Competition: Northern League Division One
2 vs 0 
West Allotment Celtic vs Heaton Stannington
The short trip to local rivals West Allotment Celtic in East Palmersville saw the Stan leave with an important 3 points which sees them remain 5th in the league with games in hand over some of the teams above them.
There was not much between the 2 teams, but the Stan did enough to eventually score in 73 minutes & then hold onto their slender lead to win. There were 3 changes from the team that drew 0-0 at Boro Rangers on Wednesday night with Flynn, Shepherd & Sayer replacing Brass, Hornsby & Anderson.
On a cold, blustery but sunny afternoon there was a slow start to the match although WAC had to replace an injured player, ex-Stan Jack Errington, in the 3rd minute. The home keeper was forced to catch at the 2nd attempt in 7 minutes, but nothing much else happened until the 12th minute when Shepherd supplied the advancing Hopper & he forced a corner from which Sayer headed over.
WACs 1st clear attack was blocked in 15 minutes which then saw Hopper counter attack but, from a tight angle & under pressure in the box, he put the ball onto the top of the net. Both teams then had attacks cleared. In 22 minutes, Hopper was brought down 40 yards out but Stephenson sent the ball from the resulting free kick into orbit.
WAC had a corner in 27 minutes after great defensive work from Turnbull but it was cleared. At the other end, both Turnbull & Hopper had consecutive shots blocked. WAC countered & the ball went high across the Stan goal but the resulting shot was cleared. It was then the Stan who countered but the keeper got to the ball before Lamb.
There was more action now & the WAC keeper had to get out again to clear in front of an advancing Lamb. In 38 minutes, Sayer headed clear from a WAC corner followed by Lamb, who noticed the WAC keeper off his line, trying a speculative long shot but it went wide.
WAC had the best opportunity of the match so far in 43 minutes when a player broke forward & Flynn had to make a great save. A minute later, & Lamb had a shot blocked. Hopper crossed the ball back into box which the keeper blocked & Reid put his rebound shot over the bar. The half ended 0-0 & it had been a relatively even & quiet affair.
The 2nd half also had a quiet start apart from in 49 minutes when WAC won a corner. It was followed by Sayer making a run up to the other end, but he put his shot over the bar. There was then another quiet period until Flynn punched the ball away from a WAC corner in 55 minutes which led to a joined up Stan counter attack which eventually was blocked.
Nothing much else happened until the WAC keeper easily caught a Stephenson free kick in 65 minutes then a WAC attack was eventually cleared for a corner. From it, Flynn got down to save.
Both teams were trying to attack but with no end result although this was to change in the 73rd minute. Stephenson’s corner ball was cleared to the edge of the penalty box allowing Slaughter to shoot through a busy box with the keeper parrying his effort which allowed Marriott to put the rebound into the net.
The match livened up after this as the Stan knew they had made the crucial breakthrough & were determined to hold onto their lead while WAC knew that at least a draw was still possible. As a result, WAC headed just over in 75 minutes & 2 minutes later Flynn had to punch away the ball from a corner. The Stan then pressurised the WAC defence but in 80 minutes, WAC had a good effort that went just wide.
Hopper was trying to advance with the ball whenever he could & in 84 minutes shot wide under pressure from a tight angle. Doyle then cleared from a WAC corner as the home team kept the pressure on. In 89 minutes, Flynn came out to the edge of his box to clear but an advancing forward collided with him. Both were on the ground for a number of minutes which led to a lengthy period of added time.
After a tense 8 added minutes & 2 clearances for the Stan Army, but with no serious threat from the frantic home team, the match ended with the Stan on the attack & with 3 precious points to take home.
The Stan Army were delighted with this important if narrow win which sees the Stan still only having being beaten once in their 11 league matches this season & that was on the opening day. The Stan have another very short journey on Tuesday night when they visit Benfield in the Northumberland Senior Cup.
Kevin Mochrie
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0 vs 1 
0 vs 0 Heaton Stannington vs Newcastle Benfield
There were plenty of goals, fans, excitement & enormous amounts of rain as the Stan drew 4-4 with local rivals Benfield. In monsoon conditions for the whole match, an amazing crowd of 744 watched the Stan come back from 4-1 down to earn a point in a 4-4 draw. There was only 1 change from last Saturday’s great win over Bishop Auckland with Mark Turnbull replacing Craig Scott. Ex-Stan Jake Turnbull started for Benfield.
