Competition: Northern League Division One

Heaton Stannington vs West Auckland Town

What a day. What a season. The Stan beat West Auckland 3-0 to win promotion to Northern Premier League East Division in the 4th tier of non-league. This was achieved in front of a record crowd of 2107 & was followed by the team & the Stan Army partying into the night. There was 1 change from Thursday night’s semi-final win over Birtley with Sayer being replaced by Slaughter who returned from suspension. There was a 100th start as a Stan player for Leighton Hopper.

The first 6 minutes of the match saw mainly pressure from West Auckland but both teams were trying to attack. In the 6th minute Reid past to Burn who was blocked & the visitors countered but put the ball wide under pressure from Brass. A Stan attack started by Slaughter was then headed clear & although the ball came back in it was caught by the keeper. 2 minutes later, a West free kick was blocked then cleared & Hopper countered & suppled Hornsby who was fouled. The resulting Stephenson free kick was headed over by Shepherd. Both teams were trying to attack & in 12 minutes a West free kick was cleared by Turnbull. The West keeper then had to catch twice before West hit the side netting in 19 minutes. In 20 minutes a ball from a Stan corner was punched clear by the keeper for another corner from which the ball was headed clear. The action continued at both ends & West had 2 corners before they shot over the Stan bar. Both teams were trying to attack but the defences were also working hard to stop them. In 31 minutes, the visiting keeper got to the ball just before Hopper. In 34 minutes, a ball from a Stephenson corner was headed clear before Slaughter sent it back in but the keeper caught it. In 36 minutes, there was a high defensive header from Turnbull but Brass then had to punch the ball over the bar. After Lamb had broke & was tackled just outside the West box, a Stephenson free kick was tipped away & down by the keeper although Shepherd’s close follow up shot was blocked. In 40 minutes there was some sustained pressure by the Stan ending with Burn heading just wide. 2 minutes later & the visitors shot wide & then sliced another effort over the bar. In the 45th minute, Lamb was about to shoot in the box but was prevented by a good tackle. Soon after he broke again & passed to Reid whose header was saved by the keeper & Stephenson’s follow up shot went wide.

With nothing between the teams at half time, manager Dean Nicolson did what he had done on Thursday & switched Lamb to the right wing. In less than 2 minutes the change had paid off when Lamb passed 2 players on the left corner edge of the West box & instead of passing he shot from the edge of the box & his diagonal high ball went into the far corner of the net for 1-0 in 47 minutes . What a goal! Almost immediately, Lamb again passed 2 player & shot just wide. The Stan kept attacking & in 56 minutes it was 2-0 when Slaughter passed to Reid whose effort was headed off the West goal line, but Burn was there to head the rebound effort into the net. West were not going to give up, but the Stan were also looking for more goals. In 65 minutes, Hopper broke, beat 3 men & tried to chip the keeper but the ball went just over. In 70 minutes, Brass got down to put a West effort just wide. West then sent a diagonal ball into the Stan box but it went high & over. 2 minutes later & Brass had to push the ball clear from a West corner. In 75 minutes, Burn shot over the West bar. Both teams continued trying to attack & in 80 minutes a West corner was headed clear by Reid. This was followed by a sub Anderson speculative long range shot which the keeper had to get down to save. West then saw an effort from a free kick being headed wide under pressure. In 85 minutes, sub Doyle shot just over. Almost immediately the Stan were 3-0 up as Doyle passed to Anderson who confidently shot past the keeper. Sub Lashley broke but was blocked & West shot well over in 89 minutes. Into 5 minutes of added time & West shot over again. In 93 minutes Lashley shot just wide under pressure. The match ended with a joined up Stan attack which finished with Anderson being blocked & Doyle then slicing the ball over the bar.

After a relatively even 1st half, the Stan stepped up a gear to comfortably beat West Auckland 3-0. The whole team put in a strong performance & as a result they were collectively given the man of the match award. Congratulations must also been given to Dean Nicolson & his management team. The team were also cheered on by most of the crowd including the Far Corner & the mini ultras. The result also means that the Stan have not been beaten at home in league related action since the 1st game of the season & are currently unbeaten in 13 games. It was a historic day which paves the way for a future in a league (& the FA Trophy) & at a level that the Stan have never played in before in their 114 years of official existence. And no, it is not a dream- the Stan have actually achieved promotion & after only two seasons in Northern League Division 1. What a team!

Kevin Mochrie

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Interview – Dean Nicholson

Interview – Andy Burn

Interview – Paul Dixon (BBC Newcastle)

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Heaton Stannington vs Birtley Town

Success in probably the Stan’s most important match in their history means that on Monday they will play in an even more important match as they host the play-off final. Birtley had been slightly the better team in the 1st half but the Stan stepped a gear in the 2nd half & although they only won by 1 goal it could have been by many more. There were 2 changes from last Saturday’s win at Crook with Brass & Sayer replacing Corkhill & Cassidy.

