Competition: Northern Premier League East

Silsden vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan made the long mid-week journey to West Yorkshire for their 2nd away league game of the season & also their 2nd in 3 days. Although they had opportunities to take all 3 points, they kept a clean sheet & earned an important away point which is one more than they came away with from Silsden last season. There was one change from Saturday’s away defeat at Lincoln with Hopper replacing Walker.

The match started with Silsden attacking but they shot high & wide over the Stan goal. The Stan then broke but the home keeper Brown collected the ball. It was then back to pressure from Silsden wit them shooting wide & soon after the Stan had to clear another attack. The home pressure continued until the 6th minute when Shepherd headed wide from a Stan corner. After a Silsden off-side move, Pearson broke forward in the 9th minute, but Brown got to the ball 1st. It was end to end now & in the 11th minute a ball from Giraud to Hopper was deflected wide by a defender. In the 14th minute, a joined-up Stan attack eventually ended with Gascoigne shooting high & wide. In 19 minutes, Kanda shot wide, but the ball was deflected out for a Stan corner that came to nothing. 2 minutes later & Djalo won the ball & passed it to Gascoigne but his effort went high & wide. In 23 minutes, a ball into the Stan box from a Silsden free kick was missed by everyone & then cleared by Evans. The Stan then advanced through Djalo but the ball was cleared allowing Silsden to counter but the attack was stopped by Shepherd. In 25 minutes, the Stan forced a corner taken by Giraud. From it, Djalo nearly scored when his header from just in front of the goal line was cleared for another corner from which the ball went wide & out. Soon after, Silsden broke but the ball was eventually cleared. It was end to end again & in 27 minutes Silsden forced a corner from which Djalo headed clear. The ball came back in, but Lister got up to catch. The Stan then attacked with Evans supplying the advancing Pearson but his shot went wide under pressure. In 30 minutes, both Giraud & Hopper were hacked down after the referee had played advantage. The resulting free kick saw the ball cleared & led to a Stan throw in. It was taken by Pearson who sent it long into the home box but Hopper shot wide. In 35 minutes, a ball into the home box from man of the match Chrisp was cleared. 4 minutes later & a Silsden attack ended with an overhead kick which sent the ball over the Stan bar. The Stan then had a shot which Brown caught at the 2nd attempt. Both teams continued to try to attack although the half ended 0-0 which reflected the even nature of the 1st half.

A quieter start to the 2nd half saw a Stan attack cleared in the 49th minute & 2 minutes later another Stan attack eventually saw the ball go wide. Both teams were trying to attack but were cancelling each other out. In 67 minutes, Silsden did create some danger when they sent a ball across the Stan goal but it was cleared. The Stan had a good opportunity in the 70th minute when Hopper sent the ball into the home box, but it was missed by Djalo in front of goal. Hopper then supplied the advancing Evans, but he collided with Brown as he tried to shoot & was undeservedly booked. It was mainly pressure from the Stan now but with no end product. In 75 minutes though a Silsden player broke but Lister easily cleared. Soon after the ball was sent forward to an advancing Silsden player but he missed when trying to connect with it. In 82 minutes, sub Errington advanced & crossed into the home box but the ball was put out for a corner. From it, Errington shot just wide. In 86 minutes, Errington was brought down. The resulting Chrisp free kick was punched clear by Brown. In 89 minutes, Errington shot over the home bar. Sub Boothroyd then broke & managed to get into the home box & shoot under pressure from a tight angle, but Brown caught his effort. Into 4 minutes of added time & Silsden broke & shot but the ball was deflected for a corner. In 94 minutes, the advancing Boothroyd was brought down but nothing was given. The Stan attacked again but the ball was cleared followed by the final whistle.

After a fairly even 1st half, the 2nd half saw mainly pressure from the Stan but with only a limited number of clear chances to score although they failed to convert any into goals. The Stan are now 7th in the league. On Saturday they are on the road for the 3rd time in a row but this time they are on FA Cup duty as they visit Kendal Town on the 1st step of the road to Wembley.

