Competition: Northern Premier League East

Consett vs Heaton Stannington

Boxing day definitely saw the Stan Army get their gloves on, but it was to keep warm as they headed up the hills to cold but welcoming Consett. It was definitely a game of 2 halves as Consett dominated the 1st half & took a bizarre lead but the 2nd half saw the Stan on top & get the draw that they at least deserved. There were 3 changes from the home draw with Dunston 10 days ago with Chrisp, Robson & Lamb replacing Shepherd, Chater & Errington.

Both teams started positively but the 1st goal scoring opportunity came in the 6th minute for Consett when their Walker broke & beat the Stan defence, but Gordon got out & made himself big to deflect the ball out for a corner & bring to a halt a clear goal scoring opportunity. In the 9th minute, Lamb broke & shot in the box under pressure but Moss in the Consett goal saved his effort. The pressure was mainly from Consett but in 13 minutes, Lamb counter attacked but was eventually blocked. 2 minutes later & Moss stopped another Stan attack when Walker flicked the ball on towards Pearson but Moss got to it 1st. The Stan continued to get back into the match & in 18 minutes Moss got to the ball just before Lamb. In 21 minutes, a Consett player broke past everyone but was flagged offside. The match turned drastically in Consett’s favour in the 24th minute when Moss sent a high ball up the pitch towards the advancing Holdsworth who never made contact with the ball. In front of him were Crisp & Robson & after Moss’s ball had bounced once awkwardly, Robson tried to head it back to Gordon but after he had headed it the ball bounced in front of Gordon & although he tried to grab it the ball went past him & into the net. In 28 minutes, a cross into the box to the advancing Consett Walker saw him shoot just over the Stan bar. Lamb then broke but his great shot, taken under pressure, was stopped by Moss who got down to put the ball out for a corner. From it, Capewell headed just over the Consett bar. In 35 minutes, after a joined-up attack ended with Stephenson shooting wide. The last 10 minutes of the 1st half were mainly played in the Stan half as Consett eagerly searched for a 2nd goal. In 36 minutes, they put the ball wide & 2 minutes later Gordon got to the ball just before a Consett player did. In the 40th minute, a shot by Holdsworth was blocked in the Stan box followed by a Robson clearance. Consett then attacked again but Gordon got down to save Consett Walker’s shot. Consett attacked again & the half time whistle couldn’t come soon enough for the Stan.

Half time saw another blow for the Stan as both centre halves, Capewell & Milburn, had to be replaced because of injury by Payne & Beattie. There was a quieter start to the 2nd half, although play was mainly in the Consett half, before the Stan stepped up a gear. In 58 minutes, Robson was felled in the Consett box but nothing was given. In 66 minutes, Stephenson sent a ball from a free kick into the Consett box but Beattie’s overhead kick hit the post & then the ball was put out for a corner. The Stan attacked again with a shot being blocked by Moss & Beattie’s rebound shop saw Moss get down to grab the ball. A minute later & Lamb crossed towards Pearson in the 6-yard box but he couldn’t make contact with the ball. It was mainly Stan pressure now as Errington forced a corner from which there were claims of a handball in the box which were ignored by the referee. In 70 minutes, Stephenson shot well over the Consett bar. 3 minutes later & a Consett attack came to nothing. The Stan were back on level terms in the 74th minute when a long diagonal ball to the advancing sub Errington saw him confidently shoot & his effort went into the net off the far post. In 78 minutes, a long ball to Pearson saw him pass to Payne whose shot was blocked. In 81 minutes, another rare Consett attack was blocked & 2 minutes later a 30-yard Stan free kick was headed clear. Both teams now were trying to attack but cancelling each other out although Errington shot just wide in the 90th minute. The 5 minutes of added time saw almost constant attacking from the Stan including a Stephenson free kick that was headed just over the home bar by a Consett player.

The Stan had dominated most of the 2nd half, in contrast to the 1st, & at least deserved to take away a point. So, the Stan complete 2025 with only 2 away league defeats all year which is a remarkable achievement given the opposition & the fact that they are only in their 2nd season in tier 4 of non-league football. They are still in 5th place, in a play-off spot & in theory only 3 promotions off a place in the football league. The Stan now have a week off as they next host Ashington on Friday 2 January at 7.45pm.

