Competition: Northern Premier League East
0 vs 2 
1 vs 1 
Matlock Town vs Heaton Stannington
It was a fantastic day out for the Stan as they made the long 334 miles round trip to the picturesque Causeway Lane ground in Derbyshire to take on Matlock Town for the 1st time. The Stan competed equally with 2nd placed Matlock in front of a crowd of 761. The home side had gone ahead against the run of play & although the Stan equalised they were unlucky to go into half time 2-1 down. The Stan came out fighting in the 2nd half & never gave up. After getting level on 66 minutes, they peaked in the Peak District with a 92nd minute Hopper winner which sent the Stan Army ballistic. There were 5 changes from last Saturday’s defeat to Emley with J.J. Chrisp, making his loan debut, Slaughter, Errington, Stephenson & Lamb replacing Beattie, Robson, Adamson, Walker & Pearson.
The 1st action of the game came in the 3rd minute, when Errington broke & was brought down by the last man on half way. 2 minutes later & a Stan attack saw a ball from Lamb go across the Matlock goal but was just missed by Hopper & went wide. Both teams were trying to attack & in 11 minutes Matlock got their 1st corner which was partially cleared by Capewell & the rebound shot went over. In 13 minutes, Errington broke & the move ended with his curving shot going just wide. 4 minutes later & a deflected Errington shot was caught by Boney in the Matlock goal. Almost immediately at the other end, Chrisp’s trailing leg caught a Matlock player & a penalty was awarded. The 18th minute penalty kick was put away by Wilson with Gordon going the wrong way & Matlock were surprisingly in the lead. In 21 minutes, Boney dived at Hopper’s feet to prevent his shot. A minute later, Stephenson then sent a long ball to Lamb who lost the ball. Boney then dropped the ball in front of Lamb allowing him to put it in the net but the referee blew his whistle claiming Lamb had taken the ball from the keeper’s hands. Soon after Errington sent a ball into the home box & it eventually came back to him & he supplied Hopper whose header was easily caught by Boney. In 25 minutes, the Stan were back on level terms when a Chrisp long ball to Errington saw him beat a defender & calmly put the ball past Boney for a great goal. In 28 minutes, Gordon caught the ball from a Matlock corner. & he easily caught again 2 minutes later. It was still mainly Stan pressure although Matlock shot just wide in 38 minutes. In 43 minutes, Matlock were again unexpectantly in the lead when a player advanced into the Stan box & crossed to the advancing Viggars who slotted the ball into the net. Into 2 minutes added time & Boney had to make a catch from Shepherd who was shoved. The half ended with a great Evans tackle resulting in a home corner from which Gordon easily caught the ball.
The 2nd half started with an Evans ball going just wide of the Matlock net. In the 48th minute, Gordon had to save & he also caught the ball from the resulting corner. There were then several Stan attacks & in 52 minutes an advancing Lamb was brought down. Stepehenson’s free kick into the home box was headed wide by Capewell. Hopper then broke & Boney could not hold onto his effort but Lamb couldn’t get to the ball in time to shoot. Matlock counterattacked & Capewell had to clear. It was then Hopper’s turn to counterattack & he was brought down. From the resulting free kick, Lamb lost the ball & Matlock rushed up the pitch shooting just wide. In 56 minutes, a move involving Stephenson & Hopper ended with a Chrisp long range shot being caught by Boney. After a Matlock corner was cleared, they attacked again in 59 minutes & a long range effort was headed wide by Capewell for a corner which was cleared. After some sustained Stan pressure, in the 66th minute sub Storey advanced with the ball & crossed it to Hopper who slotted it into the back of the Matlock net for 2-2. The Stan kept the pressure on & in 70 minutes, Burn shot just wide from the edge of the box. 4 minutes later & a Slaughter long range effort nearly took out a window in the flats behind the home goal. A Matlock player then broke but Gordon made a great save & from the resulting corner he caught the ball. After a quieter period, the Stan made a great block in 82 minutes. 3 minutes later & a Slaughter high ball into the home box was headed just wide by sub Adamson. In 87 minutes, Hopper won the ball in the Matlock box & shot just wide of the far post. In the 90th minute, Capewell cleared twice just outside the Stan box. In 92 minutes, it was the Stan who secured the 3 points when super-duper Hooper got hold of the ball in the home box & shot past Boney from a tight angle. What a finale. The late winner was the icing on the cake for one of the Stan’s best 90 minutes for a long time.