A cold Thursday evening was warmed up by a bumper crowd of 1235 which included a good following from the visitors. Both teams started positively. In the 3rd minute, Birtley keeper Gordon got to the ball just before the advancing Lamb, but the ball came back to Lamb although his effort hit off Gordon from close range for a corner. Both teams were trying to attack & in 12 minutes Lamb crossed into the Birtley box towards Reid but the ball was put out for a corner from which the ball was headed clear. Birtley then got a corner from which Brass punched clear for another corner & from it Reid headed clear. 2 minutes later & another Birtley corner was cleared by Evans. A 3rd attack in a row from the Stan saw, in 16 minutes, Gordon getting to the ball just before Hopper & Lamb. In 18 minutes, a Stephenson free kick into the Birtley box was headed just wide by Reid. It was still end to end & in 26 minutes Reid shot just over from just outside a busy Birtley box. Gordon then caught from a Stephenson free kick before Brass had to catch from close range at the other end. Brass then had to catch from a 2nd Birtley corner in 34 minutes. Both teams were still trying to attack but Birtley were having slightly more of the ball. In 37 minutes, Birtley attacked again followed by Gordon having to get down to save from Lamb. Another Birtley attack was cleared followed by Gordon having to catch at the other end. The half ended with 2 more Birtley attacks with the 2nd seeing the ball being headed clear 1st by Burn then by Evans. The 1st half showed that the match could go either way although Birtley had slightly more of the pressure.

Dean Nicolson showed he meant business by moving Lamb at the start of the 2nd half to the right wing. This increased his threat & he should have got a few goals if not for the skill of Gordon the Birtley keeper. In 48 minutes, a Stephenson corner saw the ball go high across a busy Birtley box but miss everyone. The 1st few minutes of the 2nd half saw mainly pressure from the Stan & this paid off in 51 minutes when the Stan went 1-0 up. Hornsby sent the ball into the Birtley box & although it was blocked it came out to Shepherd just outside the box & his blasted shot took a slight bounce which fooled the keeper & went into the net. 3 minutes later & it was back to defensive work for Shepherd as he had to clear from a Birtley attack. Both teams continued to try to attack. In 57 minutes, a Birtley corner was cleared by Burn. Birtley had 2 corners before, in 63 minutes, a Lamb ball into the visitors; box was put out for a Stephenson corner. From it the ball was initially cleared before Lamb’s follow up long range effort was spliced wide. Burn then sent a low range effort of his own into a busy Birtley box & although it was deflected, Gordon got down to save it. The Stan defence stood strong against another Birtley attack before Hopper had a great chance but put his effort over the bar. In 69 minutes, a Burn free kick went over the wall & hit off the keeper, but his rebound shot was blocked & cleared. A Stan throw in into the Birtley box was then headed clear followed by a Stephenson shot from the edge of the box hitting the keeper & Lamb’s rebound shot was blasted well over the bar when he should have scored. The Stan kept the pressure on & in 75 minutes a ball from Lamb was headed on by Reid but Gordon tipped it off the bar. It was a fantastic save. 2 minutes later & Brass  had to get down to save. The Stan shot wide then just wide in 79 minutes. Birtley then shot over the Stan bar followed by a Reid shot being saved by Gordon. It was then back to the Stan end & Birtley shot over. It was end to end with both defences having to work hard. In 89 minutes, a long ball to Lamb on the right saw him supply Reid who forced a fantastic leaping save from Gordon. In the 90th minute, Reid headed clear from a Birtley corner. There were 4 added minutes as both teams still tried to attack. In 93 minutes, a  Brass clearance then saw Lamb counter & pass to Hopper who was brought down but the flag had gone up for offside. A Birtley attack was cleared & it led to another counterattack with Hopper supplying Lamb who beat the keeper but the ball hit the outside of the post & went out. In 95 minutes a Birtley effort was blasted over the Stan bar.

It was an entertaining & hard-fought game especially in the 2nd half when the Stan demonstrated what they could do up front while still being strong at the back. They were only limited to 1 goal due to some great saves by Birtley keeper Alfie Gordon but this meant that there was the threat of Birtley getting a late equaliser.  The Stan now host West Auckland Town on bank holiday Monday afternoon in the play-off final. The prize for the winners is promotion to Northern Premier League East Division.

Kevin Mochrie

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Crook Town vs Heaton Stannington

It was a historic & fantastic day as the Stan achieved their highest league finish since they were officially established in 1910. Added to this Heaton Stannington A, scored 4 late goals to beat Hazelrigg Victory 6-2 & win Northern Alliance Division 2. A late goal at Crook Town was enough to secure the Stan 3 points, although they only actually needed 1 point, & finish 3rd in the league & book a home tie in the play-off semi-finals. There were 4 changes from Thursday night’s home win over Boro Rangers with Corkhill, Cassidy, Turnbull & Reid replacing Brass, Scott, Sayer & Lashley.