Stan Team: Gordon; Milburn (Payne 46); Chrisp; Burn; Capewell (Beattie 46); Robson; Hopper (Errington 62); Walker (Storey 62); Pearson; Stephenson; Lamb (Johnson 80). All Subs used. No cards. Attendance 521. Man of the Match: Andy Burn.

Kevin Mochrie

1 vs 1

Heaton Stannington vs Dunston UTS

Before this top of the table local derby most Stan fans would have taken a point but, having led until the 94th minute when Dunston were awarded an undeserved & controversial penalty, a draw felt like the grinch, this time dressed in black & not green, had stolen Christmas & the 3 points. Both teams went into this tie having won their last 4 matches & there was a lot at stake which influenced the competitive nature of this match. There were 2 changes from Saturday’s 4-0 win at Bridlington with Chater & Stephenson replacing injured Evans & Chrisp who was ineligible to play against his parent club.

On a cold & damp but dry evening, the Stan had most of the early pressure & in 9 minutes, an Errington ball into the Dunston box saw their keeper Lowson get down to save before Hopper could get to the ball. 2 minutes later & Gordon also had to get down to save & he did so again 2 minutes later. In 14 minutes, a Stephenson free kick into the Dunston box saw Capewell head back towards Hopper on the edge of the box & his shot went over the bar, The Stan kept pressing & in 17 minutes from a corner a Capewell header was blocked followed by an overhead kick by Milburn also being blocked. 3 minutes later & the Stan had another shot blocked. In 21 minutes, a Stephenson free kick into the Dunston box missed everyone & went along the goal line. The Stan defence then stood up well to block a sustained Dunston attack. The Stan kept the pressure on but couldn’t turn it into goals although Hopper had a good effort blocked in the 40th minute. A minute later & a Dunston shot towards the right-hand corner of the Stan goal was put just wide by Gordon who got a hand to the ball. From the resulting corner, Pearson headed clear. Milburn then supplied Pearson who crossed to the advancing Stephenson whose blasting shot from just outside the box forced a great save from Lowson.

Dunston started the 2nd half on the attack & they shot wide in the 47th minute. The Stan then had a period of sustained pressure including 2 corners. In 54 minutes, Walker was hacked down as he was through on goal. From the resulting 30 yard free kick in the 55th minute, Stephenson put the ball through the crowded box & it went under the diving Lowson & into the net to give the Stan a lead. Both teams continued to try to attack & in 60 minutes Hopper crossed to Errington, but his shot was easily stopped by Lowson. In 65 minutes, an Errington long range effort was caught by Lowson. The Stan were not sitting back as they tried to get a 2nd goal to kill off the tie. In 71 minutes, Gordon caught the ball from a Dunston free kick. Hopper then countered but his ball into the box was cleared. 2 minutes later & a Dunston free kick into the Stan box was headed clear by Shepherd. In 84 minutes, Gordon caught under pressure, but both teams were basically now cancelling each other out. Pearson then supplied the advancing sub Johnson but Lowson got to the ball 1st. In 88 minutes, a Dunston attack was cleared at the 2nd attempt. 2 minutes later & a joined up Stan attack saw Hopper come close, but he was blocked from taking a shot in the 6 yard box. There were 4 minutes of added time, & in 92 minutes Lowson sent a long ball up the pitch towards an accelerating Dunston player who got online with Shepherd & ‘stumbled’ & fell in the box as the ball bounced in front of them & into the hands of Gordon. To the shock of most people present but to the delight of the Dunston players who had complained & pestered him all evening, the referee awarded a penalty. McDonald took the penalty & the ball went into the net off the right post. The Stan frantically tried to attack but the match ended with Gordon having to come out to clear.

The Stan deserved to win this match after battling throughout & the team’s passing & pressing was of a high standard. Dunston played well at times but did not deserve to get anything out of this match. The Stan now host league leaders Redcar Athletic on Saturday.

