Competition: Northern Premier League East

Heaton Stannington vs Ossett United

After 3 defeats in a row, the Stan didn’t just get back to winning ways but did so through a great team performance. Even more impressive is that they did it with a make-shift team due to injuries & unavailability. This even impacted on the substitutes bench as 3 of those named could not in practice play due to injury, Tom Flynn was the substitute keeper while keeper Alfie Gordon to his credit was named as the only available out field player. Ossett travelled North on a Friday night needing 3 points to help their attempt to get out of the relegation zone, but it was the Stan who actually looked more up for it & who deserved the win. There were 5 changes from Monday’s defeat at Ashington with Robson, Walker, Chrisp, Hopper & Lamb replacing Evans, Milburn, Payne, Burn & Errington.

The 1st action came in the 3rd minute when a long ball to Lamb was cleared. Soon after, Capewell supplied Lamb but he was blocked. Shepherd then sent the ball to Capewell in the Ossett box, but his header was blocked. Lamb then had a good opportunity when he broke with the ball but his shot bobbled & was blocked by the advancing Ossett keeper Petrovic. In 7 minutes, a diagonal ball by Chrisp across the Ossett box was missed by everyone. 2 minutes later & Chrisp sent another diagonal ball to Hornsby who passed to Lamb, but he was blocked. Stoey was then blocked followed by Hornsby sending a ball into the visitors’ box, but Petrovic got up to catch Soon after, a speculative shot by Chrisp was blocked by a defender. It was all one way in the Stan’s favour so far & Ossett’s 1st attack, which resulted in a corner that was cleared, did not come until the 16th minute. In 18 minutes, the Stan had another attack blocked followed by an Ossett counterattack which came to nothing. In 22 minutes, Brass easily caught an Ossett effort. 3 minutes later & Petrovic got to the ball before the advancing Lamb. This was followed by a speculative long range effort by Ossett which went just wide. 2 minutes later Petrovic easily caught & 2 minutes later an Ossett corner was cleared followed by a Lamb counter attack which came to nothing. There was then a sustained Stan attack which ended with a Storey shot deflected for a corner. The ball from the corner was cleared but Walker sent it back into the box towards goal, but it was cleared. Both teams were trying to attack, & in 33 minutes Robson had to head clear from an Ossett corner. There was then a long-range Ossett shot which forced a great save from Brass. The Stan countered through Lamb, but Petrovic got out to the edge of the box to retrieve the ball. Ossett then had a corner cleared which was followed by a sustained Stan attack which ended with a Chrisp blasted shot from just outside the box going wide. In 41 minutes, Brass had to catch but it was the Stan who took the lead in the 43rd minute. A ball from a Stan corner was headed back across the goal line from the far post & although a headed attempt was blocked, the 3rd Stan header was put over the line by Storey for his 1st Stan goal. The half ended with a sustained Ossett attack which saw 2 headed clearances by the Stan, both from corners.

The Stan started the 2nd half positively, & in the 47th minute a Lamb shot was blocked by Petrovic. In 49 minutes, Hopper was brought down. The resulting 51st minute free kick saw the ball sent diagonally into the box to the back post from where it was sent bobbling back across goal allowing Hopper to tap it into the net for 2-0. In 54 minutes, an Ossett shot was cleared just in front of the goal. Ossett kept pressing & after 2 corners a long-range shot was caught by Brass. It was then the Stan’s turn for a period of sustained pressure including a Chrisp ball across the Ossett box which was missed by everyone. In 64 minutes, after Petrovic had come out to clear, Lamb should have scored but missed from 2 yards. In 67 minutes, Petrovic had to advance to catch again & 2 minutes later Ossett shot over the Stan bar. In 79 minutes, an Ossett shot went straight towards Brass who got up to catch. In 83 minutes, a ball from an Ossett corner was headed off the goal line by Capewell. In 88 minutes, Capewell brought down an advancing player in the box. Brass stopped the resulting 89th minute Degruchy penalty, but the ball bounced over the line. There were 3 minutes of added time which saw a Lamb shot easily caught by Petrovic followed by a sustained Stan attack until the final whistle blew.