What an achievement & what a team performance as the Stan rise to 8th in the league & are now only 3 points off a play-off place. They have played 18 away league games in 2025 & have only lost twice & are unbeaten in the last 8. Next up for the Stan is a home match next Saturday against Silsden.
Stan Team: Gordon; Evans; Chrisp; Burn; Capewell; Shepherd; Hopper; Slaughter; Errington (Storey 63); Stephenson; Lamb (Adamson 75). No cards. Subs not used: Flynn; Beattie; Milburn. Attendance 761. MoM: Dan Stepheson.
Kevin Mochrie
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2 vs 3 Heaton Stannington vs Emley
Although the vast majority of the 408 crowd at sunny Willow Park had come to see the Stan play & win, it was Emley who undeservedly went away with all 3 points. There was not much between the 2 teams & while Emley went ahead because of 2 debateable decisions by the officials, the Stan did get a goal back with 20 minutes remaining & although they rallied for the remainder of the match, they could not find the net again. There were 3 changes from last Saturday’s win at Garforth Town with Evans, Beattie & Burn replacing Milburn, Stephenson & Slaughter. Leighton Hopper made his 150th start for the Stan & also scored as well as being awarded man of the match.
With the backdrop of the fantastic new Heaton Stan Harry banner, both teams tried to attack from the kick off & after 4 minutes Burn shot wide. There was then a scramble in the Emley box which was cleared. 4 minutes later & an Emley attack was cleared. After 10 minutes, a long ball by Adamson saw Pearson break with the ball but was blocked. In 14 minutes, Lambton in the Emley goal caught a ball from a Beattie free kick. With 20 minutes gone, both teams were still trying to attack but the defences were doing well. Hopper was then hacked down on halfway, but nothing was given. In 24 minutes, an Emley ball into the Stan box was headed clear by Capewell. In 32 minutes, 4 minutes after a Pearson advance at the other end that came to nothing, a ball from an Emley free kick was headed just wide although the whistle had been blown for a foul for the Stan. In 37 minutes, Robson went in for the ball to stop an advancing Emley player but although he got to the ball 1st, the referee decided to award a penalty. Emley’s Gordon confidently put the ball in the left-hand corner of the Stan net to make it 1-0 to Emley after 38 minutes. The match had been relatively even until then & the Stan continued immediately trying to attack with Adamson shooting in the crowded Emley box, but Lambton caught his effort. The Stan kept the pressure on until half time including a Robson cross in 44 minutes being headed clear followed by a Burn free kick being caught by Lambton, but the half ended with Emley maintaining their slender lead.
Lamb replaced Beattie for the 2nd half as the Stan sought to get back into the game. It was Emley who threatened 1st in the 46th minute when they shot just wide. There was a quieter period until the 57th minute when an Emley player hit the side netting. Hopper then had a shot blocked. This was immediately followed with Emley’s Thompson breaking forward & his long-range effort beat Gordon & went into the Stan net. There were calls for offside, but they were ignored as the Stan went 2 goals down. Soon after the Stan forced 2 saves from Lambton. After 68 minutes, a Walker cross to Pearson saw him shoot across the Emley goal with his effort going just wide. In 70 minutes, Pearson broke through the Emley defence & into their box but was shoved down from behind. This resulted in Emley’s Barks being sent off & a penalty being awarded. The penalty, in the 72nd minute, was scored by Hopper who reduced the deficit to 1-2. Most of the remainder of the half saw Stan pressure as they tried to at least get an equaliser & maybe a winning goal. In 73 minutes, a ball from a Burn free kick was headed clear. A 2nd Burn free kick was also cleared twice. The Stan pressure continued but the next clear chance was after 82 minutes when a Capewell header was cleared. Despite the continued Stan pressure, the next clear chance was in 89 minutes when a ball into the Emley box fell to Evans in the 6-yard box whose shot was blocked. There was a great opportunity for an equaliser a minute later when Pearson turned & shot but his effort was blocked by Lambton for a corner. The Stan attacks continued & Hopper was brought down in the box in the 95th minute but nothing was given. The ball was sent back into the Emley box, but Hopper headed over the bar. The Stan soon after won a corner, which Gordon went up for, but it was cleared & the final whistle was blown as the Stan started to attack again.