The Stan showed they meant business when a great cross to Anderson saw him hit the bar after 3 minutes. Both teams were trying to attack but the next clear attack came on 10 minutes when a great mazy run by Lamb saw him pass 3 players but was hacked down just on the very edge of the box & he put the resulting free kick just over the bar. Lamb’s curling shot in 17 minutes saw the ball going over the bar. 2 minutes later, & Benfield’s 1st clear shot, from a long-range effort, went over.
The Stan shot wide again & in 25 minutes a Hopper cross into the box was blocked. Benfield countered with their 1st effort blocked & the rebound shot forcing a great save from Brass. The ball from the resulting corner was headed clear & the follow up shot went wide. The Stan attacked again twice including through a wasted free kick after Stephenson was badly tackled.
It was the visitors though who took the lead in 32 minutes, when Brass saved, the rebound shot hit the bar and the 2nd rebound shot was put in the net. In 42 minutes, Benfield were 2-0 up when, from a corner, Brass saved a headed effort, but the rebound shot was put in the net.
The Stan attacked immediately & it ended with a Stephenson long range rebound shot hitting the post. In 46 minutes, there was a bad tackle on the advancing Hopper just outside the Benfield box. Stephenson took the resulting free kick which he curled into the box for Hopper to head into the net in 47 minutes. The Stan attacked again but the half ended up with everyone very wet & Benfield leading by a goal.
Things got worse for the Stan early in the 2nd half when in the 49th minute a Benfield attack saw Brass beaten to restore the visitor’s 2 goal lead. 3 minutes later & Grainger in the Benfield goal had to get down to catch. A joined-up Stan attack in 55 minutes eventually saw the ball cleared from the goal line.
In 58 minutes, a speculative but great Lamb long range effort sailed into the far top corner of the net to make it 2-3. Soon after, Lamb shot just wide. In 62 minutes, a 2 footed tackle saw Benfield’s Knight sent off with a straight red. The Stan took immediate advantage of the red knight & started putting pressure on. In 72 minutes, Reid shot just wide & in 79 minutes a Stephenson free kick saw the ball across the visitor’s goal followed by Slaughter’s rebound shot going well over.
In 81 minutes, a quick throw in caught out the Stan with a Benfield player breaking into the box & beating Brass to make it 2-4. The Stan didn’t give up though & in 86 minutes, Hopper was brought down in the box. He scored from the resulting penalty sending Grainger the wrong way.
The Stan Army were roaring their soaked team on & the equaliser came in 88 minutes when Lamb forced a corner, from which Mark Turnbull headed the ball into the Benfield net to make it 4-4. Sparky’s goal sparked jubilation among the Stan Army. Both teams were trying to go for a 5th goal but time ran out, despite 5 added minutes, & the match ended 4-4.
It was a great a night of football despite the rain & the overall performance of the Stan was a fitting way to remember Brian Lisle who sadly passed away suddenly on Wednesday. A minute’s silence was held for Brian whose life was intertwined with grassroots football, including being a long term supporter of Heaton Stannington, although he would have been more pleased by the roars of the supporters & the dramatic late equaliser.
The Stan are now unbeaten in 6 games & remain 5th in the league.
Kevin Mochrie
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4 vs 4 
Heaton Stannington vs Bishop Auckland
Third placed Bishop Auckland and unbeaten in NL 1 matches played their part in an enthralling match at Grounsell Park as a brilliant home side notched up their fifth successive win with a goal in each half, after the 2 Blues had got a rather fortunate first half equaliser.
Bishop Auckland started well with most of the possession but Stan were steady and competing well. Both goalkeepers had little to do, but on 18 minutes a tremendous surging run by Leighton Hopper, inter play with Louis Anderson with Hopper hitting a low shot past a helpless Ryan Catterick. 1-0
Three minutes later Sean Reid was taken out by an elbow from Danni Lay, receiving a yellow card. Dan Stephenson took the free kick but Catterick saved comfortably.
On 24 minutes the visitors put the ball down the left flank, with Alfie Marriott getting a boot on it but Liam Henderson gathered and looked to shoot but Craig Scott managed to put the ball behind for a corner.
