This fixture has never failed to produce goals, late drama, some quality excitement, and this encounter was no different. 4 goals, 2 sin bins, both managers yellow carded within a minute of each other, with Stan taking the lead, only for the Cumbrian’s to take the lead, with a spirited response from Stan to gain a deserved late equaliser.

Liam Doyle found Konner Lamb, he played the ball to Sean Reid who set up Declan Bissett whose excellent shot brought out a diving save from Scott Simons to push the ball out to Leighton Hopper with his shot from an acute angle hitting the woodwork.

Reid then had a back header from Bissett’s cross, but City cleared. But on 15 minutes Stan opened the scoring. What a top notch pass from Reid out right to Doyle, whose first touch was not so good, but his next touch was exquisite as he cut inside and drilled a low shot inside the post. 1-0. Unfortunately that was the end of the match for Doyle as he left the field injured, replaced by Jake Turnbull.

Nick Cassidy played a strong ball back to Lewis Brass who was under pressure but he found touch.

On 2o minutes a long ball up field from the visitors seemed to hold up in the wind with Brass coming to collect managed to take out Callum Birdsall rather ruthlessly. Birdsall left the field in some agony, with ex Workington Jordan Holt striking the penalty in with ease. 1-1

On 26 minutes City manager James Nichols was yellow carded and then Dean Nicholson got the same treatment from the ref who was applying the new rules about dissent. 

Stan had a lot of possession, but rarely tested Simons, Lamb blazing over the bar, following a 5 man move, Hopper chip kicked away near the goal line.

On 40 minutes Cassidy conceded a corner on the left, which Jordan Palmer took, with Stan not fully clearing with Josh Simpson, about 25 yards out hitting a fierce low drive which Mark Turnbull superbly blocked.

A new factor for all was 6 minutes of added on time, in which a Thomas Mahone shot was deflected for a corner, from which Jack Dickinson hit a wild shot over the bar

H.T. 1-1

On 47 minutes Mahone was sin-binned for dissent.

A three man man move from Stan was only half cleared, with Cassidy setting up a brilliant 11 man move with Reid fouled on the edge of the area. Cassidy hit the free kick which deflected for a corner.

Hornsby was getting forward more now, some good surging runs, but still not able to penetrate the hard working City defence.

Reid was sin-binned on 57 minutes. Lamb managed a decent run with a low shot into Simons hands.

On the hour Palmer’s low shot Brass turned behind from a corner on the right. Simpson crossed for ex Gretna Dickinson to head in. 1-2.

10 man Stan were under a bit of pressure but Mark Turnbull and Craig Scott were magnificent throughout the match.

Jordan Lashley and Andy Burns came on as Stan sought an equaliser. Lamb set up Reid but he shot into the side netting, Hopper’s mazy run left players in his wake, crossed for Lamb but his header was mistimed.

But the pressure told on 81 minutes with Lashley on the right got to the byline and pulled back for Lamb to smash in. 2-2

Though Lamb had a shot blocked and Reid headed low past the upright, City hung on to gain a valuable point.

Dean Nicholson said, “We have not conceded yet a goal this season from open play which is frustrating. Conceded 3 penalties in 4 games. We are not getting the rub of the green at the moment, which can and will change.”

Brian Pratt

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Only 4 days after they had been beaten 5-0 by the Stan in the FA Cup, Tow Law returned to Grounsell Park in league action. It was the Stan who got their 1st league win comfortably although the winning margin was far less than it could have been as a result of the excellent performance by Tow Law’s young goalkeeper Kyle Seymour who is on loan from South Shields. There were 3 changes with Brass, Doyle and Shepherd replacing Corkhill, Evans and Stephenson.

Both teams started positively with Seymour in the away goal getting to the ball before Hopper in 3 minutes then Brass having to punch clear. Lamb then broke but his weak shot under pressure was cleared in front of the Tow Law goal. 

It was now mainly the Stan & the goal came in 16 minutes when a run by Jake Turnbull saw him brought down in the box & Hopper calmly put away the resulting penalty. In 20 minutes, Seymour made a good save when a Stan free kick saw a header from Scott which was followed by a break from the visitors & a great save by Brass. Seymour then made another great save from Lamb & then another 3 minutes later. The pressure was now all from the Stan & Lamb’s shot from close range in 27 minutes was blocked by Seymour. He saved another Lamb effort 3 minutes later & also blocked Bissett’s rebound effort. 

After a rare Tow Law attack, Seymour caught a Reid shot in 37 minutes & made another great save from him in 41 minutes. Tow Law had a couple of attacks but it was still mainly the Stan although the half finished with a Seymour save followed at the other end by a block by Mark Turnbull.

Tow Law started the 2nd half positively although it was the Stan in 49 minutes who nearly scored when Seymour came out to block but Lamb got by him but with a player on the goal line & another in the way, he passed to Hopper who shot just wide. The visitors then shot over the bar. 

