Competition: Northern Premier League East

Heaton Stannington vs Bishop Auckland

After a wait of 47 days, the Stan return to home league action a day before the 90th anniversary of the 1st ever match at Willow Park, formerly known as both Newton Park & Grounsell Park. The only statistics that really matter though are that the Stan achieved 3 points, a clean sheet & are now up to 9th in the league. There was sad news though as Stan legend Harry the dog passed away yesterday although the Stan Army all had great memories of him & his flag stood proud at the far corner. There were no changes from Tuesday night’s historic win at Blyth Spartans & Dan Capewell was making his 50th start for the club.

On a beautiful afternoon, 639 fans turned up to watch the Stan host old foes Bishop Auckland. Most of the early action was in the Bishop box & after 6 minutes, Payne advanced down the left & supplied Errington who passed towards Hopper, but he just missed connecting with the ball. 5 minutes later & the Bishop keeper got down to save from Hopper. Soon after, Errington beat a player but his effort was headed clear. In 14 minutes, a Stan attack was cleared in the Bishop box. This was followed by another joined up Stan attack which eventually saw a ball from Errington going out of play. In 17 minutes, Hopper broke forward & supplied Pearson who was blocked for a corner. The 1st Bishop effort came in 20 minutes when Gordon had to catch. This was followed by a Bishop player heading over the Stan bar from a long throw. In 23 minutes, an Errington cross was deflected high by a defender & the Bishop keeper then managed to catch the ball. Soon after Walker broke but was offside. In 26 minutes, a Hopper header was blocked & although the ball went back in the move finished with Walker blasting the ball over the bar when he should have scored. A Hopper high cross into the box was then cleared. Almost immediately after, a loose Bishop ball allowed Hopper to tribble forward with the ball but his shot was well over. Gordon then had to clear twice but the Stan were in control of the game & the expected opening goal came in the 31st minute. A Slaughter long throw was headed on across the Bishop goal by Payne to Pearson on the right & he headed it into the top right corner. A minute later & the Stan attacked again. From the resulting corner the ball was initially cleared & although it was sent back in the Bishop keeper caught it. In 34 minutes, the Stan sent a long high ball up to Hopper but although both Hopper & the keeper got up for it, neither made contact & the ball landed in front of Pearson who blasted it into the net for 2-0. In 36 minutes, a sustained Stan attack eventually saw the ball headed outwards to Stephenson, but his shot was easily caught by the keeper. In 42 minutes, Errington won the ball & broke & although he was fouled, it was given against him. In 44 minutes, Shepherd could not get a touch on a ball into the Bishop box from a Stephenson corner. The half ended with the Stan in control & 2-0 up although the defence had worked well when required.

The 2nd half was a quieter & goalless affair although the Stan continued to play well & Bishop failed to make much of a threat. In 47 minutes, a Stan corner was cleared & 2 minutes a later a Stan ball went over the Bishop bar. It was all Stan until 51 minutes when a Bishop free kick was easily caught by Gordon. The ball was then sent up the other end with Pearson breaking & he made a good shot but the keeper made himself big & got a foot to it. Walker then shot wide as the Stan kept the pressure on. It was mainly 1 way traffic & Gordon wasn’t tested again until he had to catch twice after 68 minutes. In 74 minutes, Gordon got down to easily stop a long range Bishop effort. Walker then dribbled into the Bishop box & passed to Pearson but his pass was intercepted. Payne then recovered the ball but eventually lost it. Walker then advanced again & eventually passed to Hopper who made a great shot but the keeper somehow put the ball over the bar. From the resulting Stephenson corner, Capewell was fouled but nothing was given. The ball was then sent up towards the Stan goal but Gordon cleared. In 81 minutes, from another Stephenson corner, Hopper headed just wide. The Stan then shot just over. 3 minutes later & SDhepherd had to head clear followed bya  Bishop player shooting just over. In 86 minutes, sub Beattie advanced into the Bishop box & was brought down but nothing was given. In the last minute, Gordon made a good save. Into 4 minutes of added time & sub Lamb sent a curving shot just wide. He was then blocked before sub Adamson also advanced into the Bishop box & was blocked just before the final whistle.