On a cold but dry final Saturday of the season, a relatively quiet start saw the 1st attack coming from the Stan in 4 minutes. It resulted in a corner that was cleared. The Stan had 2 more attacks within a relatively quiet 1st 10 minutes. The 1st Crook attack came in the 11th minute & it was cleared. In 14 minutes, a Stan corner saw Shepherd slide in but his effort went wide. Soon after, the Crook keeper had to punch clear & Stephenson’s rebound shot was blocked. Although Stan had more of the ball, overall both teams were cancelling each other out. In 19 minutes, a Crook free kick into the Stan box saw Corkhill catch it before an advancing home player got to it. Both teams had another attack before Reid headed clear from a Crook free kick. Hopper counter attacked & sent a long ball towards Lamb but a Crook defender got to it 1st. In 25 minutes, Lamb sent a ball into the Crook box but it was missed by everyone. The stalemate continued although Crook sent the ball over the Stan bar in 29 minutes. There was still not much happening as half time approached & the bobbly pitch did not help either team. The best chance of the match so far came in 41 minutes when a ball to Burn in the Crook box saw him turn & shoot, but his effort went over the bar. 2 minutes later & Burn passed to Lamb whose great shot was only stopped by a great save by Curran the home keeper. So, a relatively uneventful 1st half was livened up by 2 late Stan efforts.

The 2nd half started with the Stan having much of the ball but, like the 1st half, with not much happening. In 48 minutes, there was a sustained Stan attack which ended with Reid heading over the bar. In 52 minutes, a ball from a Crook corner was blocked twice before Corkhill caught it. A minute later, Hopper supplied Lamb on the left who sent the ball to Reid on the right, but he headed into the side netting. The 1st half was now livelier than the 1st & in 57 minutes a Cassidy free kick saw the ball go over the Crook wall but it was caught by their keeper. Both teams were trying to attack but the next dangerous move didn’t come to 63 minutes when a ball from a Stephenson corner was punched clear by the home keeper. The ball came back in but Burn shot over the bar. Both teams remained positive & Corkhill had to get down to catch at the 2nd attempt in 71 minutes. Soon after a ball from a Cassidy free kick saw the Crook keeper catch it after initially dropping it. Lamb then shot over the Crook bar. In 77 minutes, the Stan took the pressure off themselves when they scored to go 1-0 up. Lamb passed to Burn who was blocked but the ball deflected towards Reid who turned & blasted it into the net. In the 8oth minute, a ball from a Stan corner was initially blocked by the home keeper then he also blocked Burn’s rebound effort. After a quieter period, a Cassidy free kick in 88 minutes was initially caught but not held by the home keeper before he cleared the ball. Burn then sent a ball into sub Lennox but he put the ball just over the bar under pressure. In the last minute, a speculative long-range effort from Crook forced Corkhill to get down to save. The Stan saw out 5 minutes of added time although it included Burn shooting well over in the 92nd minute.

There was delight from the Stan Army at the final whistle as the team achieved 3rd place in Division 1 after only 2 seasons in it. There was then a great moment as the entire squad & management team came over to the Far Corner supporters & shook everyone’s’ hand individually. What a great team both on and off the park! The Stan now host Birtley Town in the league play-off semi-final on Thursday night.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington vs Boro Rangers

With a play-off place having been secured in the previous match, the Stan needed 4 points from their last 2 matches to ensure a home play-off match rather than an away one. They stayed on course to achieving this after a hard-working performance saw them deservedly grind out a 1-0 win against tough opposition. Boro Rangers, visiting Grounsell Park for the 1st time, put up a good fight & although they put on a great deal of pressure as the 2nd half progressed, the Stan stayed strong & weathered the storm. There were 2 changes from last Saturday’s draw at Guisborough with Scott & Lamb replacing Turnbull & Reid.

The match started on a cold Thursday night with Boro shooting into the sun. The 1st 10 minutes involved mainly pressure from the Stan but with no real threat attached. In 10 minutes, Hooper shot wide followed 2 minutes later by a Boro long ball to an advancing player but Brass got to it 1st. In 16 minutes, a Stephenson long ball towards Lamb saw the Boro keeper get out of his box to get to it just before Lamb did. Hopper then flicked the ball onto Lamb, but he was blocked. A Boro attack was then cleared followed at the other end by Lamb supplying the advancing Lashley but his effort hit the bar. The ball came back in from Burn, but the Boro keeper got down to collect it. There was then a relatively quiet period although Sayer shot well over in the 30th minute. There was though still some intermittent attacks from both teams & in 32 minutes a Boro free kick hit the Stan wall & the rebound shot went wide. In 37 minutes, from a Lashley corner, a Stephenson shot hit a Boro player’s arm & a penalty was given. Hopper, in the 38th minute, sent the keeper the wrong way & scored to make it 1-0. There was some late pressure from Boro, including them shooting well over the Stan bar twice, but the half ended 1-0 to the Stan.