The Stan not only provided a win but also an entertaining & hard-working performance for the Stan Army to enjoy. Everyone in the team put in a 90 minute plus shift. There are 2 league games to go but 1st there is the Senior Cup home semi final on Wednesday night when the Stan host Newcastle University.

Stan Team: Brass (Y); Johnson; Hornsby; Robson; Capewell; Shepherd; Walker (Y); Chrisp (Y); Hopper; Storey (Y); Lamb. Subs not used: Burn; Flynn; Payne; Gordon; Pearson. Attendance 331. Man of the Match: Connor Walker.

Kevin Mochrie

vs

Ashington vs Heaton Stannington

A large proportion of the Stan Army travelled to Ashington by train for the Easter Monday 1pm kick off. Although the team’s own journey started well it was eventually derailed partly due to a dubious penalty and to use another 2 railway metaphors, the Stan began to run out of steam & there was some shunting by very physical opposition. The narrow win for Ashington means that they edge closer to avoiding relegation while the Stan cannot now make a play off place. Ironically the Stan’s win at Ashington on Easter Monday last year secured their stay in the Northern Premier League East. There were 5 changes from last Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to North Ferriby with Milburn, Burn, Johnson, Storey & Errington replacing Deverdics, Chrisp, Walker, Pearson & Hopper. Kane Evans made his 150th start for the Stan.

The Stan started on the attack, but it was Ashington who had the 1st opportunity to score in the 2nd minute when Kneeshaw ran into the Stan box with the ball & rounded 2 Stan defenders but was tripped. From the resulting 3rd minute Gilchrist penalty, Brass made a great save before the ball was cleared to deny Ashington the lead. A minute later & a home player broke again but Brass made himself big to make another great save & the rebound shot was blocked in front of the goal line by Capewell. The Stan then attacked but Alexander in the home goal easily caught the ball. Both teams were trying to attack but it was the Stan who took the lead in the 11th minute. A Stan corner taken by Burn was cleared for a throw in. From it, Milburn sent the ball into the busy Ashington box & although it was initially blocked, Capewell managed to slot the ball into the net from 10 yards to make it 1-0 to the Stan. In 13 minutes, Storey had a ball blocked in the busy Ashington box as part of a sustained Stan attack which eventually ended with Alexander catching the ball. In 16 minutes, from a Burn free kick, a Capewell headed effort was caught by Alexander. In 18 minutes, Errington was fouled just outside the Ashington box. From the resulting Burn free kick into the home box, Capewell was floored but nothing was given. Shepherd sent the cleared ball back in, but Williamson punched clear. After a lengthy period of injury to Williamson, Capewell headed clear a ball from an Ashington attack & the rebound shot went high & over. Hornsby did the same in the 26th minute at the other end. The Stan then had 3 balls cleared as they kept the pressure on. After 30 minutes, a Shepherd long ball was cleared followed by 2 great interventions by Capewell. In the 36th minute, Henderson elbowed Capewell in the head as they both ran towards the ball, but no action was taken. Errington then had a shot blocked by Williamson & Storey’s rebound effort went onto the top of the net. Soon after, Errington broke again & forced a corner. From the corner, Williamson caught the ball. Due to injury, Burn had to be replaced by Chrisp in the 43rd minute. In the 45th minute, Ashington shot well over. There were 5 minutes of added time which were relatively uneventful with both teams having one effort cleared.