Stan Team: Gordon; Milburn (Y) (Beattie 89); Stephenson; Burn; Capewell; Shepherd (Y); Hopper (Y); Chater; Pearson; Walker; Errington (Johnson 75). Subs not used: Lamb; Storey; Payne. Attendance 391. Man of the Match: Ryan Chater.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

‹ › ×

1 vs 1

Bridlington Town vs Heaton Stannington

While many people were undertaking festive activities or preparing for Xmas day itself, the Stan had a great day out at the seaside. After 3 defeats, the 4th ever match between the 2 teams saw the Stan batter Bridlington Town 4-0. After 20 away league matches in 2025, with only 1 to go, the Stan have only lost twice. There was 1 change from Wednesday’s 4-0 home win over Grimsby Borough with Burn replacing Lamb. And what a day it was for Andy Burn who made his 200th appearance for the Stan, scored the team’s 1st goal with a spectacular shot, was voted man of the match & was part of the winning team for both quizzes on the team bus.

On a cold but dry afternoon, the 1st action came in the 3rd minute when Hopper ran into the home box, but his shot was blocked for a corner. From it the ball was initially cleared before a Hopper follow up shot was blocked. The Stan were in the lead in the 4th minute when Pearson supplied Burn whose shot from just outside the box went through everyone & into the net. There were hints of Barnoldswick in this goal. A minute later, a Bridlington player broke & shot past the advancing Gordon but his effort was going just wide & was cleared. As well as trying to attack, the Stan were also defending well. After picking up an injury from a yellow card tackle after 5 minutes, Evans had to be replaced in the 14th minute by Chater. Both teams were trying to attack although the Stan were pressing more. In 25 minutes, Bridlington shot well over. The Stan then had 2 attacks that were cleared. In 29 minutes, a Bridlington long range effort was deflected just wide. The ball from the resulting corner was headed just high & wide. Both teams tried to attack but it was the Stan who came closest next when in 38 minutes Errington broke & Dash in the Bridlington goal came out to block but the ball went back to Hopper whose long chip went wide. The Stan were 2-0 up in 42 minutes when a long ball to Hopper saw him flick it on to the advancing Pearson &, with Dash coming out but missing the ball, was able to shoot into the net. Into injury time, & both teams tried to attack. In the 49th minute, Hopper was brought down just outside the home box but nothing was given. Soon after the Stan did win a free kick but it was headed clear in the home box.

After a quieter start to the 2nd half, in the 49th minute there was a ball into Pearson just to the right of the right post but he couldn’t make contact. Soon after a Bridlington attack was cleared & 3 minutes later, they had a shot blocked. The Stan countered & Dash had to come out to clear. In 56 minutes, Errington broke under pressure but his cross into the home box was intercepted. In 59 minutes, the Stan had a period of sustained pressure culminating in Errington shooting wide from the edge of the box. In 62 minutes, a through ball to the advancing Walker saw his shot from the edge of the box blocked by Dash. The Stan kept pressing & in 65 minutes Dash had to punch clear with Errington’s rebound shot going wide. In 70 minutes, a goalward Errington shot was deflected for a corner. The ball from Walker’s corner was partly cleared but Burn sent it back in although Walker’s shot was blocked. There was then a joined-up attack which saw Chrisp’s cross being put out for a corner. From it, in the 73rd minute, Capewell’s header hit the bar & Shepherd did not flounder as he put his follow up headed effort into the back of the net for 3-0 to the Stan. A minute later & a Pearson high ball into the box was caught by Dash. He also had to come out to save a Walker effort in 79 minutes. A rare Bridlington attack in the 80th minute saw them put the ball over the Stan bar. The Stan kept pressing although the hosts did force a corner in 87 minutes from which Capewell headed clear. 2 minutes later & a Stan ball across the Bridlington goal was cleared. In 94 minutes, Pearson crossed from the left across the home box to sub Johnson just outside the box who confidently shot past Dash to make it 4-0 & get his 1st goal for the Stan.

It was a brill performance from the Stan & both a 4th win & clean sheet in a row. The Stan perch 1 place & a point off Dunston who sit in the last play off spot & they are 17 points away from the relegation zone. There are 2 crucial home games up next as the Stan take on Dunston on Tuesday followed by league leaders Redcar Athletic on Saturday.