There was a livelier 2nd half but with no goals. It started with a Hopper shot being caught by the Boro keeper. In 48 minutes, Scott had to head clear. This was followed by a Stan counter attack but the Boro keeper got to the ball before Lamb. Brass easily caught a Boro effort a minute later. In 51 minutes, a Stephenson long ball to Hopper saw the Boro keeper get to it 1st. Both teams were trying to attack & in 53 minutes Brass had to punch clear a Boro effort. In 56 minutes, an advancing Boro player forced a diving save from Brass. From the resulting corner, the ball was headed clear & a rebound shot went well wide. In 58 minutes, a Lamb shot was blocked & there were calls for a Stan penalty as Hopper & a Boro player went down in the box. In 66 minutes, after a quiet period, a Boro counter attack saw the ball sent across the Stan box but no one was able to make contact. In 70 minutes, Marriott replaced Lamb to help strengthen the defence & protect the slender lead. In 74 minutes, the Stan shot wide. Although both teams had been trying to attack, the last 10 minutes saw relatively sustained pressure from Boro with the Stan defence having to work hard. In 83 minutes, Brass had to make a catch & 2 minutes later he made a great save. Boro attacked again but shot over. Boro kept attacking & Brass had to save again in 89 minutes. Sub Lennox then counter attacked but was offside. Soon after he counter attacked again but the Boro keeper got to the ball 1st. There was a great moment in the last minute when Ryan Baily came on as a sub for his 1st appearance in 18 months due to long term injury. 6 minutes of added time were played & although there was some more Boro pressure the Stan achieved both a clean sheet & 3 points.

There was delight at the final whistle throughout most of the 421 crowd as a determined Stan held on against late pressure to secure all 3 points. The Stan’s last league game of the season, where they now only need a point to ensure 3rd place, takes place on Saturday & involves a trip to Crook Town.

Kevin Mochrie

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Guisborough Town vs Heaton Stannington

A comfortable but relatively uneventful 0-0 draw at sunny Guisborough, in front of a huge number of vocal members of the Stan Army, saw the Stan secure a play-off place with 2 games to spare. This was the 4th game in 7 days & the Stan remained undefeated gaining 2 wins & 2 draws. There was delight at the final whistle after Dean Nicholson’s squad achieved a play-off place after only 2 seasons in Division 1. There were 2 changes from Wednesday night’s win over Shildon with Stephenson & Sayer replacing Palmer & Slaughter.

There was a relatively quiet start to the match & although both teams were trying to advance there was very little end product with both defences easily dealing with any attacks. In 6 minutes, Lashley supplied Sayer whose header & rebound header were blocked. By the 10th minute it was mainly Stan pressure but without any real threat. Guisborough had their 1st advance for a while in 15 minutes although it was cleared by Evans. There was not much happening although Hopper broke in 18 minutes but sliced his shot as he was tackled as he went to take it. In 25 minutes, a Guisborough free kick into the Stan box was easily caught by Brass. Neither defence were being penetrated & another home free kick was cleared by Hopper. In 28 minutes, Lashley supplied the advancing Hopper who was brought down just to the side of the home box. The resulting Stephenson free kick was headed over the bar by Reid. In 32 minutes, a Stan attack was blocked by the home keeper followed by a Guisborough shot being sliced wide. 4 minutes later & the home side had another attack cleared. The 1st proper chance for Guisborough came in 37 minutes when Brass had to get down to save. In 42 minutes, the home keeper easily caught a Stan effort followed at the other end by a home attack which eventually ended with the ball being headed wide. In the 45th minute, from a throw in, Sayer entered the box, but his effort was headed clear. Guisborough attacked soon after with the move ending with Brass getting down to catch. A very quiet 1st half ended 0-0.

The 2nd half immediately started more livelier than the 1st with Hopper crossing from the right to Sayer, who was advancing into the box, but the keeper managed to put his close range shot just wide for a corner. In 49 minutes, the home side attacked but shot well over. In 53 minutes, Hopper advanced into the home box, but the ball was deflected for a corner, from which the ball was headed clear. Stephenson sent a high ball back in but it was easily caught by the home keeper. A minute later & Hopper was sandwiched in the box by the keeper & a defender, but nothing was given. Soon after, Hopper broke again with the ball & passed 2 players, but the home keeper collected the ball before he could shoot. In 57 minutes, Brass caught a speculative high ball from Guisborough. 2 minutes later & Stephenson cleared the ball from a Guisborough corner & he did the same thing after another 2 minutes. There was a quieter period before Reid was brought down in 66 minutes. The resulting 40-yard free kick by Stephenson saw the ball initially spilled by the keeper before he caught it just before Hopper got to it. A Guisborough corner was then cleared followed by the ball going back into the Stan box & being easily caught by Brass. Both teams were trying to attack but without really threatening although Guisborough shot over from a dangerous position in 74 minutes. In 79 minutes, Lashley broke & was brought down for a free kick. From it, Stephenson sent the ball into the box to Reid who headed down towards goal but the home keeper got down to save. 2 minutes later, & Brass got up to easily catch. There was then a good opportunity for the Stan when Hopper supplied Reid who passed to the advancing sub Anderson in the home box but he lost the ball to a defender. Scott replaced Lashley to strengthen up the defence in 84 minutes although the Stan were also still seeking a winning goal & in 86 minutes Hornsby supplied Burn whose long-range effort, through a number of players, forced a great save from the home keeper. In 88 minutes, Anderson shot wide. Into 3 minutes of added time & Brass had to catch a high ball into the Stan box. In 92 minutes, Burn passed to Anderson, but he lost the ball allowing Guisborough to counter, but Brass got out to block. Stephenson cleared the ball from the resulting corner followed by Evans sending a long ball to Lamb but the home keeper got out to clear. Despite a slightly livelier 2nd half, the match ended 0-0.