Stan Team: Lister; Evans (Y); Chrisp (Y); Kanda; Fil; Shepherd; Gascoigne (Walker 71); Hopper (Boothroyd 71); Pearson (Errington 61); Giraud; Djalo. Subs not used: Morris; Enwere. Attendance: 177. Man of the Match: JJ Chrisp.

Kevin Mochrie

0 vs 0

Lincoln United vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan made the long journey to Lincoln for their 1st away match of the season. Unbeaten in their 1st two league matches, the Stan were very unlucky to return North empty handed after putting in a good performance for most of the match. There was one change from Tuesday’s draw with Guisborough with Evans replacing Milburn.

After a relatively quiet start from both teams, the Stan attacked in the 9th minute but it was blocked. 4 minutes later & a cross to Pearson who had advanced into the home box saw him brought down but nothing was given. In 27 minutes, a Lincoln attack was cleared out to the edge of the Stan box, but Moran advanced forward again unmarked & slotted the ball past Lister. In 34 minutes, the Stan were surprisingly 2-0 down when a Lincoln attack ended with Armond putting the ball in the Stan net. 2 minutes later & Lister had to save a Lincoln free kick. It was then back to Stan pressure & it paid off in the 40th minute. A Lincoln goal kick saw the ball go to the Stan & Djalo sent a great ball to the advancing Gascoigne out on the left who blasted the ball from 30 yards into the home net. It was a fantastic goal & his 3rd in 3 games. Both teams ended the half trying to attack but Lincoln were in front thanks to their 2 early unexpected goals.

The 2nd half started more quietly but with mainly Stan possession & pressure. In 60 minutes, Shepherd headed over the Lincoln bar from a free kick. In 74 minutes, a speculative Giraud long range effort went just over the home bar. 3 minutes later & sub Hopper came close when he put the ball over the Lincoln bar from a sub Boothroyd long throw in. The Stan pressure continued into added time, but they couldn’t find the all important equalising goal & Lincoln held on for a narrow victory.

Apart from a 7-minute spell in the 1st half when Lincoln scored both their goals, the Stan dominated much of the match & should have got at least a draw. Manager Dean Nicholson was upbeat though post-match when he stated that ‘We take it on the chin, but we bounce into Tuesday with all of the positives.’ The Stan are on the road again in 3 days when they travel on Tuesday night to Silsden in West Yorkshire.

Stan Team: Lister; Evans (Boothroyd 75); Chrisp (Y); Kanda; Fil; Shepherd; Gascoigne (Errington 75); Walker (Morris 86); Pearson (Hopper 74); Giraud; Djalo. Sub not used: Milburn. Attendance: 190. Man of the Match: Cyril Giraud.

Kevin Mochrie

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2 vs 1

Heaton Stannington vs Guisborough Town

The Stan’s 2nd league game of the season came 3 days after their 1st & they were again hosts when newly promoted & former Northern League rivals Guisborough Town visited from Teesside. A hard fought came saw the visitors determined to not give the Stan any space but although they went behind, the Stan equalised & deserved at least the draw. This was Guisborough’s 1st league game at tier 4 as Saturday had seen them beaten in the FA Cup. There was 1 change from Saturday’s 2-0 win over Stocksbridge with Milburn replacing Capewell. Ex-Stan player Alex Payne started for Guisborough.