So, despite the late rally, the Stan failed to enforce their authority on the match & 2 unfortunate goals conceded meant that it was the visitors who left with the 3 points. The Stan remain 10th in the league but face a difficult & long day on Saturday when they travel to Derbyshire to take on 2nd place Matlock Town.
Stan Team: Gordon; Evans; Beattie (Lamb 46); Robson (Y); Capewell; Shepherd; Hopper; Burn; Adamson (Errington 67); Walker (Storey 92); Pearson. Subs not used: Flynn; Milburn. Attendance 408. MoM: Leighton Hopper.
Kevin Mochrie
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Photo Gallery #2
1 vs 2 
0 vs 2 Heaton Stannington vs Bridlington Town
The Stan’s 6 match undefeated run in the league ended abruptly as they were deservedly beaten by Bridlington Town. They were 3 down at half time & Bridlington looked dangerous every time they had the ball in the 1st half. The Stan rallied in the 2nd half & got one goal back, but it was too little too late. There was one change from Saturday’s draw at Bradford Park Avenue with Walker replacing Payne.
The Stan started positively but there were 2 early attacks by Bridlington resulting, in the 3rd minute, in a corner that was eventually collected by Gordon. 2 minutes later & a 2nd Bridlington corner was punched clear by Gordon but the Stan counterattack came to nothing. Both teams were trying to attack but the Bridlington defence were dealing with the Stan attacks. In the 10th minute, the visitors broke & Capewell put the ball over the Stan bar. Gordon got up to catch the ball from the resulting corner. In 12 minutes, the Stan were behind when a Bridlington player won the ball & broke & shot past a defender & Gordon. 2 minutes later, & an Errington ball into the box was cleared. He then attempted a curving long range shot which went over the bar. In 16 minutes, Bridlington were 2-0 up when a free kick, which was deservedly disputed by the Stan team & Army, was sent into the Stan box& was headed into the net. Both teams had efforts cleared & in the 19th minute, from a Bridlington corner, there was a scramble in the Stan box but the ball was eventually cleared partially & then cleared again by Capewell. 2 minutes later, a Stan cross into the visitors’ box was kicked out for a corner from which Robson headed just wide. 2 minutes later & the Stan again headed wide from a corner. In 27 minutes, the Stan sent a ball across the Bridlington goal & although the keeper got a hand to it the ball landed with Beattie whose high shot went wide. Although there had been a period of sustained Stan pressure, Bridlington were 3-0 up in 31 minutes when a counter attack saw a Bridlington player lose the chasing defender & passed Gordon to slot the ball into the net. In 36 minutes, a Stan ball into the Bridlington box was cleared. Soon after Bridlington had a corner from which Gordon did not hold onto the ball but he had been fouled. A minute later & Errington broke towards the outcoming keeper & defender & as they all came close together the ball flicked towards the empty net & was going just wide as the advancing Pearson made contact at a tight angle but the ball hit the side netting. In 41 minutes, a ball from a Bridlington free kick was headed towards goal but Gordon easily caught. In 44 minutes the visiting keeper got out to clear but after one minute of added time the Stan were left with a mountain to climb in the 2nd half rather than a pleasant seaside stroll.