Half time saw another injury enforced change for the Stan with Hopper replacing Milburn. In 53 minutes, Errington turned a player & was hacked down & although a foul was given there was no card. In the 54th minute, a Chrisp 30 yard free kick went wide. Soon after, an Ashington player dived on the edge of the Stan box & a penalty was given. Spooner took it in the 56th minute & this time Brass went the wrong way & it was now 1-1. After a quieter period, Johnson advanced with the ball in the 64th minute but his shot in the box was caught by the wind & went over. Errington then won the ball & entered the home box & although the ball hit a defender’s hand, nothing was given. In 66 minutes, Johnson supplied Hopper, but his good effort was saved by Williamson. Henderson then took down Storey & flattened Walker, but nothing was given except a foul for the 2nd incident. Errington was pulled back in the 70th minute & the resulting Hornsby free kick went to Capewell whose shot hit the side of the net. Soon after Ashington had a shot diagonally across the Stan goal, but Brass got a hand to the ball to put it out for a corner. After a quieter period, the home team went back to disrupting things by hacking Hopper down. The resulting free kick from Chrisp was caught by Williamson. Ashington then attacked into the Stan box & although the ball was initially blocked, the 2nd effort was put into the net by Kneeshaw to give Ashington a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute. The Stan immediately started attacking again & as Johnson advanced into the home box but he was floored as he was about to shoot but nothing was given. In the 82nd minute, Chrisp was hacked down & the Ashington player responsible was booked. The Stan kept trying to attack & in 85 minutes Errington shot wide. Walker then also had a shot which Williamson easily caught. In 89 minutes, Storey had a free kick into the home box cleared & the ball went back in & was partially cleared before Williamson easily caught the ball. There were 3 added minutes & the match ended with a Chrisp free kick into the Ashington box being saved by Williamson.

Although the Stan took an early lead after Brass had saved a penalty, it wasn’t to be a Happy Easter for the team or the travelling fans as local rivals Ashington sneaked a win. That is now 3 defeats in a row after a run of 4 wins. The Stan are back in action on Friday night when they host Ossett United

Stan Team: Brass; Evans; Hornsby; Milburn (Hopper 46); Capewell; Shepherd; Payne (Walker 61); Burn (Chrisp 43); Johnson; Storey (Y); Errington. Sub not used: Gordon. Attendance 731. Man of the Match: Max Storey.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs

Heaton Stannington vs North Ferriby

It was deja vu for the Stan as, for the 2nd Saturday in a row, they took part in a relatively uneventful match & lost to a solitary undeserved & unexpected goal to lower opposition. After 4 wins in a row against high flying opposition, the Stan failed to perform to the standard expected of them & although they had a few chances to at least draw, they lost 1-0 to North Ferriby who had few chances to score. There were 4 changes from last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat away to Blyth Town with Hornsby, Deverdics, Payne & Hopper replacing Milburn, Burn, Lamb & Errington.

The Stan started positively & in 3 minutes a joined-up attack ended with Hopper’s shot blocked. After a corner that came to nothing, the Stan had another attack cleared in the 5th minute. In the 6th minute, the ball went into the Stan box for the 1st time but was easily cleared. 2 minutes later & a ball from a Stan free kick was easily caught by Bottomley in the North Ferriby goal. In 11 minutes, a brief scramble in the Stan box was cleared. 2 minutes later & North Ferriby had an attack cleared. In 16 minutes, Capewell gave away a corner from which the ball was cleared. There was not much happening so far but in 24 minutes, Hopper broke & beat a player & although his shot went into the net the flag was up for offside. In 29 minutes, North Ferriby unexpectedly took the lead when, from a corner, a high ball across the goal line was headed backwards by Evans towards unmarked Jones who was behind him at the far post & he slotted the ball into the net. In 31 minutes, Hopper supplied Pearson who shot under pressure, but Bottomly easily caught his effort. After a quiet period, the Stan had 3 attacks in the 39th minute that came to nothing. After Capewell had cleared a North Ferriby attack in 42 minutes, an Errington effort was caught by Bottomley & that was really the last action of an uneventful 1st half.

In the 3rd minute of the 2nd half, a ball from a Stan corner was sent into Pearson in the North Ferriby box whose shot was cleared off the visitors’ goal line. Walker was then floored in the North Ferriby box but nothing was given. Both teams were trying to attack, but their efforts were coming to nothing. In 52 minutes, Payne headed clear from a North Ferriby corner allowing Payne to counter, but he was stopped on the half way line. In 58 minutes, Bottomley got down to easily save from Payne. Soon after, Payne sent a free kick over the visitors’ bar. In 63 minutes, Bottomley made 2 great saves stopping both sub Storey’s effort & Pearson’s rebound shot. The ball from the resulting Stan corner was cleared. Capewell cleared a North Ferriby attack in 68 minutes & soon after a Stan attack was cleared. In 73 minutes, Chrisp received a 2nd yellow card & was sent off. From the resulting free kick, a North Ferriby player headed the ball wide. In 76 minutes, a Burn free kick was caught by Bottomley & 3 minutes later they had an attack cleared. In 85 minutes, a speculative Payne shot went wide followed by an Errington effort being blocked. Both teams were trying to attack but it was North Ferriby sub Aynsley who had the next clear effort when he won the ball on halfway & advanced forward unmarked but Brass made a great save to deny him a goal. In the 96th minute, there was a great diagonal shot by Errington from just outside the busy North Ferriby box, but his effort went just wide. Immediately after Errington’s shot the referee blew the final whistle.