Both teams started positively & the action was initially fast & furious. In the 5th minute, Lister saved a shot which went straight towards him. Pearson then broke through at the other end but Catterick in the Guisborough goal got to the ball 1st. The 1st booking came for the visitors’ Willshaw in the 6th minute for a tackle on Shepherd. The resulting free kick by Pearson went straight to Catterick. The visitors countered, forcing a corner from which Lister easily caught. After a quieter period, Guisborough forced a corner in the 17th minute. From it, the ball went to the far side of the Stan goal & was headed back towards the goal to Ben Errington who slotted the ball into the Stan net. The Stan attacked through Djalo in the 21st minute but there were 2 blocks. In the 23rd minute, Giraud passed to Gascoigne on the right who volleyed the ball into the net for his 2nd goal in 2 games. Both teams continued to try & attack, but it was Guisborough who next threatened when in the 28th minute Lister got out to head clear. Soon after, a Guisborough player shot just wide. 2 minutes after that, Catterick also had to come out to catch from a Stan effort. In the 34th minute Lister was out again to catch as the match was back to being played at a high tempo. In 36 minutes, a Stan free kick from the half way line was punched clear by Catterick. 3 minutes later & a cross to a Guisborough player in the Stan box saw him head the ball over the Stan bar. In the 40th minute, Giraud advanced into the Guisborough box, but Catterick grabbed the ball. In 43 minutes, Djalo tried a speculative volley from just outside the centre circle but the ball went over the visitors’ bar. In 45 minutes, Guisborough headed over the Stan bar from a corner.

Although the 2nd half started with mainly pressure from the Stan, it was a relatively quiet period until the Stan had a free kick cleared in the 53rd minute twice. 5 minutes later & Guisborough had an attack cleared. In the 59th minute, a Chrisp ball into the Guisborough box was headed clear & was blocked when sent back in 3 times. In 60 minutes, Lister sent the ball up towards Djalo but a defender headed clear before he could get to it. There was more Stan pressure with both Giraud & Chrisp having efforts cleared. In 67 minutes, after 2 Stan attacks, Guisborough countered & hit the Stan side netting under pressure. Soon after, a speculative long range Guisborough effort went well over the Stan bar. 2 minutes later a Guisborough player broke forward but was dealt with by the Stan defence. In 71 minutes, a ball into Pearson in the visitors’ box saw his header blocked & put out for a corner from which the ball was cleared. Guisborough countered but Lister got out to clear. Most of the threat was now coming from the Stan although it was not coming to much. In 76 minutes, Guisborough tried a speculative shot from a free kick from half way as Lister was off his line but the ball went wide. In 81 minutes, a Guisborough free kick was easily caught by Lister. 3 minutes later & a Guisborough shot from just outside the Stan box went just wide. In 86 minutes, Lister got down to save from a Guisborough free kick. The match was now end to end with both teams knowing that probably one more goal would win the match for either of them. There were a few chances for the Stan just before 5 minutes of added time began. In 93 minutes, the Stan came close to scoring when they forced a corner from which the ball went through the crowded 6-yard box but was sent back in & headed off the line by a Guisborough defender. The match finished with a sustained Stan attack which itself ended with Walker shooting wide.

Although the Stan came close to scoring late on, a draw was an acceptable result against difficult opposition. Most of Guisborough’s chances though were from distance. So overall a good start to the season & the Stan are unbeaten & 2nd on goal difference even if there is still a long way to go. The Stan’s 1st away league fixture is next, on Saturday, when they travel to Lincoln United.

Stan Team: Lister; Fil; Chrisp (Boothroyd 89); Kanda (Y); Milburn (Y); Shepherd; Gascoigne (Hopper 86); Walker (Y); Pearson; Giraud; Djalo (Errington 66). Subs not used. Storey; Morris. Attendance: 459. Man of the Match: JJ Chrisp.

Kevin Mochrie

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1 vs 1

Heaton Stannington vs Stocksbridge Park Steels

After 7 pre-season friendlies, which saw the Stan remain undefeated, they kicked off the season with a comfortable 2-0 league win over Stocksbridge Park Steels who have rejoined the league after relegation following their 1-year absence in the Premier Division. The day though was also tinged with sadness due to the sudden loss of club legend Bill Colwill last Sunday. Nearly half a century of involvement with the Stan saw Bill take on almost every role at the club including player, manager, secretary, chair & most recently trustee. His family & friends attended the match & there was a minute of applause to remember & salute Bill.