It was a comfortable, confident & very watchable victory from the Stan & unlike on Tuesday night there was no late wobble. The Stan are now unbeaten in 5 league matches & continue to move up the league. Unfortunately for Bishop Auckland, who were a shadow of themselves compared to last season, they now sit at the bottom of the table. The Stan host another County Durham team on Wednesday when Newton Aycliffe are the visitors.                 

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs

Blyth Spartans vs Heaton Stannington

After a wait of 45 years, the Stan got only their 2nd win over Blyth Spartans on their 9th meeting but it was the 1st time that the 2 teams had met on league duty. It was a game of contrasts as the Stan romped to a 4-0 lead playing some of the best football that the Stan Army have seen them play under the management of Dean Nicolson & his assistant Andy McBride who have just signed contracts keeping them at the club until at least the end of next season. The last 20 minutes though saw a different performance as the Spartans came back into the game scoring 3 goals. More importantly though the Stan held on to get a historic & important win. There were 3 changes from Friday’s narrow Trophy defeat at Bradford Park Avenue with Gordon, Evans & Errington replacing Flynn, Beattie & Adamson.

A pleasant evening, in sharp contrast to the stormy conditions faced by the Stan on Friday, saw both teams trying to attack from the start. The Stan were looking positive & this paid off in 11 minutes when Stephenson crossed the ball into the home box & Hopper headed it into the net. The Stan kept attacking & in 18 minutes they were 2-0 up when a long ball to the advancing Errington saw him confidently slot the ball past the home keeper Baker. In 21 minutes, Baker caught the ball from a Shepherd headed effort. The Stan were looking comfortable while Spartans were not looking threatening. In 32 minutes, a Pearson counterattack saw him pass to Stephenson who was brought down just outside the box. The resulting Stephenson free kick went just wide but was deflected back to Slaughter who blasted the ball wide. In 38 minutes, the Stan were 3-0 up when a ball into the home box was deflected to Pearson on the left who blasted the ball into the net. In 40 minutes, Gordon got out to clear a Blyth break. In 41 minutes, an Errington cross was just missed in the centre of the 6 yard box by an advancing Pearson. 2 minutes later & Blyth shot through a busty Stan box & the ball was put out for a corner. From it, Gordon punched the ball out & it was then blasted over the bar by a Blyth player when he should have scored. The Stan kept attacking but the half ended still 3-0 with the Spartans looking like rabbits in headlights compared to the professional looking Stan although this was to change later in the 2nd half.

Blyth started the 2nd half on the attack but on 48 minutes Baker had to catch a headed effort from Errington. The joined-up Stan attacks continued & in 51 minutes a Stephenson shot was blocked. In 53 minutes, Pearson broke forward & supplied the advancing Payne who was brought down in the box but as the referee didn’t stop play, he managed while still on the ground to kick the ball into the open net to make it 4-0. In the aftermath, Spartans’ Slocombe was red carded for dissent. The Stan took advantage of the extra man & kept attacking. In 56 minutes, a ball from a Stephenson corner was headed clear but was sent back in & the move ended with Pearson putting the ball over the bar. In 60 minutes, Pearson replaced Slaughter & 2 minutes later Stephenson passed to Pearson who put the ball in the Spartans net but the flag was up. In 63 minutes, a rare Blyth attack saw a corner cleared. There were 2 more Stan substitutions in 64 minutes followed by another joined up Stan attack. In 67 minutes, Spartans shot high & wide followed by a 4th & final Stan substitution. 2 minutes later, a Spartans free kick just outside the side of the Stan box ended with a penalty being awarded for a foul on a player. The Spartans 70th minute penalty hit the underside of the bar but then went into the net. Milburn was then sent off for dissent. Gordon had to get down to save in the 75th minute. A minute later a Blyth free kick at the edge of the box went straight across the goal & out when a home player should have connected with it. In 80 minutes, a Blyth attack saw the ball go into the busy Stan box & was put into the net at the right post. A minute later & an Errington speculative shot from outside the box goes went just wide. Adamson then broke through but Baker got to the ball 1st. In 82 minutes, a long range Spartans shot forced a great stretching save from Gordon. From the resulting corner, the ball was eventually cleared. In 84 minutes, Errington broke & passed towards the advancing Storey but Baker got out to clear the ball 1st. In 86 minutes, a Blyth corners saw Gordon punch the ball clear & it went back in forcing a great save from him but he could not hold onto the ball & it was slotted into the net to reduce the Stan lead to 1 goal. The last few minutes were nerve racking for the Stan Army starting in the 88th when Gordon blocked a Spartan player from shooting. The ball from the resulting corner was eventually cleared by Stephenson who sent it long to Storey but Baker blocked his shot. The Spartans countered & won a corner. From it the ball was scrambled clear & resulted in another corner which ended with Spartans shooting just wide. Into 4 added minutes & Gordon caught a Blyth effort followed by an Adamson shot at the other end being cleared. In 92 minutes, a long high ball into the Stan box was punched clear by Gordon for a corner. From it, the ball was initially cleared but a follow up Spartans shot hit the Stan post. The Stan were just hanging onto their lead although after a Stan attack the referee blew the final whistle to the relief of the Stan Army.