It was a disappointing afternoon for both the team & the watching Stan Army although Errington nearly rescued a point at the very end of the match. The Stan are back in action in 2 days’ time when they travel to local rivals Ashington for a 1pm Easter Monday kick off with many of the Stan Army travelling there by train.

Stan Team: Brass; Evans; Hornsby (Burn 65); Deverdics (Storey 57); Capewell; Shepherd; Payne; Chrisp (Y&Y=R); Pearson (Milburn 84); Walker (Johnson 65); Hopper (Errington 65). All subs used. Attendance 437. Man of the Match: Joe Shepherd.                  

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery #1

 

Photo Gallery #2

vs

Blyth Town vs Heaton Stannington

After 4 wins in a row, the Stan lost narrowly & late to relegation threatened Blyth Town. It was a dull match that probably deserved to be a 0-0 draw but Blyth snatched a late win through the controversial awarding of a penalty in the 90th minute from which they undeservedly scored. There were 2 changes from last Saturday’s win over Matlock Town with Brass & Walker replacing Gordon & Hornsby. Ex Stan keeper De Jesus was in goal for Blyth Town.

On a sunny but cold & windy afternoon at the seaside, the Stan started on the attack forcing a couple of early saves from De Jesus, In the 3rd minute, a Blyth attack was blocked allowing the Stan to counterattack but with no end product. In the 6th minute, Lamb advanced into the Blyth box, but his shot was blocked by De Jesus. 3 minutes later & a Blyth player broke forward but was stopped by a great Shepherd tackle. Soon after, Chrisp also made a great defensive tackle. Shepherd then blocked a Blyth attack again. In 12 minutes, a Blyth free kick into the Stan box was headed clear by Burn. Soon after, a ball from Chrisp on the left into the Blyth box hit the bar & went out. Chrisp then sent a high ball into the Blyth box which went well over. In 15 minutes, Pearson supplied Lamb whose shot was deflected for a corner. This led to another corner taken by Burn but the ball ended up on the roof of the Blyth net. Chrisp then had to clear the ball from a Blyth attack. In 19 minutes, an advancing Blyth player shot well over the Stan bar. In 21 minutes, a Blyth attack was cleared allowing Pearson to counter, but De Jesus blocked his effort. The ball went back to Burn but his shot went wide. In 24 minutes, there was good defending by Errington & this was followed by a deflected Blyth shot being stopped by Brass who got a hand to it to put the ball out for a corner. In 32 minutes, a Blyth free kick was cleared by Chrisp who supplied counter attacking Lamb, but his shot went high. The Stan were not getting much out of the game now & Brass had to punch the ball clear in 38 minutes. In 40 minutes, a Blyth attack was blocked 3 times & the resulting corner was cleared. In 44 minutes, another Blyth attack was blocked 3 times before a Blyth player shot high over the Stan bar. In 46 minutes, Pearson supplied Errington who advanced into the Blyth box, but De Jesus got down to smother the ball but it nearly went under him & into the net. Soon after, a high back pass to De Jesus saw him catch the ball which resulted in the Stan being awarded an indirect free kick on the penalty spot. Burn took the free kick & passed to Pearson, but his shot hit the wall which was positioned on the Blyth goal line & the referee then blew for half time.