Both teams in the end seemed happy with the draw & Guisborough still have a chance of achieving a play-off place. For the Stan though, there was a party atmosphere when the 2 coaches returned to Grounsell Park full of singing players, coaching staff & fans. Congratulations must also go to Heaton Stannington A who secured promotion today to Northern Alliance Division 1, with 3 games to spare, after beating North Sunderland 4-0. With a 3rd place finish still possible, & therefore a home advantage in the play offs, the Stan have 2 remaining league matches starting with Bora Rangers at home on Thursday followed by a trip to Crook Town on Saturday.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington vs Shildon

Playing their 3rd game in 5 days, the Stan hosted league leaders Shildon for the 1st time since in 72 years. It was a hard fought, attacking & competitive match. After an even 1st half, 2 early Stan goals rattled Shildon but by full time the visitors were back in contention & threatening an equaliser, but the hard-working Stan held on for a deserved & important win. There were 3 changes from the draw at Whickham 2 nights earlier, with Palmer, Slaughter & Lashley replacing Scott, Stephenson & Sayer.

On a dry but cold Wednesday evening, both teams started by trying to attack. The Stan were disadvantaged early on as they were shooting into a low but bright sun until it set behind the houses at the Holy & Far Corners end. In 4 minutes, a Shildon free kick into the Stan box was headed clear by Turnbull. Reid & Hopper then advanced but Reid was offside. Soon after, there was a great joined up effort involving Hornsby, Hopper, Palmer & Reid & which ended with Lashley’s shot hitting the side netting. A Shildon attacker then fell in the Stan box followed by a Stan attack which ended with Hopper trying to supply Burn who could not get to the ball. Both teams were trying to attack but were cancelling each other out. In 22 minutes, Hopper forced a corner from which the Shildon keeper caught the ball from Reid’s header. Hopper especially was keeping the pressure on the visiting defence as he worked his socks off. In 28 minutes, a speculative Lashley shot from just outside the box went just wide. 2 minutes later & a ball from a Shildon corner went just wide. In 32 minutes, Hopper rounded 2 defenders but was then blocked as he entered the Shildon box. As both teams continued their positive approach, in 40 minutes the diving Brass had to punch clear an effort from a Shildon free kick which went round the wall. 3 minutes later & an injured Palmer had to be replaced by Sayer. The Stan then then had 3 corners, but the half ended in stalemate.

There was excitement early in the 2nd half as the Stan got 2 quick goals. In 48 minutes, a Lashley free kick from the right was sent into a busy box & hit the bar before being headed into the net by Shepherd. 2 minutes later & a long ball to Hopper resulted in him breaking forward & he advanced towards the Shildon goal comfortably slotting the ball past their keeper for 2-0. What a start to the 2nd half. The goals were followed by more Stan pressure as a free kick was cleared & another Stan shot went wide. With 30 minutes still to go, Shildon pulled a goal back when, from a free kick, the ball was headed into the Stan net in a crowded box by Greulich-Smith for his 200th competitive goal for Shildon. Soon after, Burn headed clear. Turnbull then supplied Hopper who advanced to the edge of the Shildon box, but the keeper made himself big & managed to get a hand to Hopper’s shot. Both teams were trying to attack when they could, but the Stan defence especially were having to work hard to stop Shildon advances. Shildon shot wide in 71 minutes followed by a great block by Evans. In 74 minutes, Hopper & Reid joined up to supply Sayer who shot just wide. There was then another great defensive tackle by Evans who thoroughly deserved his man of the match award. In 76 minutes, a Shildon free kick was headed clear by Reid with the long range rebound shot hitting the underside of the Stan bar before Brass caught the ball to the relive of the Stan Army. There was more Shildon pressure resulting in 2 more clearances by Evans. In 80 minutes, a Hopper run into the Shildon box ended in a corner which was then cleared. Then it was back to pressure from Shildon with Evans blocking & then heading clear from a corner followed by Brass punching clear. There were 2 more Shildon corners with the 2nd in 85 minutes being headed clear by Turnbull. Evans then cleared again followed by Brass punching clear a long-range effort. The Shildon pressure continued with Evans clearing in 87 minutes before a Shildon player headed well wide of the Stan goal. Into 4 minutes of added time & a high ball was sent towards the advancing Hooper but the Shildon keeper got to it 1st. Hopper attacked again but was blocked. Both teams were still positive, but the match ended with the Stan winning 2-1 & Shildon dropping down to 2nd place behind Bishop Auckland who won.