Despite a very nervous finish, the Stan deservedly took all 3 points. They have jumped up to 11th place while Spartans are 18th & only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. The Stan now host Bishop Auckland on Saturday.                    

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs

Pontefract Collieries vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan had to settle for a point at Pontefract, despite having a two-goal lead twice in the game.

It was the home side who had the first chance of the match on 4 minutes, beginning with a long kick forward by the goalkeeper which bounced over a leaping Stan defender, flicked on by a forward into the path of a Pontefract player out on the left who drilled a shot low but straight into the hands of Alfie Gordon.

Less than a minute later, the Stan were gifted an opportunity to take the lead when Pearson was tripped in the box, following a Dan Stephenson free kick from just inside the Pontefract half. Reliable as ever from the spot, Leighton Hopper calmly dispatched the kick after a short run-up.

After the home side failed to make the most of a sustained spell of pressure, the Stan punished them by adding their second goal on 18 minutes. Once again, a Dan Stephenson free kick from deep caused mischief, pinballed around the box with Pontefract having to make several clearances, but they could only watch when Alex Payne surged into the area to seize upon a loose ball. One touch to control, another to rifle it low into the bottom corner.

Having been thumped 7-1 earlier in the week, Pontefract will have been keen to avoid a repeat and rallied to get a grip on the game before half time. Alex Metcalfe pulled them back into the contest just after the half hour mark, on the receiving end of a knockdown following a short cross from the right, finishing with a powerful swerving lash.

The Stan went in search of a goal to restore their lead before half time, with Alex Payne looking to double his tally for the day after receiving the ball 25 yards out from a flick-on, getting to the edge of the box and driving a low shot just past the far post.

With just one minute of the half remaining, Dan Stephenson had a free kick from the edge of the area brilliantly pushed against the post by the Pontefract goalkeeper, but Jay Errington was on hand at the back post to tuck in the rebound for his first goal of the season.

Pontefract piled on the pressure and having seen efforts saved by Gordon and blocked by Stan defenders, they cut their deficit in half on 52 minutes when a free kick from out wide was flicked into the area by a Stan head, giving Jack Greenhough a free header to plant past the keeper.

And by the 77th minute, Pontefract had drawn level, albeit in controversial circumstances. After a Stan attack broke down, they countered quickly and sent three blue shirts forward against four in yellow. A through ball evaded the Stan back line, appearing to be headed for a player in an offside position, and although he was running towards the ball, he allowed it to run across him and into Harry Spratt to his left who arrived from behind the defensive line to get a shot off, blocked, but then followed in on the rebound.

A tough one to take, having looked good for three points for long spells in the game, but it capped an unbeaten September, with one league win, two cup wins and two league draws.