The Stan made 3 substitutions at half time with Milburn, Burn & Lamb replacing Beattie, Robson & Errington. In 47 minutes, Walker broke forward but the keeper got out to block him. Soon after, Lamb had a shot deflected & although the ball was sent back into the box by Evans, the keeper got up to punch it clear. In 54 minutes, a Burn free kick into the Bridlington box was punched clear by the keeper & was headed back towards goal but the ball went slightly wide. The Stan were more in the match this half but they were no real threat to the Bridlington defence. Both teams continued trying to attack & in 68 minutes Bridlington had a shot deflected for a corner. The Bridlington keeper got down to catch in 73 minutes, & 6 minutes later sub Storey tried a speculative long range effort towards an empty goal but the ball went just wide. In the 80th minute, the Stan got a goal back when Storey supplied the advancing sub Adamson who shot into the net from the edge of the Bridlington box. The Stan tried to step up a gear & Lamb had a shot blocked in 85 minutes as they continued to keep the pressure on Bridlington. In 87 minutes, a Bridlington counterattack saw Gordon put an effort by them just wide for a corner. From it, Capewell had to head clear followed by Gordon punching the ball clear before a Bridlington player blasted the final ball over the bar. Into 4 minutes of added time & a Shepherd header & an Adamson shot were blocked by the Bridlington keeper. . Shepherd was then brought down in the Bridlington box but nothing was given when it should have been a penalty.
Despite an attempted 2nd half comeback, a 3-1 defeat meant a disappointing night for both the players & the Stan Army. The Stan slip down the league but still sit comfortably in 13th place. Saturday involves a trip to Yorkshire to take on Garforth Town.
Stan Team: Gordon; Evans (Y); Beattie (Milburn 46); Robson (Y) (Burn 46); Capewell; Shepherd; Hopper (Storey 70); Slaughter; Pearson; Walker (Adamson 70); Errington (Lamb 46). All subs used. Attendance 288. MoM: Richie Slaughter.
Kevin Mochrie
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1 vs 3 
Bradford Park Avenue vs Heaton Stannington
Fifteen days since the Stan’s narrow Trophy defeat, they returned to the Horsfall Stadium in league action but this time without the backdrop of a massive storm. They came away with a deserved point but could have taken all three in a competitive match against promotion chasing Bradford Park Avenue. The Stan are now unbeaten in six league games. There were two changes from Wednesday’s draw with Newton Aycliffe with Beattie & Robson replacing Stephenson & Walker.
After a relatively quiet start, Gordon made a great save in the seventh minute with the rebound shot hitting the side netting. The Stan then broke forward but Hopper’s shot was easily collected by the keeper. A home player then broke forward & forced another save from Gordon. In fourteen minutes, a ball from a Stan corner was headed towards goal by Robson but was cleared off the Bradford goal line. After twenty minutes, a ball from a Bradford free kick went high and just wide. In twenty-six minutes, a cross into the Stan box saw a home player shoot but his effort was stopped by Gordon who got down to save. The Stan countered & Slaughter sent a great long ball to the advancing Errington who passed to the also advancing Payne who passed back to Errington, but his shot was blocked by the keeper for a corner. In thirty-four minutes, a Slaughter ball into the home box saw Capewell flattened by a home player as he was about to make contact with the ball but the referee waved play on. In forty-three minutes, a Slaughter free kick from the edge of the Bradford box hit the wall and was cleared. The Stan had slightly the better chances in the first half but it remained 0-0 at half time.
The 2nd half was a quieter affair but both defences still had to be on their guard although there were far fewer clear chances for either side compared to in the first half. In fifty-four minutes, a long ball from Slaughter into the Bradford box was caught by the home keeper. In sixty-four minutes, Gordon had to get down to save. Nine minutes later & a Stan attack was cleared. There was nothing much else to report until added time when Bradford stepped up a gear to an extent although Gordon easily caught the first home effort and the second shot went wide.
This important point, & a third clean sheet in a row, sees the Stan in tenth place & both six points above the relegation zone & six points from a play-off placing. Dan Capewell was voted man of the match although all five defenders put in a great shift. The Stan are next in action on Wednesday night when they host Bridlington Town.
Stan Team: Gordon; Beattie; Robson; Capewell; Shepherd; Payne (Burn 57); Slaughter (Storey 68); Pearson; Hopper (Adamson 79); Errington (Lamb 73). Sub not used: Blakey. No cards. Attendance 360. MoM: Dan Capewell.
Kevin Mochrie
0 vs 0