Unlike on Monday night at Whickham, the Stan resisted the late pressure & did not concede an equaliser. They were encouraged by the support of the vocal Stan Army especially through the Junior Ultra section who sang throughout the match. This was a crucial 3 points, & against top opposition, in the race for a play off spot & also for hopefully securing home advantage. The Stan jump from 5th to 4th & are now only 1 point behind 3rd place West Auckland with 3 games to play compared to their 1. Next up on Saturday, the Stan & 2 coaches of supporters travel to 6th place, & fellow play-off contenders, Guisborough.

Kevin Mochrie

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Whickham vs Heaton Stannington

No On a sunny but windy & very cold Monday evening, the Stan travelled across the Tyne & up the hill to play Whickham for the 2nd of 4 matches in 8 days. It was a hard-fought match with relatively few clear chances for either team & although it looked like the Stan were going to hold on for a 2-1 win, Whickham got the late equaliser that they were trying for. There was 1 change from Saturday’s win over North Shields with Shepherd replacing the suspended Slaughter.

The Stan started positively with a a curving ball from the advancing Hopper going over the Whickham bar. Both teams were trying to attack but with no end product as both defences were working hard. The Stan forward line of Hopper & Reid were trying to break when they could & although much of the early action was in the Whickham half, the home defence worked hard to prevent the dynamic duo getting into their penalty box very often. In 11 minutes, Hopper broke but was offside & soon after he was blocked while advancing again before being caught just offside again. In 14 minutes, a ball from Whickham went very wide & another ball from a free kick was easily cleared by the Stan defence. In 22 minutes, Hopper got round 1 player & was then blocked as the home defence continued to prevent any clear Stan efforts on goal. In 23 minutes, the 1st clear effort of the match actually came from Whickham as a deflected shot through a crowded Stan box saw Brass pull off a great stretching save. From the resulting corner, Brass caught the Whickham shot. The 1st Stan effort came in 25 minutes when Burn headed wide from a cross. A Stephenson free kick into the home box was then cleared. In 28 minutes, a Whickham free kick went well over the Stan bar. In 33 minutes, the stalemate was broken by the Stan when, from a Stephenson corner, Reid blasted the ball through a busy box without it touching the ground & into the net for 1-0 to the Stan. There was then a period of mainly Whickham possession but with the ball mainly in their own half although in 39 minutes a speculative low long-range effort by Whickham forced Brass to get down to catch the ball. The half ended after 3 minutes of added time with a Stan attack being blocked.

The 2nd half saw early pressure from the Stan, & especially through Hopper, as they started positively. In 51 minutes, Hopper advanced & beat 3 players before shooting past the Whickham keeper from the edge of the 6-yard box to make it 2-0 to the Stan. What a great solo goal. The Stan kept trying to attack but the next goal scoring opportunity came from a Whickham free kick in 61 minutes when Brass had to punch the ball clear. Both teams were trying to attack & it was Whickham who scored in 66 minutes from a penalty awarded for an infringement on a player. Whickham started to put more pressure on the Stan defence although Burn shot wide at the other end in 72 minutes. A minute later, there was great opportunity for the Stan as Hopper won the ball from a 1 to 1 tussle near the  bye line & passed to sub Anderson who shot just wide. There was some more Stan pressure as the home keeper blocked the advancing Scott just outside the 6-yard box. In 76 minutes, Brass had to get down to catch a Whickham ball. A long high ball into the Whickham box saw the keeper catch it before Hopper could get to it. In 79 minutes, a long range Whickham effort saw Brass get down to catch the ball. Both teams were trying to attack & the Stan refreshed their efforts in 79 minutes when Lamb replaced hard working Hopper. There were a couple of minutes of Whickham pressure before Anderson supplied the advancing Lamb who shot just wide. 2 long balls to Lamb then saw him blocked on both occasions. The last 5 minutes of normal time saw pressure from Whickham as they sought an equaliser although the Stan still tried to break when they could. The Whickham pressure resulted in 2 headed clearances by the Stan followed by another 2 clearances by them. In the 90th minute, a Whickham free kick into the Stan box was headed into the net at the far post for 2-2. The Stan sought an equaliser during the 5 minutes of added time but the match ended with a draw.

There was disappointment in the Stan Army ranks at full time as what looked like 3 points won changed to only 1 point although a draw was probably a fair result overall The Stan remain in 4th place but have 3 games in hand over 3rd placed West Auckland who are 4 points ahead. The next match on Wednesday night sees the Stan host joint league leaders Shildon.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington vs North Shields

The battle for a play off position resumed against North Shields with Stan eventually running out winners and look to be on course to claim a top 5 position in the League table, but it is 3rd position that guarantees a home tie in the NL 1 Play offs at the end of the season.

One change from previous match, Richie Slaughter back for Louis Anderson, and a welcome return, after missing 14 weeks through injury, Konner Lamb on the bench in place of Adam Lennox

A close and tough match with a strong wind blowing down the pitch, in the faces of Stan.