Liam Milburn

Photo Gallery

vs

Ossett United vs Heaton Stannington

A frustrating night at Ossett United’s Ingfield Stadium saw the Stan pick up a point, in a game that will only be remembered for dubious decisions and moments of controversy when reflected back upon in years to come.

Alfie Gordon started in goal for the first time, having signed from Bishop Auckland earlier in the day, and although perhaps not kept too busy, what he was called upon to do was done well and earned him the man of the match award on his debut.

Ossett had the game’s first chances, with one corner scrambled away by the Stan defence on 13 minutes, and then an effort from the left hand side of the penalty area whistling past the far post a minute later.

The Stan’s first opportunity, and perhaps best chance of the whole game, arrived on 17 minutes when Dale Pearson slipped a ball through the Ossett backline into the path of Konner Lamb, who was closed down quickly by the keeper Petrovic before his shot could do any real damage.

Another chance came along a few minutes later, this time Pearson on the receiving end of a long diagonal ball from Slaughter on the halfway line. The striker surged into the left flank, controlled the ball and headed for goal but again Petrovic came out to stop.

Ossett were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area midway into the first half which was curled ever-so-slightly wide.

Alfie Gordon was called into serious action for the first time just after the restart. An Ossett player got onto the end of a neat flick-on inside the area, got to the by-line and tried to drive the ball into danger, but Gordon got down to prevent an opportunity to tap into an empty net.

Ben Milburn found himself with an opportunity in a similar position at the other end after good work to beat a defender. He cut in from the right and shaped up a shot with his left, not enough power or precision to trouble Petrovic.

Midway into the second half, the Stan were reduced to ten men. Joe Robson had already been the recipient of one of the game’s 11 yellow cards, but received a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident.

Despite a man disadvantage, the Stan battled valiantly and almost carved out an unlikely lead on 69 minutes when Leighton Hopper slung a ball in from the left, with Jay Errington just a fraction away from making a connection and stabbing it home.

A back-and-forth ensued with both sides desperately trying to get ahead, with both goalkeepers busy. Gordon took the sting out a long range effort, gathering at the second attempt, and moments later at the other end, Petrovic got down low to stop a fairly tame effort, flicked on from a deep Stan free kick.

To take a point from a game where it felt at points that the odds were simply stacked against them will have ultimately been positive for Dean Nicholson and his men, even if it felt wounding at parts.

The Stan return to Ingfield in just four days time when they face Pontefract Collieries, who are currently ground sharing with Ossett while refurbishment work takes place at their Beechnut Lane home 15 miles away.

Liam Milburn

vs

Brighouse Town vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan have secured their first away win of the season, coming from behind to beat Brighouse 3-1.

Dean Nicholson’s men – wearing white shorts alongside their new Hummel home shirts – started brightly with Connor Walker having a shot blocked inside the first 60 seconds, followed by a missed swing at the ball by Bailey Adamson, then an attempted pile-driver by Dan Stephenson which was blocked before it could test the home keeper.

Moments later the pressure continued, as a quick Stan attack saw Stephenson drive into the box from left back, receiving the ball and shooting first time with his effort stopped by a defender.

The momentum in the first quarter of the match was all with the away side in a dominant spell where the opening goal looked inevitable – just a matter of time – but the balance started to swing midway through the half, and the home side registered their first effort on goal when Slaughter gave the ball away in midfield and Nathan Curtis tried to catch Stan goalkeeper Tom Flynn off his line. One of the better efforts from halfway but no real danger.

The home side’s confidence continued to grow, and on 37 minutes, they opened the scoring. A high ball from the back was flicked on into the right channel, the winger got to the by-line and squared for Kane Richardson to tap in at the back post.

Brighouse almost made the Stan task more difficult just before the break with Romario Dunne flashing a powerful effort wide before the break. With the whistle about to blow for half time, Alex Payne cracked the post on his first league start of the season.

Whatever was said by Dean, Andy and the returning Nick Cassidy at half time clearly made an impact as the Stan came out swinging, and could’ve had a swift response on 49 minutes when an inviting ball from Max Storey on the right was directed towards goal by the head of Leighton Hopper, forcing the Brighouse keeper Acquah into a brilliant close range save.