It was 2-0 in 52 minutes when a Lamb cross into the box found Reid who was advancing at full speed and he headed into the net from the penalty spot. There were more Stan efforts on goal until Reid headed a Tow Law effort clear in 56 minutes. 

Tow Law kept the pressure on & in 59 minutes they got a goal back through a penalty after a player had been brought down in the Stan box. Brass actually saved the penalty, but the rebound shot was put into the net for 2-1. 

Both teams were trying to attack but it was the Stan who made it 3-1 in 66 minutes when a Lamb shot was blocked for a corner. The corner ball was sent into a crowd of player & although Shepherd’s header was blocked, Hopper forced the ball into the net. The Stan had more efforts on gaol & in 72 minutes Lamb advanced down the right but his cross across the goal line was missed by everyone. He then crossed to Reid who slid in & sent the ball towards the top of the Tow Law net but Seymour managed to save it. 

The 4th goal finally came in 79 minutes when a free kick was sent into the visitor’s box & headed into the net at the back post by Shepherd. Tow Law came back positively & shot just wide 3 minutes later. The match finished though after 3 more Stan efforts including a Hornsby shot that went just wide in 85 minutes & Lashley shot that was saved by Seymour.

So the Stan have started marching up the league table after their 2nd game although the goal difference could have been far better if it had not been for Tow Law’s keeper. Another solid performance by the team will put them in a good position for the visit of Carlisle City on Saturday.

Kevin Mochrie

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Expectations were high at Grounsell Park, a very good crowd turned up to see the start of the NL season, with near neighbours Whickham, who had done the double over Stan last season.

It was an inauspicious start, with Whickham holding the ball well, but neither keeper was troubled. But an incident in front of me occurred around the 15th minute. Jay Hornsby had fed Leighton Hopper down the left flank, with the Stan player cutting inside only to be rugby tackled to the ground by Dom Agnew. The referee talked to the culprit who had managed to stop a dangerous movement from Stan. This incident was small in comparison with what was to come! 

On 20 minutes a glorious chance for Stan with a great move started by Richie Slaughter, to Sean Reid to Hornsby to Konner Lamb to Liam Doyle to Jake Turnbull, setting up Andy Burn whose low shot was poor to end such a fine move. 

Lamb and Hopper combined with Neal Bussey saving comfortably. Then Doyle fed Lamb down the right flank whose cross for Hopper was superbly cut out by Agnew. Much of Whickham’s play was the use of the long ball, hoping to capitalise. Not pretty to watch, but that is their style. What was amazing was Stan themselves reverted to copy this and not play their usual style.

Scott Robson was often the outlet and he got a chance when he jinked left to create an opening but blazed high and wide. Whickham’s new signing Callum Munroe fouled Hornsby and again the ref just talked to the perpetrator, much to the annoyance of an unbelieving home crowd.

Just on the stroke of the interval Lamb was breaking on half way line, was clearly pulled back and amazingly he was penalised as the offender.

H.T. 0-0

The lively Dan Marriott was fouled on the byline by Doyle, but was it really a yellow card? Kyle Patton took the free kick, low to near post but Dale Burrell flicked wide of the near upright.

On 51 minutes a truly wonderful double save by Lewis Brass to deny Robson. What a great acquisition Stan have got in goal, following other memorable keepers like Matthew Smith and Dan Regan.

On the hour Hornsby fouled Robson a few feet outside the area and a yellow card brandished. Being fairly central Burrell was looking to shoot goalwards, with Lamb back to help his defence. He took up a position which the referee indicated was ok but on the whistle Lamb moved fast to block the move and was unbelievably punished and the free kick was retaken. This time Burrell’s shot hit a Stan player in the wall leaving Brass stranded as the ball flew into the net. 0-1

Slaughter was booked for a foul on Shay Richardson as he looked like what all Stan fans were feeling, indignant and angry with what had happened.

Worse was to follow on 66 minutes when a deep overhit cross from the left gave Doyle the chance to clear. He sought to volley the ball away, with only one leg on the ground and the ball hit his hand. Was it in an unnatural position? No. The referee never hesitated to point to the spot, but what was his view of the incident? Brass was booked for kicking the ball away. Robson netted the spot kick to a loud noise of booing from the home fans. 0-2

On 74 minutes Stan should have scored when a corner was put to Shepherd who headed back and goalwards for Hopper but the ball was kicked away off the goal line. 

Whickham deserved their win, but the manner of the goals left a nasty taste in many a fan. The final word needs to be for Dean Deagle and his son Freddie, who is slowly on the mend following a life threatening health issue, with generous fans rising to the occasion to give £411.24 on the day for Sick Children’s Trust.  

 Brian Pratt

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