But it was another early goal for Stan, on 3 minutes Andy Burn set up Sean Reid in space in the area and he made no mistake, giving Callum Dobson no chance, smashing the ball home from around 15 yards.

North Shields hit back and equalised on 5 minutes, when Kane Evans did well to head behind for a corner on the left, denying Ben Harmison a chance. However, Yeon Kwak put in an inswinging corner, which Harmison headed into the net. 1-1

One minute later Will McCamley fouled Slaughter, and in his hurry to take the free kick he foolishly responded and was red carded. Down the sink went the plans to get in front and give some players a rest for the upcoming games.

Remarkably Stan went back in front, a free kick taken by Stephenson with Craig Scott effort pushed away by Dobson, only for Hopper at the back post to hit into the roof of the net. 2-1

Good work by Danny Sayer coming back to help out the defence, with an intelligent tackle with the ball going back for Brass to collect.

However NS got another equaliser on 22 minutes. A very long throw in from Jaidon Odle found McCamley at the back post and he drilled the ball low into the net. 2-2.

A decent long ball from Stephenson was held up in the wind with Hopper unable to gain control and the chance was gone.

Towards the interval the visitors gained a couple of corners, both Scott and then Reid heading away the danger.

HT 2-2

Jordan Lashley came on for Stephenson. Finally Darryll Donnelly got a yellow card for constant fouls on Hopper. Reid got in a header from the free kick but Dobson saved comfortably.

Rain swept over the ground, oh dear, when will we see the last of this kind of weather?

But out of the gloom, a bright ray of sunshine as Jay Hornsby made it 3-2, hitting spectacularly (from 30 around yards) past a helpless Dobson. 3-2. That is Stan’s 300th goal in cup and league since Dean and Andy took over as managers. It has been a special time for all who have witnessed the amazing rise of the club under the managers.

Reid was shocked to be booked for a tackle which I and he thought was a good tackle and winning the ball. A couple of mutes later Reid needed treatment on a facial injury, he was able to carry on.

75 minutes, and what Stan fans had been waiting for, the return of Konner Lamb, after not being involved for 14 weeks due to injury. He replaced Hopper. It took him only 11 minutes, when Burn played the ball down the left for Lamb to collect and get to the byline, cut inside and fire low into the net. 4-2

7 added on minutes, but the game was over, Stan had moved up one place to 4th and seek another win on Monday evening at Whickham

FT 4-2

Andy McBryde said after the game, “It was a tough match. Relieved, and really proud and happy after that. Over the moon with them. We went down to 10 men, but I always fancy us at home. We are where we are in the league because of what has been built in the dressing room. The shift that they have just put in has been unbelievable.”

Brian Pratt

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Heaton Stannington vs Birtley Town

Usually, you would be called an April Fool to go out in torrential rain on April 1st but there were no fools among the 502 crowd who sensibly turned up to watch this important clash between 2 play-off rivals with 3 points at stake & potentially a home play-off advantage for the winners. In the end, despite both teams positively trying to win, the match ended in stalemate. There were 3 changes from Friday’s 4-2 win at Sunderland RCA with Evans, Sayer & Anderson replacing Shepherd, Doyle & Lashley.

The Stan started positively from the kick off with Hopper almost immediately running in on the Birtley goal, but the flag was up. Anderson had a shot saved in 5 minutes & 2 minutes later the Stan had 2 make 2 clearances as Birtley also tried to attack. The Stan then had to head clear another Birtley effort before a visiting player shot just wide when they looked like scoring. Birtley had another corner cleared in 10 minutes while 3 minutes later Stephenson sent a free kick over the bar at the other end. Anderson then won the ball & advanced but was blocked for a corner. On an increasingly heavy pitch, both teams were trying to attack but both defences were also working well. In 27 minutes, a long range Birtley effort saw Brass punch the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner, Brass got down to make a great save. It was end to end with Hopper looking particularly dangerous. In 34 minutes, Burn & Sayer had shots blocked followed by Hopper having a shot saved. In 37 minutes, Sayer shot just over under pressure. Birtley then had 2 corners that were cleared. A Stepheson free kick went wide in 40 minutes followed b ymore end to end action including Brass punching out for a corner. The half ended with another Birtley corner which Reid headed clear.