Hopper and Storey combined again seven minutes later, this time Leighton sending the ball in for Max who controlled it and put it into the six yard box for Payne, blocked by the defender.

On 65 minutes, finally a breakthrough for the Stan and a first goal in Stan colours for Ben Milburn. Dan Stephenson sent in a wicked ball from a corner, and Milburn met it in the six yard box with a thunderous half volley into the top corner.

Fifteen minutes later, another Stephenson corner produced another goal, this time not quite as photogenic as the ball pinballed around the six yard box before finally being prodded in by Alex Payne, also scoring in black and white for the very first time.

The game was wrapped up with five minutes of normal time remaining in some style. Substitute Konner Lamb was dragged back on his way towards goal, which allowed Richie Slaughter a chance to take a free kick midway into the Brighouse half. The Stan skipper spotted Lamb ahead of him with just one man marking him and sent the ball forward straight to feet. A defender to Konner’s left sensed the danger and joined his teammate, but Lamb took glee in using his first touch to control, and his second to get between the pair of them, firing into the far top corner with his third from the edge of the area.

A deserved three points on the road, and back to back wins in all competitions following the visit of Emley eight days ago. Attention now turns back to the FA Trophy where Newton Aycliffe are the visitors in the 2nd Qualifying Round next Saturday.

Liam Milburn

Photo Gallery

vs

Heaton Stannington vs Consett

After a solid performance & an important away point at North Ferriby, it was a bad day at the office as the Stan lost 5-1 to Consett. Last season the Stan drew twice with the team from the former steel town, but they were not able to repeat the achievements or steal a win as they were thrown into the furnace with a 5-1 defeat. There was 1 change from the draw at North Ferriby 2 days earlier with Burn replacing Milburn.

The match was played in hot & sunny conditions on a bank holiday Monday unlike the last time the 2 teams met on New Years’ at Belle Vue in a blizzard. It started with a Stan corner being headed clear in the 4th minute. Consett counter attacked forcing Brass to block the 1st shot from a cross but the rebound effort from the 6-yard box was put into the net by Todd. Consett were blocked in the box 2 minutes later followed by a Stan free kick being headed on, but the ball was caught by the Consett keeper, Moss. Things got worse in the 8th minute when a Consett attack saw Ramsey force the ball into the net for 0-2. Groves blasted over the visitors’ goal 2 minutes later followed by Brass having to punch clear at the other end. In the 14th minute another Groves ball went wide but 4 minutes later the Stan got a goal back when a Beattie header hit the bar & Hopper headed the rebound into the net. There was some Consett pressure in the 19th minute which Robson & Slaughter dealt with & 3 minutes later Robson had to head clear from a Consett free kick. The Stan then had 3 efforts which were all blocked & a 4th went wide. In the 26th minute, a Beattie free kick hit the far post when it looked like it was going into the net. Consett counter attacked but Brass got down to block before the Stan advanced again ending with a ball from the resulting corner being headed clear. The Stan went 2 goals behind again in the 28th minute when, from a corner, the ball hit the far post & went into the net off a Stan defender. The Stan were still trying to attack but there was a quieter period until a Slaughter long ball saw Moss just get to it before Hopper. A ball from Errington in the 40th minute went right across the Consett goal, but no one could get to it. Moss in the Consett goal then made 2 easy catches followed by Brass also making an easy catch. In the 44th minute, the Stan nearly reduced the deficit when Hopper forced a corner. From Groves’s corner ball, Capewell’s header hit the post. Consett counter attacked but it came to nothing.