Stan Team: Gordon; Milburn; Chrisp (Beattie 85); Evans (Chater 13); Capewell; Shepherd; Hopper (Lamb 77); Burn; Pearson; Walker (Storey 85); Errington (Johnson 77). No cards. All Subs used. Attendance 158. Man of the Match: Andy Burn.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

‹ › ×

0 vs 4

Heaton Stannington vs Grimsby Borough

Grimsby Borough returned to High Heaton for the 2nd time in 11 days but tonight the match was completed unlike the 1st attempt which was abandoned due to a flooded pitch after 24 minutes with the Stan leading 1-0 & with Grimsby having missed a penalty. Building on Saturday’s 2-0 home win over Brighouse, the Stan had a comfortable 4-0 win over Grimsby & delivered a confident & entertaining performance for the Stan Army. There were 2 changes with Milburn & Errington replacing Robson & Lamb. The team was the same one that started the abandoned match against Grimsby.

On a blustery but mild evening the rain luckily stayed away. The Stan started on the attack & in the 2nd minute, after the ball from a corner was initially cleared, the ball came back into the 6-yard box & was cleared for another corner. The opening period was dominated by the Stan & the only 2 early Grimsby attacks were easily cleared in the 7th & 10th minutes. In the 11th minute, a speculative Stephenson long range effort went well over. 2 minutes later, & Evans nipped in front of an advancing Grimsby player to get the ball & stop the attack. Another Grimsby attack was cleared a minute later which led to Pearson advancing with the ball & he was brought down in the box by Lovett who was sent off. The penalty was taken by Hopper in the 16th minute who confidently sent the ball down the middle & into the net with the Grimsby keeper Auton diving to his left. So, with nearly 75 minutes still to go the Stan were 1-0 up & Grimsby were down to 10 men. The Stan kept attacking & in the 21st minute Errington crossed to the advancing Hopper in the box, but he couldn’t make contact with the ball & it was cleared. In 23 minutes, Walker shot from just outside the box, but Auton got down to save. In the 30th minute, the Stan were 2-0 up when a Stephenson ball into the Grimsby box was confidently put into the net by Pearson. A minute later & Pearson nicked the ball of a Grimsby defender & although his shot was on target it was deflected just wide for a corner. From the corner, the ball went initially out to the edge of the box but was sent back into the 6 yard box where there was a scramble but Auton managed to get himself on top of the ball. Play was being dominated by the Stan & in 36 minutes a Stephenson long range effort was caught by Auton. 3 minutes later & a Grimsby throw in into the Stan box was headed clear & the Stan counter attack involved 4 players, but the ball was eventually cleared. In 41 minutes, a Chrisp ball into the Grimsby box was blocked. Walker then supplied Pearson whose long range shot went just wide. Chrisp then sent a high cross into the box but it went wide & out. Soon after, Gordon came out to stop a Grimsby attack but missed the ball but luckily the Grimsby player’s shot deflected off him for a corner. From the corner, the ball went across the goal line to a Grimsby player at the far post, but his close shot was cleared off the line by Shepherd for another corner.

The 2nd half started with more Stan pressure & in 48 minutes Auton had to punch the ball clear although it was sent back in & he had to catch it. In 51 minutes, the Stan increased their lead when, from a joined-up attack, the ball was sent through by Stephenson to the advancing Pearson in the Grimsby box & he slotted the ball past Auton & into the net. 3 minutes later & Walker shot just wide. Hopper then crossed to towards the advancing Errington, but Auton got to the ball 1st. In 61 minutes, a Grimsby free kick was easily caught by Gordon. This was followed at the other end by an Errington shot from the edge of the box which was easily caught by Auton. There was more intermittent Stan pressure in between substitutions & in 73 minutes sub Johnson chipped the ball over the Grimsby bar from a corner. In 75 minutes, Pearson advanced with the ball & slotted it past Auton to make it 4-0 and get his hat trick. In 81 minutes, Johnson crossed to sub Lamb who shot just wide. 2 minutes later & sub Chater shot straight at Auton. The Stan kept pressing but the match ended still 4-0 to the Stan.

So a comfortable win & good team effort for the Stan saw them move up the table to 5th & into a play off place. On Saturday the Stan make the long journey to the Yorkshire seaside when they visit Bridlington Town.

Stan Team: Gordon; Milburn (Chater 76); Chrisp (Beattie 78); Evans; Capewell; Shepherd; Hopper (Storey 66); Walker; Pearson (Lamb 76); Stephenson; Errington (Johnson 66). No cards. All Subs used. Attendance 208. Man of the Match: Dale Pearson.

Kevin Mochrie

4 vs 0