The 2nd half started slightly quieter as both teams had to deal with the increasingly wet & muddy conditions. Brass had to save in 49 minutes but there was then action at both ends. In 57 minutes, a Hornsby ball into the Birtley box was headed over by Burn. Soon after Hornsby sent a diagonal ball into the visitor’s box & although it went past the diving keeper it also went just wide of the post. In 60 minutes, Reid won the ball & passed to Hooper who shot just wide. In 63 minutes, from a Stephenson corner, Turnbull was blocked twice before a Birtley counter attack was cleared. It was mainly Stan now although Brass had to save in 67 minutes. 2 minutes later & Birtley shot well over the bar. Just after coming on as a sub, Lashley was supplied by Reid but the keeper got out to block his shot. In 76 minutes, Birtley headed just wide of the Stan goal. Things were more even now between the 2 teams with conditions getting more slippy. In 78 minutes, a ball from Horsnby was cleared & Birtley counter attacked with Scott clearing before a rebound shot went just over. In 81 minutes Birtley shot wide under pressure. In 82 minutes, Sayer was cynically brought down as he was about to enter the Birtley box & the resulting Reid free kick hit the wall. Twice the Birtley keeper got to the ball before the advancing Hopper before Brass easily caught from a long-range effort in 88 minutes. Both teams were still trying to attack as the match entered 3 minutes of added time. In 92 minutes, Reid headed clear from a Birtley corner & the ball went back into the Stan box & went just wide of the post although the Stan were given a free kick for a push. Lashley then broke & supplied Hornsby who headed the ball into Reid whose header was easily caught by the Birtley keeper as the match ended 0-0.

Both teams dealt well with the poor conditions underfoot & remained positive as the pitch got soggier. The draw meant that Birtley remained in 3rd place with the Stan in 5th 2 points behind but with a game in hand which if won would take them back to 3rd place. The Stan are now away on Saturday at Crook Town.

Kevin Mochrie

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Sunderland RCA vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan faced Sunderland RCA for the 2nd time in 7 days & although Good Friday kept up to its name with the the Stan deservedly winning & moving up to 3rd in the league, the win was not as by as many goals & didn’t involve a clean sheet on Wearside as it had at Grounsell Park. There were 3 changes from the 4-0 win 3 nights previously at Tow Law with Hornsby, Shepherd & Hopper replacing Sayer, Marriott & Anderson.

By kick off, the heavy rain had stopped & the match was played under relatively pleasant conditions as the Stan Army descended on Wearside on mass to support their black & white team against red & white opposition. After 2 minutes, Hopper advanced & was brought down just outside the RCA box but only a corner was given. From it, taken by Stepheson in the 3rd minute, Scott headed the ball over the keeper & into the net to make it 1-0 for the Stan. Hopper then shot just wide followed by Lashley being flagged for offside. The Stan Army only had to wait until the 8th minute for the expected 2nd goal when a long ball to the advancing Reid saw him head it into the net. It was all mainly Stan & in 14 minutes a solo run by Hopper saw him pass 2 RCA players & shoot just wide of the post. It was 3-0 in 18 minutes when Reid supplied Hopper who broke again &, keeping on-side, slotted the ball past the home keeper. The Stan kept attacking & RCA did not have their 1st shot on target until 24 minutes but Brass easily saved. RCA were not giving up but it was the Stan who nearly scored again in 29 minutes when Lashley, supplied by Hopper, slid in & his shot went just wide. A ball into Lashley saw him head sideways to Reid whose header went just wide. RCA counter attacked but Brass cleared although the offside flag was also up. The home keeper then had to get down to catch followed by another offside RCA counter attack. In 35 minutes, Lashley advanced with the ball, but the RCA keeper bravely got down to catch it. He then stopped a Lashley long range effort. Burn also tried a long range shot but it went over. A joined-up Stan attack in 40 minutes ended with Stephenson shooting just wide. 2 minutes later, & a Hopper ball into the box was headed clear & Stephenson’s follow up long range effort went over the bar. The Stan kept attacking although the half ended against the run of play with Brass getting down to save an RCA shot.

The Stan made 3 changes at half time & started the 2nd half positively, hitting the post in 48 minutes It was RCA though who scored, in 51 minutes, when a player counter attacked & shot past Brass. 2 minutes later & Hornsby sent a ball into the RCA box but Burn headed just wide. Lashley shot just wide in 55 minutes followed by Brass having to punch clear at the other end. Sub Lennox then shot just wide from a tight angle when he looked like scoring. Both teams were trying to attack although RCA were getting increasingly physical in their approach to tackling. This was reflected in 62 minutes when a dreadful tackle on Doyle by RCA number 14 saw him having to leave the pitch injured. The RCA player, who already had a yellow card, did not receive another card & the Stan were down to 10 minutes as they had used all their subs. The Stan kept attacking though & sub Sayer had a good shot blocked by the home keeper in 67 minutes. Brass had to save from an RCA shot in 71 minutes & soon after he had to catch the ball which had bounced awkwardly from a long-range effort. The Stan though sealed the win in 72 minutes when Hornsby sent the ball into the RCA box for Anderson to head it into the net. Both teams kept trying to attack but it was only RCA who got another goal when a cross from the right into the Stan box was initially blocked but the ball was then put past Brass in 83 minutes. In 88 minutes, Lennox put the ball over the RCA bar & 2 minutes later he won the ball, avoided a tackle but somehow the ball well wide of the net when he only had the keeper to beat. In 91 minutes, a RCA counter attack saw the ball deflected over the bar for a corner. The match was getting more edgy but ended with the Stan winning 4-2.

The Stan always looked like winning but had to resist some challenging play from RCA & played the last 30 minutes with only 10 men due to injury.

Kevin Mochrie

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