After a long period of injury, Lamb returned to action replacing Hopper at half time. He attacked right from the restart & was 1 on1 with the Consett keeper but Moss caught the ball at the 2nd attempt after it had hit off himself & Lamb. In 50 minutes, a Slaughter free kick into the Consett box was stopped twice. The Stan were having most of the possession in the 2nd half but the next effort came for Consett in the 56th minute when they shot well over. 2 minutes later the Consett keeper had to catch from a Stan effort as both teams tried to attack. In 63 minutes, an Errington long range blasted shot was caught by Moss. In 69 minutes, sub Stephenson had to clear off the line from a corner. 3 minutes later, Lamb had a shot blocked & Stephenson’s follow up long range effort was caught by Moss. He then had to clear a ball from sub Adamson. In 76 minutes, Brass made a great close range save. From the resulting corner though the Stan went 3 goals down with time running out. Capewell headed clear the initial ball from the corner & Slaughter cleared again but it went out to Daniels outside the box & he blasted the ball through the assembled players & into the net. Moss then got down to stop a sub Storey effort as the Stan tried to get back into the game. A Capewell ball was deflected wide, Moss got down to clear a Lamb effort & an Errington ball into the box was cleared. In 85 minutes, an Adamson ball was deflected for a corner & the ball from the resulting Stephenson corner was punched clear. In the 89th minute, Consett counter attacked & sub Armstrong confidently slotted the ball past Brass to make the afternoon even worse for the Stan Army.

It was an unusually large defeat for the Stan as they lost a competitive match at home for the 1st time since 8 March. A disjointed Stan did not look threatening for much of the match compared to a more clinical display from the visitors. The Stan are back in FA Cup action on Saturday as they continue to head towards Wembley but this time via the short trip to Scotswood to take on Newcastle Blue Star.                              

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs

North Ferriby vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan Army made the long journey to the north bank of the Humber to take on North Ferriby who in a previous incarnation as North Ferriby United played in the National North League. The Stan earned an important away point against tough opposition despite the opportunity being there to take all 3 points especially in the 2nd half when they dominated possession & had a player advantage. There were 3 changes from Wednesday’s draw with Blyth Town with Shepherd, Groves & Robson replacing Stephenson, Walker & Adamson. 

The 1st clear opportunity of the match came for the Stan in the 4th minute when a Capewell header from a free kick was deflected for a corner from which the home keeper punched the ball clear. The ball came back in & the keeper had to clear again. 2 minutes later & North Ferriby won a corner from which Brass caught the ball. Hopper then broke forward, but his shot was blocked & the same thing happened again soon after. A common theme in the game then started when bad tackles were made on Hopper then twice on Errington. In 12 minutes, a Beattie header was put out for a corner. In 15 minutes, Brass punched clear from a home corner although the flag was up for a foul. A Stan attack was then blocked followed by Errington shooting wide. There was more Stan pressure in the 19th minute followed by a North Ferriby counterattack which came to nothing. There was not much between the teams & in 23 minutes Brass had to clear which was followed by a Beattie counterattack which ended with the home keeper getting to the final ball before Hopper. In 24 minutes, Brass made an easy save which was followed soon after by a North Ferriby corner which they headed over the bar. A Groves free kick in the 28th minute was caught by the home keeper followed by an advancing Beattie being hacked down. This was followed by dreadful tackles on Evans & Shepherd. In 33 minutes, a home attack was blocked for a corner from which the resulting headed ball went straight to Brass. North Ferriby then shot well over the Stan bar from a free kick. In 38 minutes, another bad challenge on Evans saw Hogg receive a straight red card. Both teams still tried to attack & in the 40th minute an Errington counterattack & shot forced a save from the home keeper. The half ended with more Stan pressure but no goals.

With a player advantage, the Stan dominated possession in the 2nd half, but North Ferriby managed to stop their efforts to score. The home keeper had to make a save in the 47th minute although 3 minutes later Capewell had to head clear at the other end. It was all Stan for the next 15 minutes until North Ferriby eventually got a corner. In this period of Stan possession & pressure, Hopper sliced the ball over the bar & shot over the bar & the home keeper had to get down to save an Errington effort. In the 64th minute, Hopper advanced into the home 6-yard box but the keeper just got to the ball 1st. 3 minutes later & a ball from a Groves corner was cleared twice. The Stan were still dominating possession & having almost all the chances but without any end product. The Stan continued to attack & in the 74th minute a Hopper ball into the box hit a home player’s hand but no penalty was given. North Ferriby continued to be very physical as they tried to stop the Stan get the goal they desired. Sub Burn shot over in the 80th minute followed by the home keeper being booked for time wasting which he continued to try & do until the final whistle. Evans, whose performance both at the back & going forward won him man of the match, forced a save from the home keeper in 82 minutes. This was followed by an Errington long range effort being easily caught by the home keeper. The Stan continued to pressurise & the match ended with Hopper being pulled down in the home box as he was about to shoot but nothing was given.

