the performance should put increased confidence into the Stan’s fight to avoid relegation. Hopefully the impact will be seen on Saturday when the team travel to Ossett United who won on Tuesday night to go 6 points ahead of the Stan.

Kevin Mochrie

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