The fans hoped that the 2nd half would be better than the 1st which had seen both teams failing to sparkle & basically cancelling each other out. The strong wind which had to an extent disrupted the flow of the 1st half, had died down for the 2nd half. The Stan started the half with Robson replacing Lamb. In 48 minutes, Blyth had a corner cleared. In 53 minutes, the Stan attacked but the Blyth defence guided the ball out. Errington then twisted & turned his way into the Blyth box, but he was blocked. In 56 minutes, a Blyth attack resulted in a corner from which the ball was headed clear. Another Blyth attack was cleared allowing Evans to send a long ball towards Pearson, but De Jesus got to it 1st. There was then some Stan pressure in the 58th & 61st minutes that came to nothing. Following a great Milburn tackle, Errington attacked but was blocked followed by another Stan attack. In 65 minutes, Walker broke forward & passed to Pearson, but his shot was easily caught by De Jesus. The Stan kept pressing although Evans had to clear a ball from a Blyth attack in 70 minutes. Blyth then had a free kick which went high & over. In 73 minutes, a ball from Pearson was cleared followed by Chrisp forcing a corner from which the ball was headed clear & Walker’s rebound shot was deflected for  a corner. From it, Capewell got up to head the ball, but his effort was blocked for another corner. From it, De Jesus punched the ball away but it was then cleared after being sent back into the Blyth box. In 76 minutes, a Blyth attack was blocked. A minute later & Blyth got a free kick just outside the Stan box. Brass got his fingers to the ball to put it out for a corner. From it, the ball went across the Stan goal, but Brass was fouled. Soon after, Blyth had a long free kick from which Brass caught the ball. Blyth then had a long throw in into the Stan box which, after some good defending, ended with a Blyth shot going high & over. In 85 minutes, Capewell headed clear & in 89 minutes Brass easily caught a Blyth effort. In the 90th minute, Chrisp caught a Blyth player who had advanced into the Stan box & he made the most of it & went clumsily down. The referee had not awarded anything & it was the linesman who had his flag up. After a period of discussion between the 2 officials, a penalty was awarded & converted to give Blyth the lead. In 9 minutes of added time, the Stan searched frantically for an equaliser. In 93 minutes, a shocking tackle on Evans saw Dean Nicholson react in the Stan dugout &, after the linesman had brought it to the referee’s attention, he was sent off.  The Stan kept attacking & in 95 minutes, De Jesus got down to the ball just before Pearson got to it. Pearson then attacked again but the ball was cleared. There wasn’t to be a goal for the Stan & the match ended with a 1-0 win for Blyth.

It was an unexpectedly sad ending for the Stan & the Stan Army as they did not deserve to get beat. It looked like neither team was going to score until the penalty was awarded. The Stan remain in 7th & 6 points off a play-off place. They can get back to winning ways next Saturday when they host North Ferriby.

Stan Team: Brass; Milburn (Storey 64); Chrisp (Y); Evans (Y); Capewell; Shepherd; Lamb (Robson 46 (Y)); Burn (Y); Pearson; Walker (Hopper 82); Errington (Johnson 82). Sub not used: Deverdics. Attendance 401. Man of the Match: Joe Shepherd.                  

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs

Heaton Stannington vs Matlock Town

The Stan won their 4th match in a row as they hosted 2nd placed Matlock Town for the 1st time. The Stan played well in a hard-fought match & deserved their win against one of the league’s richer clubs. There was 1 change from Wednesday’s win over Bradford Park Avenue with Gordon replacing Brass in goal who was injured during the warm up. 