Despite having most of the possession in the 2nd half, the Stan could not get the all-important winning goal. Lack of clear chances, very physical & time-consuming opposition & poor refereeing also played their part. 9th placed Stan now host Consett on Monday followed by a much shorter trip next Saturday to take on Blue Star in the FA Cup.                                 

Kevin Mochrie

vs

Heaton Stannington vs Blyth Town

Wednesday marked a welcome return to proper floodlit evening games with the visit of newly promoted Blyth Town. 416 brave souls had ventured out for the game, which was played in increasingly cold conditions as the clouds cleared, and the warmth of the last few months became a distant memory.  Many had been unprepared for this change in weather; still donning short sleeves and shorts, although to be fair most of them were on the pitch. There was one change from Saturday’s FA Cup win over Marske with Walker replacing. Burn. Ex-Stan keeper De Jesus was in goals for Blyth Town.

It wasn’t until the 5th minute that we got our first real action when Errington shot, aspirationally, from 35 yards. He kept it low, but it was well wide of the goal. Barely 4 minutes later, Blyth were one up when Johnson, their speedy No.11, crossed into the box and in the resulting scramble, Fishburn, scored a scrappy goal. Over the next 15 minutes, the Stan started to dominate the midfield culminating in several unsuccessful shots on goal.  Blyth Town’s Richardson, perhaps frustrated by this period of play, was booked for a careless challenge on Errington. Blyth Town however, remained dangerous with their No.7, Millington, having a shot just over the bar after a fast break.  Almost immediately, another rapid series of passes led to their No.10, Giles, being free on goal, who drilled a powerful shot towards goal only for it to be well saved by a diving Brass. After a couple of Heaton Stannington corners that came to nothing, the Stan had their best chance of the half on 32 minutes when Beattie battled past a string of defenders and unleashed a great shot that had to be tipped over the bar by Blyth’s keeper. The Stan largely finished the half stronger, with another Blyth player, Fell (No.5), being booked for a late challenge on Hopper but it remained 1-0 to Blyth at half time.

An early attack by Blyth in the second half led to a goalmouth scramble, not unlike their first goal, but thankfully in this case it was successfully defended.  Soon after, Errington picked up a yellow card for holding a Blyth player back who had beaten him in a challenge and was heading to the Stan box.  Heaton Stannington then made two successive substitutions: Storey for Adamson and Burn for Beattie, with Stephenson then moving to left back. These substitutions quickly paid off for the Stan with Burn scoring from close range on the 59th minute following a long throw-in from Slaughter which was flicked on at the near post and into his path. The status quo did not last long, as within 5 minutes, Millington scored a second goal for Blyth after some strong play from Giles. Two minutes later after a Hopper attack down the right and into the penalty box, Heaton Stannington were awarded a penalty, when his run was prematurely ended following a reckless challenge by a Blyth defender. Hopper duly converted the penalty to make it 2-2. It was end-to-end stuff for a period following this flurry of goals. The best chance was on 70 minutes when Slaughter, clear on goal, side-footed over the bar from 18 yards, following an excellent pass across the box from Errington.  On 77 minutes, Blyth replaced Johnson with Lively.   On 79 minutes, the Stan played a ball through the Blyth defence that Errington was first to chase but the Blyth keeper, De Jesus, showed good anticipation and cleared the danger. Into the last 10 minutes of normal time, Heaton Stannington replaced Milburn with Shepherd, and soon after Blyth made a double-substitution: Cooper for Millington, and Nicholson for Giles. These substitutions seemed to benefit both teams, as soon after there were close chances, and important saves, at both ends of the pitch.  There seemed to be another goal to come in the game, but despite a further two substitutions for Heaton Stannington, Payne for Walker and Groves for Stephenson, it failed to materialise.

