Northumberland Senior Cup – Heaton Stannington FC

The Stan had a deserved Senior Cup victory at Blyth Town of Northern League Division 1. They are now in the semi-finals & are only 1 match away from an appearance at St James’ Park in the final. There were no changes from Saturday’s home win over Ossett United with keeper Lewis Brass making his 50th start for the club.

On a cold moonlit night at the coast, the Stan started on the attack & forced a corner in the 1st minute although from it the ball went out & hit the top of the net. Both teams were trying to attack & in 4 minutes a Blyth attack was cleared followed by one for the Stan. Brass then had to get down to save followed by the Stan putting out a ball from a corner under pressure. In 10 minutes, Thompson won the ball & advanced but shot just wide under pressure when he had the opportunity to score. After 17 minutes, it was still end to end including through some counter attacks including one stopped by Stephenson. In 18 minutes, a Blyth free kick was cleared by Grove for a corner from which Shepherd had to head clear. In 20 minutes, Brass sent a free kick up into the Blyth box & it was put into the net by the confident foot of Thompson. 2 minutes later & the Stan were 2-0 up when Lamb passed 3 Blyth players & sloted the ball past their keeper. What a goal. Blyth looked rattled & under pressure & a Stephenson free kick into a busy Blyth box went wide. In 25 minutes, it could have been 3-0 when Lamb tried to chip the keeper but he caught the ball. In 28 minutes, Lamb won the ball & broke forward with only the keeper to beat but was pulled down just outside the box. As a result, Blyth’s Hayton was red carded & the home side were down to 10 men. Lamb put the resulting free kick over the bar. Soon after, Stephenson sent the ball up for the advancing Lamb but the keeper cleared as they both got to the ball about the same time with a Blyth counter attack coming to nothing. After a quieter period although with mainly Stan possession, Brass got down to easily save in 36 minutes. Blyth then had a couple of minutes of pressure including having a shot forced out for a corner in 40 minutes. In 42 minutes, after a Stan attack, Brass had to get down to collect the ball. In 44 minutes, a ball from a Blyth corner was scrambled clear although the half ended with mainly pressure from the Stan.

From the restart, Blyth showed that they had not given up when they sent a ball across the Stan goal, but it was missed by everyone. In 47 minutes, a ball from a Blyth corner was cleared twice. Blyth were having most of the ball now but in 51 minutes Thompson won the ball & crossed towards Lamb, but the ball was intercepted. The ball went back into the box but Lamb’s shot was easily collected by the keeper. In 54 minutes, Brass got down to save. Both teams were now trying to attack but it was Blyth who reduced the Stan lead to 1 goal when they scored in 57 minutes. A Blyth corner was cleared but sent back in & although initially blocked it was blasted into the net by Wotherspoon. The Stan now had a game on their hands & in 61 minutes Blyth hit the side netting. 3 minutes later a high ball into the Stan box was headed wide by a Blyth player. Blyth then had to clear a Stan attack twice before a home player broke but was offside. The Stan’s lead was more comfortable again in 69 minutes went 3-1 up. Stephenson sent a ball from a corner into the box & although the keeper got up & touched the ball he could not hold it allowing sub Richardson to head it into the Blyth net. The Stan were putting pressure back on Blyth although in 73 minutes a Blyth free kick saw Brass putting the ball over his own bar from a corner. 3 minutes later & the Stan had to clear a Blyth ball from in front of their goal. The Stan then attacked followed by a Blyth 2 counter attack which ended with them shooting over the bar. In 78 minutes, Lamb advanced towards the Blyth goal & crossed towards the advancing Anderson & although he had a good opportunity to score he shot wide. There was another great opportunity for a 4th Stan goal in 81 minutes when sub Walker won the ball & was 1 on 1 with the Blyth keeper but lost control when the ball bobbled when he was about to shoot. Both teams remained positive but there was a quieter period until Walker was brought down in the box in the 90th minute but nothing was given. In the 93rd minute Brass made a save & the match ended soon after.

So, it was overall a comfortable victory for the Stan but after being 2-0 up at half time & facing only 10 men they did have to work harder in the 2nd half as they faced a more determined Blyth side compared to in the 1st half. As the 3 other quarter finals have still to be played, the Stan are now back in league action on Saturday when they travel to face Bridlington Town.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington are through to the last eight of the Northumberland Senior Cup – Joe Shepherd scoring a late equaliser to send the game to a penalty shootout.

The Stan started the game on the front foot and probably should’ve had something to show from the spell of dominance. Konner Lamb was played through on 10 minutes, but took his shot too early under pressure and fluffed his lines. A few minutes later Lamb turned provider for Louis Anderson, whizzing down the left wing to cut a ball into the box – Anderson was offside which will have come as a relief to him as his shot was unfathomably off-target.

It took Whitley Bay a little while to get going – but on 17 minutes they forced goalkeeper Neil de Jesus – making just his second appearance for the club – into a low save at his near post with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

The chances kept coming for the Stan in the first half without any success. Anderson and Kailem Beattie both had shots pushed away from a very similar position to the left of the edge of the box in the 20th minute. A killer through ball from Andy Burn to Lamb just after the half-hour mark would’ve almost certainly led to a goal if the flag hadn’t gone up. Just before half time, a long throw found Kane Evans at the back post, but his left-footed volley didn’t have the kind of power it needed to beat Whitley Bay goalkeeper Richie Crawford.

Having dominated the first half but without anything to show for it, the Stan were punished from the penalty spot. There were arguments from the Stan supporters who were best placed to see it about whether the foul took place inside or outside the box, but those protests were ignored and Callum Larmouth dispatched his kick to put the home side ahead.

The Stan’s failure to take a first-half lead looked like it was going to bite them on the backside – as Whitley Bay tried to double lead just after the hour mark through Mackenzie Sharpe send an effort fizzing just wide of the post. And in the meantime, the Stan continued to battle but found themselves frustrated in the final third.

Centre back Joe Shepherd came off the bench in place of Mark Turnbull on 78 minutes, but joined the attack as the Stan chased the equaliser. With one minute of normal time remaining, Kailem Beattie did well to hold the ball up under challenges out wide, before finding space to cross to the back post where Shepherd lurked and basically threw himself at the ball, almost taking the frame of the goal out as he bundled the ball home. To have not lost the game in normal time will have been encouraging, regardless of what was to follow in the penalty shoot-out next.

Matt Foster, Shay Richardson, Andy Burn, Kailem Beattie and Konner Lamb all put their penalties away for the Stan – so it was Whitley Bay’s Jake Forster blazing his kick over the bar that decided the outcome of the match. While survival in the Northern Premier League East Division is clearly going to be the main focus for Heaton Stan this season, the club are now two games away from a St. James’ Park final – something not to be sniffed at.

Liam Milburn

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