On a beautiful spring afternoon in front of a crowd of 434, the 1st action came in the 6th minute when a Stan ball into the Matlock box was missed by everyone. A Matlock player then broke & passed back to another player, but Hornsby managed to put the ball out for a throw in. Both teams were trying to attack & in 10 minutes a Matlock attack was blocked 3 times followed by a longball to counter attacking Errington. He chipped Lambton, the advancing Matlock keeper, but the ball was too high & went over the bar. In the 14th minute, a Burn free kick went just over the Matlock bar. Matlock then attacked but the defence dealt with it. Matlock then had a corner from which a header from a visiting player was cleared off the goal line in a scramble which also saw Gordon’s top come off. Lambton soon after easily caught a Stan effort. 3 minutes later & Matlock had a shot blocked & 2 minutes later Lambton then Gordon both easily caught the ball. This was followed by a Matlock free kick which was blocked twice followed by Gordon easily collecting the ball. Soon after, Matlock shot just wide. 2 minutes after that a ball from a Matlock corner was cleared. In 31 minutes, Lambton easily caught the ball. This was the start of a period of Stan pressure which the Matlock defence managed to deal with. In 33 minutes, a ball from a Stan corner was headed clear. A minute later & another Stan corner saw the ball headed clear but it came back to Pearson who supplied Lamb on the wing, but his curving ball went straight to Lambton. Matlock then had a corner from which the ball was headed clear although there was a foul on Gordon. There were then 2 more Matlock attacks which were easily dealt with. In 42 minutes, Lambton easily caught a Stan shot. Soon after a ball from a Matlock corner was headed clear. There were 4 minutes of added time & in 47 minutes a speculative long range Matlock effort went just wide. The Stan then attacked which saw Pearson then Errington both brought down in the Matlock box but nothing was given. Soon after a long diagonal ball to Pearson saw him cross to Errington in the Matlock box & he was brought down & a penalty was awarded. Pearson took the 50th minute penalty & sent the ball high to the left above Lambton, who had dived the correct way, & into the net for 1-0 to the Stan. It was Dale Pearson’s 20th goal of the season in all competitions. The half time whistle was blown immediately after the restart.

After a relatively balanced 1st half, the Stan started the 2nd half with a late slender lead. A minute into the half & there was some Matlock pressure including a glancing header across the Stan box which was missed & ended with Gordon getting up to catch. In the 51st minute, Lambton collected the ball just before Pearson got to it. Soon after, Burn passed to Pearson who supplied Lamb whose shot was blocked. Soon after the ball went out to Errington whose high shot from outside the box was caught by Lambton who was behind the goal line although the ball was judged not to have crossed it. There was a bad tackle on Chrisp after 54 minutes. 3 minutes later & a Matlock attack was blocked by Gordon. The ball was then forced into the net but as Gordon had been fouled in the process the goal was disallowed. A minute later & Gordon made a great save. In 61 minutes, a long-range Stan shot went straight to Lambton. In 69 minutes, Pearson crossed to Lamb in the Matlock box who was blocked followed by Errington also being blocked. In 72 minutes, a period of Stan pressure came to nothing. In 75 minutes, Milburn headed clear a ball from a throw in then a Matlock shot from the edge of the box went wide. This was followed by a Stan joined up attack which ended with Lamb slicing his shot allowing Lambton to catch the ball. In 77 minutes, there was a good opportunity when Burn sent the ball across the Matlock box, but Lamb could not make contact. In 80 minutes, a Stan shot went over the Matlock bar & a minute later a Lamb shot was blocked. In 87 minutes, Lambton got down to collect under pressure. Matlock counter attacked although Gordon managed to block the advancing Matlock player. The resulting throw in resulted in a great save from Gordon. In the 90th minute. A Matlock player received a straight red card for dissent. In 93 minutes, Lambton managed to get to a high Stan ball before subs Hopper & Walker could get to it. Hopper kept pressuring while the Stan defence also battled well to stop Matlock advances. In 96 minutes, a long-range Matlock shot went high & over. The Stan advanced again & tried to keep the ball in the corner. In 99 minutes, a Matlock free kick was headed clear by Capewell. The final whistle was finally blown in the 100th minute followed by the Matlock manager being sent off.

It was another great win from the hard-working Stan against physical opposition. Special mention to man of the match Dan Capewell & Alfie Gordon in goal. The Stan are now only 6 points of a play off position with 6 games to go. Next Saturday the Stan travel North to take on Blyth Town.

Stan Team: Gordon; Milburn; Hornsby (Storey (Y) 93); Evans; Capewell; Shepherd; Burn; Chrisp; Pearson; Errington (Walker 89); Lamb (Deverdics 89). Sub not used: Payne. Attendance 434. Man of the Match: Dan Capewell.                  

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery #1

 

Photo Gallery #2

vs

Heaton Stannington vs Bradford Park Avenue

Photo Gallery

vs
vs

Heaton Stannington vs Garforth Town

The Stan bounced back from mid-week defeat to beat Garforth Town who were one place above them in the league. It was a hard fought but deserved win with Garforth competing throughout the match on a sunny afternoon in front of 301 fans. There were 2 changes from Tuesday’s home defeat to Redcar Athletic with Brass & Hornsby replacing Gordon & Deverdics. For the 3rd match in a row, there was an ex-player returning to action for the Stan. This time it was man of the match Lewis Brass in goal.