A draw seemed to be a fair result for two teams who played entertaining and clean football. The Stan now travel in the league on Saturday to North Ferriby.             

Neil Gammack / Ben Sartain

Photo Gallery

vs

Redcar Athletic vs Heaton Stannington

After a win in both their opening FA Cup & league matches, the Stan travelled to Redcar on the North Yorkshire coast. Unfortunately, it was not be a happy day out at the seaside as Redcar Athletic comfortably defeated the Stan 3-0. The Steelmen are now top of the league & their victory was aided by a poor performance by the Stan in the 2nd half. There were 2 changes from Saturday’s win with Burn & Errington replacing Slaughter & Adamson.

A beautiful evening at a picturesque coastal setting opened with a 1st minute header by Milburn, supplied by Stephenson, being caught by the home keeper. There was more Stan pressure until Redcar shot wide under pressure in the 4th minute. Redcar attacked again 2 minutes later & the move ended with Brass easily catching. Soon after he had to block an effort followed by Capewell clearing a rebound shot off the line. The Stan then had to clear again. It was then end to end for a while with Pearson putting the ball just wide under pressure in the 16th minute. 2 minutes later & a Redcar effort was deflected over the bar for a corner. In the 20th minute, a good Redcar shot was stopped by a great save by Brass. Hopper countered but eventually lost the ball. From the 24th minute, there was 3 minutes of sustained Stan pressure followed by Redcar shooting just over the bar at the other end. In 29 minutes, Pearson advanced under pressure with the ball & got passed the keeper, but a defender put the ball out for a corner. There was then more Stan pressure including Burn putting a free kick over the bar in 33 minutes. Both teams continued to try & attack as the ball went up & down the pitch. In 42 minutes, an Errington cross to Pearson in the box deflected off a defender then himself before going just wide. 2 minutes later & a Redcar speculative long-range effort hit the crossbar. The Stan finished the half better than they started it & were looking on top & into added time Hopper beat 2 men & passed to Errington in the corner & via Pearson the ball got to Beattie, but he shot wide. The half finished with Hopper advancing with the ball again, but Errington couldn’t connect with his cross.

The 2nd half started with both teams trying to get forward when they could. The stalemate was broken though in 50 minutes when a Redcar attack saw the ball crossed into the 6-yard box from the side & was headed into the net by Round. It was the 1st competitive goal that the Stan had conceded this season. Redcar continued to attack & Brass easily caught a long-range shot. A 4 player Stan attack was then headed clear. Both teams continued to try & threaten each other’s defences although it was Redcar who came closest in 60 minutes when, from a corner, they headed wide. In the 63rd minute, a minute after Shepherd was replaced by Payne, a defensive error allowed Boyes to get 1 on 1 with Brass & he shot past him to make it 2-0 to Redcar. In 64 minutes, a Stan throw in into the Redcar box saw their keeper collide with Hopper, but nothing was given. Both teams continued to try to attack but it was Redcar, who scored again in 73 minutes immediately after 3 Stan substitutions. From a throw in, Boyes advanced & slotted the ball into the Stan net. Both teams kept trying to attack but the Stan appeared less threatening in the last 15 minutes of the match. In 79 minutes, a Redcar header hit the Stan bar. The rebound shot was blocked in the 6yard box & the 2nd one was put wide by a Redcar player. In 81 minutes Brass caught a long range effort. He then had to make a good close range save. After more Redcar pressure, sub Storey did have a shot blocked just before the final whistle.

An unusually below par performance by the Stan, but mainly in the 2nd half, saw them return from the seaside with the football equivalent of a soaking & sand in their sandwiches. On the night they were beaten by the better team. On a positive note, this was only the Stan’s 2nd away defeat of 2025. The club have the chance to bounce back on Saturday as they rejoin their journey towards Wembley when they host Marske United in the FA Cup.

Kevin Mochrie

vs