Anderson played a good ball for Stephenson but he fired over the bar. From a corner on the right, Richie Slaughter hit a fierce shot which hit Niall McGoldrick, winning another corner on the right. Anderson had a collision of knees with with Louis Johnson, with Johnson unable to continue and was replaced by Kieron Parnaby.
Konner Lamb was given offside, as he put the ball into the bottom corner of of the net.
On 32 minutes Charlie Watt was up against Kane Evans, with Watt’s cross come shot sailed into the far top corner with Brass unable to keep out. 1-1
Hopper was making various surging runs, hungry for more goals, he crossed for Lamb but he used his hand to control the ball. Reid under hit a back pass with Andrew May nipping in but Stephenson won the ball to keep Bishop’s from taking the lead.
On 42 minutes McGoldrick went down injured in a collision with Lamb. James Colwill ran on with the stretcher. Ben Errington came on as a substitute. We wish Niall a speedy recovery.
Anderson was flattened again, free kick on the right which Stephenson hit across and past the far post.
HT 1-1
Jay Hornsby replaced the injured Scott with Joe Shepherd moving to centre back.
Four minutes after the restart, a ball down the left for Hopper, marvellous run and jinked inside to delicately dink over the keeper. His 7th league goal of the season. 2-1
Stan were on the front foot and passing well, Hopper unexpectedly hit a great shot just over the bar. More great play with Stephenson hitting the ball over the bar. Two good tackles to deny Hornsby run, with Hopper on the ground needing treatment on his ankle.
Just past the hour Anderson testing Catterick with a low drive.
Hopper was booked for taking the ball away from where Bishops had been awarded a free kick. He was replaced by Andy Burn on 88 minutes.
Six minutes of added on time, and Stan to a man (probably their best performance of the season so far) would stand up and resist whatever the visitors had left. They had lost their rhythm, had some possession, but only one noteworthy save by an overhead kick from substitute Dean Thexton, which Brass saved well.
Fans applauded as Dean lead all the team in front of them.
Dean said after the match, “Anybody that finishes above them will win the league. They have some excellent players and play really well. We deserved to win the game. Dug in really well, defended fantastically well and to get the 3 points is huge. We are on a good run”.
Brian Pratt
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2 vs 1 Northallerton Town vs Heaton Stannington
Congratulations were in order ahead of the game for manager Dean Nicholson who celebrated his 100th game in charge. The Stan travelled down to Northallerton with threats of a Storm and bad weather, it was a whirlwind first half that helped Stan take a comfortable 3 points back up the A1 with them thankfully with the anticipated Storm not materializing.
A quick fire start to the game saw 2 goals in the first ten minutes, the first coming for the Stan on 5 minutes, Alfie Marriot finishing well following a header across goal from Shepherd. The lead lasted less than 5 minutes as Northallerton hit back on 10 minutes with a tap in from a Brass save.
This was as good as it got for the home team as Stan took control and after a series of attacks Hopper beat his man, crossed to Reid whose shot was saved unfortunately for Northallerton it was not by the keeper with Hopper slotting in the penalty on 23 minutes. Stan got their 3rd on 36 minutes when Burn flicked on a long ball to Hopper who squared it to Anderson who made no mistake. The fourth came almost instantly, Evans with a brilliant run beating 3 players before crossing for Lamb to finish. A special mention to the Northallerton drummer who despite the wind, rain and score kept on going until the half time whistle.
The second half started as the first ended with Stan in the ascendancy straight from the kickoff and it was on 47 minutes when Stan got their fifth and Anderson his second following a second assist from Shepherd. This was as good as it got in the second half as both teams made changes, all 5 of Stans changes made by the 60th minute. Stan had done what they needed and saw the game out with minimal fuss.
Stan played some great football in tough conditions, dominating from start to finish and limiting the home team to very few chances.
The travelling fans selecting Louis Anderson as their Man of the Match. In all honestly it could have been a number of players with Evans, Shepherd and Stephenson in the running.
That is 5 goals scored in each of our last 3 games meaning we go into a tough fixture at home to Bishop Auckland on Saturday full of confidence.
Neil Drummond
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1 vs 5