The match, which was played in bright sunshine, saw the competitive debut for 6 new signings Lister, Fil, Kanda, Gascoigne, Giraud & Djalo. There was also a debut from the bench for 2 further new signings Morris & former Stan A player Boothroyd.

Both teams started positively, although after a counterattack by the visitors in the 4th minute, the next 3 attacks that were cleared were from the Stan. In the 16th minute, a joined-up Steels attack ended with Ward hitting the ball over the Stan bar. Soon after, Ward broke forward & Lister had to come out to make a great save. The visitors then broke again but the Stan countered & won a corner. Soon after a Stan deflected cross was caught by Townsend in the visitors’ goal. After 26 minutes, a speculative Steels long range effort saw Lister catch at the 2nd attempt. 2 minutes later & a Steels player headed out to give the Stan a corner. From it, the ball was headed clear but then was sent back in by Giraud to Capewell who slid in towards the right-hand post & sent the ball across the Steels goal line to Djalo but he couldn’t get his shot in. In 33 minutes, Lister had to get out to clear. Soon after, Gascoigne won the ball in the middle of the park & advanced & passed to Pearson who supplied the advancing Giraud who shot just wide from just outside the box. A Steels player then broke but Lister got out to confidently clear. The best move of the game so far came in the 40th minute when a Steels free kick into the Stan box was headed just wide. Another Steels attack was then deflected by Djalo for a corner. From it, there was a scramble in the 6 yard box with the ball eventually going wide. In the 43rd minute, a Stan attack went wide. There was a dramatic finish to a relatively quiet 1st half when Pearson advanced into the visitors’ box & was brought down by Townsend but only a corner was given when Pearson & most of the crowd expected a penalty. From it, Thompson got down to grab the ball from among a scramble.

The Stan started the 2nd half hungry to take the lead & in the 47th minute Pearson advanced & lobbed Thompson but the ball went just wide. A minute later & it was de ja vu when a longball to the advancing Pearson saw him try to chip Townsend, but the keeper managed to catch the ball. In 51 minutes, another Stan penalty claim was waved away. 2 minutes later & a Stan ball into the Steels box was headed clear. In the 55th minute the Stan were in the lead when a fantastic diagonal shot by Gascoigne went off the far post & into the Steels’ net. 2 minutes later & a Steels player headed out for a Stan corner. In the 60th minute, Lister easily caught from a Steels corner. Although at half time it felt like it might just take 1 goal to decide the match, the Stan were 2-0 up in the 61st minute when a 30-yard Giraud shot deflected off a Steels player & into the net. Nice one Cyril. Both teams were trying to attack & in 67 minutes Pearson was blocked but nothing was given although Walker managed to get the ball & advance into the visitors’ box, but his shot was deflected for a corner. The ball from the corner was deflected for a 2nd corner that came to nothing. In 72 minutes, Giraud advanced & passed to Djalo but he shot just wide. There was more pressure from the Stan before Lister had to get down in the 75th minute to catch the ball. After a quieter period, a Stan attack was cleared in the 88th minute. The ball went back to Pearson who crossed to Morris, but he shot over the bar. The match ended with a Steels attack that came to nothing.

So, after a relatively quiet & even 1st half, 2 great goals from 2 of the players making their debuts saw the new look Stan start their promotion push with 3 points & they now sit 2nd in the league. The Stan are again at home on Tuesday night when they host newly promoted & fellow North East club Guisborough Town.

Stan Team: Lister; Fil; Chrisp; Kanda; Capewell (Milburn 57); Shepherd; Gascoigne (Boothroyd 87); Walker (Storey 87); Pearson; Giraud (Hopper 76); Djalo (Morris 83). All subs used. No cards. Attendance: 486. Man of the Match: Cyril Giraud.

Kevin Mochrie

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