After a slow start, in the 6th minute Burn played in Lamb, but he was offside. Garforth then had a free kick into the Stan box which ended with the ball going well high & wide. In 10 minutes, a Stan attack came to nothing. The Stan attacked again eventually resulting in a corner which came to nothing. In 14 minutes, a high ball into a busy Stan box saw a Garforth shot going just wide. Another Garforth attack was cleared followed by Lamb counter attacking but a defender headed back to Flatters in the Garforth goal. The Stan pressurised again but it came to nothing. Garforth counter attacked forcing a great save from Brass. It was end to end now but both teams were cancelling each other out. In 23 minutes, a Garforth corner resulted in Brass catching but not holding the ball but Shepherd managed to clear. In 26 minutes, a Pearson throw in into the Garforth box was headed on by Capewell, but the ball was cleared. Garforth counter attacked but were stopped by a great save from Brass. 2 minutes later, a great long range shot by Burn went just over. In 29 minutes, Lamb sent a long ball to the advancing Pearson who, under pressure, slotted the ball past Flatters to make it 1-0 for the Stan. Garforth didn’t give up & in 31 minutes Brass got down to save in a busy box. In 33 minutes, Hornsby sent a high ball into the Garforth box, but Flatters got up to save. The Stan then had a throw in into the Garforth box which was headed clear. Chrisp’s rebound shot was partly cleared before the ball was sent back in & cleared again. In 38 minutes, Burn sent a free kick into the Garforth box & a Stan shot went just wide. Garforth then counter attacked with a player rounding Brass, but the ball was cleared off the line by Evans. Garforth then had a corner which resulted in Shepherd heading clear followed by the ball being blocked twice. In 42 minutes, a Garforth attack was cleared. The Stan then had a high free kick into the Garforth box which Flattesr got at the 2nd attempt. Garforth then had a free kick into the Stan box which was cleared. The 1st half ended with the Stan holding onto their 1-0 lead against a dangerous Garforth team.

Both teams started the 2nd half attacking. In 49 minutes, Lamb won the ball & advanced into the Garforth box under pressure, but Flatters got down to grab the ball. Both teams were trying to attack & in 54 minutes a Walker shot was easily caught by Flatters. This was followed by a Burn free kick which ended with a Johnson shot being caught by Flatters. 2 minutes later, a Burn free kick into the Garforth box went straight to Flatters. Soon after, Johnson sliced a shot across the Garforth goal, but an unmarked Lamb could not make contact at the far post to put away a good opportunity. Soon after, the ball went back into the Garforth box, but Flatters got to the ball 1st. In 61 minutes, a Garforth shot went wide in a busy Stan box. In 67 minutes, there were 2 good opportunities for the Stan when a Lamb shot was blocked by Flatters & he then stopped the Pearson rebound effort. In 70 minutes, Johnson forced a corner from which Flatters caught the ball. A minute later & Evans cleared a ball from a Garforth corner. Lamb then cleared again followed by a Garforth free kick that hit the wall & the attack ended with Garforth shooting just over the Stan bar. In 77 minutes, a Garforth corner was cleared in the Stan 6-yard box. Johnson counter attacked with the ball eventually being put over the Garforth bar. In 79 minutes, Pearson passed to Johnson whose shot was deflected off a defender, but Flatters got down to save. In 82 minutes, Brass easily got down to collect twice. 3 minutes later & sub Errington shot in the Garforth box but Flatters blocked with his body. In 86 minutes, a Burn corner was cleared out to Pearson whose shot was blocked by Flatters. In 91 minutes, Evans cleared. A minute later & Brass made a great save as Garforth advanced on mass. The Stan had to clear again before trying to attack themselves, but the match finished still only 1-0.

The Stan deservedly won with a good professional display but had to hold on against good opposition. As a result, the Stan have moved up from 8th to 7th with Garforth dropping to 9th. Credit must be given to both keepers made number great saves to keep the score down. Next Saturday the Stan travel to Yorkshire to take on 3rd placed Emley. 

Stan Team: Brass; Evans; Hornsby (Deverdics 82); Chrisp; Capewell; Shepherd; Walker; Burn; Pearson (Y); Johnson; Lamb (Errington 74 (Y)). Subs not used: Storey; Gordon; Hopper. Attendance 301. Man of the Match: Lewis Brass.                  

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery #1

Photo Gallery #2

vs

Heaton Stannington vs Redcar Athletic

It was always going to be a challenge for the Stan as league leaders Redcar Athletic visited Willow Park on the back of 9 consecutive wins and being unbeaten in 18 matches. An injury hit Stan battled but unsuccessfully as Redcar won 4-0. Although they deserved to win, the score flattered the visitors especially as 2 goals were avoidable & the 4th was scored late on against the run of play as the Stan attempted a comeback in the 2nd half. There were 3 changes from Saturday’s away defeat to Silsden with Deverdics, Walker & Lamb replacing Milburn, Robson & Errington. Danny Sayer made his return for the club from the bench. 

Redcar started on the attack although it was the Stan who threatened 1st in the 3rd minute when a long ball to Lamb in the Redcar box saw him brought down but nothing was given. 2 minutes later & a Johnson attack saw his shot forced wide. Redcar avoidably score in the 8th minute when a back pass was sliced by Gordon & the ball went towards the advancing Boyes but although his 1st touch was blocked by a defender, he put the ball in the net at the 2nd attempt. Soon after, the Stan had a chance to equalise when a joined-up attack ended with a blasted shot by Shepherd which was stopped by Mazfari in the Redcar goal. In the 11th minute, although it should still have been goalless, Redcar were 2-0 up when a counterattack saw Gordon come out for the ball, but it was not properly cleared & Boyes forced it into the net. In 14 minutes, there was a scramble in the Stan box, but the flag was eventually up. In 17 minutes, Lamb attacked followed by a Redcar attack that were both cleared. Both teams were trying to attack on a regular basis but none of the attacks at either end were coming to anything. Things changed in the 41st minute when a joined-up attack by Redcar saw the ball go to Guru & he brought it down in the middle of the busy box & comfortably slotted it past Gordon for 0-3. Soon after the Stan had half time to cover at half time from the shock of being undeservedly 3-0 down.

After a quiet start to the 2nd half, a Redcar player advanced in the 51st minute &, with only Gordon to beat, shot just wide when it looked like he was going to score. The Stan were still trying to attack & in 59 minutes a Pearson ball into the Redcar box was headed clear to Lamb who was blocked followed by Burn shooting wide. The Stan were having more of the ball than Redcar now & in 64 minutes, after the advancing Lamb was brought down, Burn’s free kick was cleared. The ball went back in but was cleared twice. In 68 minutes, Johnson advanced into the box & controlled the ball but his shot in the busy box hit the side netting although the flag then went up. Soon after, a Pearson ball went across the Redcar box but there was no one there to make contact. In 74 minutes, a Crisp free kick into the Redcar box saw a Stan shot but Mazfari got down to block but the flag then went up. Redcar had a rare corner in 76 minutes that was cleared. 2 minutes later & a Pearson shot was blocked by Mazfari. In 80 minutes, Redcar had a rare advance & hit the side netting. There was more Stan pressure in 84 minutes but 2 minutes later Gordon had to come out to clear before an advancing Redcar player could get to the ball. Against the 2nd half run of play, Redcar scored a 4th goal & Boyes got his hattrick in 88 minutes when he got the ball on the right & under pressure shot & scored off the left post. The Stan resumed attacking but the match ended 0-4.

Unlike in the gameshow of the same name as the size of the crowd, 321, the Stan did not leave with a prize or even a Dusty bin. As Redcar look certain to be promoted, most of their remaining opponents will likely have a similar fate thanks to their clinical approach & well-paid players. The Stan can get back to winning ways on Saturday when they host Garforth Town.

Stan Team: Gordon; Evans; Chrisp; Deverdics (Hornsby 73); Capewell; Shepherd; Walker; Burn; Johnson (Sayer 86); Pearson (Y); Lamb (Storey 73). Sub not used: Flynn. Attendance 321. Man of the Match: Connor Walker.                  

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs
vs