Season: 2024-25

Grimsby Borough vs Heaton Stannington

While some people in Newcastle were watching a parade, the Stan Army made a 3-hour trip to Grimsby & the team made sure that they went home happy & singing. The Stan convincingly beat Grimsby Borough, with a well thought out & excellent team performance. They dealt well with playing into the wind in the 1st half & defended. Unlike Grimsby who didn’t so in the 1st half, they took advantage in the 2nd half of playing into the wind themselves & being able to attack basically at will. There were 3 changes from last week’s home defeat to Bridlington with Stephenson, Robson & Lamb replacing Shepherd, Burn & Turnbull. Jeremy Perera made his debut from the bench.

Grimsby had the 1st clear threat in the 2nd minute when they had a free kick into the Stan box which was cleared. In the 5th minute another Grimsby attack was blocked by Capewell & 3 minutes later Brass easily caught. With the wind in their faces, the Stan found it difficult to attack but in 8 minutes a long ball from Stephenson to Hopper saw him shoot but the ball was easily caught by Higton in the home goal. 2 minutes later & a Grimsby free kick was cleared followed soon after by a great defensive block by Robson. Grimsby kept attacking & the Stan kept defending & keeping them out. The Stan eventually got another attack in 17 minutes but although Adamson was in on the keeper, Higton easily cleared. The Stan had another attack cleared 4 minutes later. In the 24th minute, a Hopper effort was easily caught by Higton & 2 minutes later he advanced again but was brought down. A Grimsby player then broke but Brass got to the ball 1st. In 28 minutes, a Stephenson free kick resulted in Hopper heading wide. In 33 minutes, a Grimsby corner was cleared & soon after another home effort was easily caught by Brass.  The Stan then had a shot blocked followed by Brass easily clearing a long-range Grimsby effort. In 36 minutes, a Lamb shot went across the home goal & wide. The ball came back in, but Lamb’s follow up shot was easily caught by Higton. Both teams attacked again & in the 39th minute a Grimsby shot was blocked by a Stan defender & the follow up shot went wide under pressure. In 41 minutes, Robson headed clear from a Grimsby free kick & Brass easily caught the rebound effort. 2 minutes later & the Stan had a corner cleared. In 45 minutes, Robson headed out for a Grimsby corner from which Brass easily caught the ball. In the 46th minute, Lamb broke but the high ball sent forward for him was cleared before he could get to it.

The 2nd half started with mainly pressure from the Stan. There was a sustained Stan attack in the 48th minute which include a Slaughter header being cleared. The positive restart by the Stan continued & in 52 minutes a Stephenson long range effort was caught by Higton. It was still mainly 1 way traffic & in 59 minutes a Capewell header, from a Slaughter throw in, hit the Grimsby post. Grimsby finally had their 1st clear effort of the 2nd half after 61 minutes when a ball from a free kick was headed over the Stan bar. The Stan pressure continued, including a Stephenson free kick being cleared in 66 minutes, until Grimsby had a shot deflected for a corner in 69 minutes. It was cleared & the long range rebound effort went well over the bar. It was back to Stan attacks & in 73 minutes, Lamb won the ball & passed to the advancing Errington, who had replaced the injured Adamson, but his shot went just wide. The Stan pressure finally paid off in the 74th minute when Lamb received the ball in the home box & took his time to confidently shoot past Higton & put the Stan ahead. 3 minutes later & the Stan were 2-0 up. Lamb was brought down just outside the Grimsby box & the ball from Stepheson’s free kick was headed into the net by Capewell at the far post & his celebrations with the jubilant Stan Army behind the goal earned him a booking. Soon after, a long-range Stan effort was caught by Higton. In the 80th minute, a Grimsby free kick was cleared & the Stan counterattack ended when Lamb was brought down but nothing was given. In the 82nd minute, the Stan secured their win when a penalty was given for a Grimsby hand ball in the box. Hopper took the penalty & sent Higton the wrong way to make it 3-0 for the Stan. Grimsby shot over in the 90th minute & 2 minute a long-range effort was saved by Brass who had had a relatively quiet game. Errington had a shot easily caught before the celebrations started after the final whistle.

This well-deserved win allowed the Stan to move out of the relegation zone & they are now 2 places & 1 point above it. A win at home on Friday night against Bishop Auckland will see them move up to 12th place.

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Heaton Stannington vs Bridlington Town

After 2 successive wins, it was a bad day at the office for the Stan as this 6-pointer ended up in a defeat against clinical Bridlington Town when, partly because of other results the Stan could have gone 3 points clear of the relegation zone & jumped above 3 other teams in the league. There were 2 changes from last week’s 3-1 win at Ossett with Slaughter & Hopper replacing Marriott & Errington.

On Non-League Day, both teams started out trying to attack. The 1st clear effort came for Bridlington in the 5th minute although Brass easily caught. Hall in the Bridlington goal then caught a Walker effort from a corner. In the 8th minute, Turnbull & Evans both had to clear after a Bridlington free kick. A minute later & Bridlington shot over the Stan bar followed by a Stan free kick being cleared. In the 12th minute, the visitors were in the lead when, from a corner, Evans headed the ball clear but it went back in & Coulson got his head to it to put the ball into the net. After a quieter period, the Stan were back level in the 18th minute when Burn sent a ball through the Bridlington defence to the advancing Adamson who then was in on Hall & he confidently slotted the ball post him for his 1st league goal & his 2nd in 2 games. Both teams knew the game was still there to win & in 24 minutes Walker shot just over. Slaughter & Shepherd then both had to clear. The Stan then had an attack partially cleared but the ball went back into the visitors’ box & Capewell’s header was blocked. Bridlington countered but the move was stopped on the edge of the Stan box by Turnbull. Soon after, Turnbull had to block again. Almost immediately, in the 28th minute, Capewell cleared in the busy 6-yard box but the ball went out to Coulson who blasted it through the body of players & into the Stan net for 1-2. Both teams still tried to attack & in 35 minutes a ball across the Stan goal was missed by everyone. Bridlington then won a corner from which Evans headed clear, but the ball went back in & was cleared after a scramble. In the 40th minute, Walker shot wide through a crowd of players. Both teams finished the half trying to attack but Bridlington had more of the ball in the 1st half overall as well as a 1 goal lead at half time.

The Stan started the 2nd half with an attack being cleared but things went from bad to worse in the 47th minute. A high ball into the Stan box was eventually cleared but Bridlington sent the ball back in & Evans tackled a player on the bye line & a penalty was awarded. Coulson got his hat-trick in the 48th minute when he converted the penalty. 3 minutes later & Shepherd cleared the ball from a Bridlington corner although the Stan counterattack was stopped. In 56 minutes, a Bridlington long range effort went wide. There was then some Stan pressure, but they took a while to get the ball into the Bridlington box & the move ended after Turnbull’s cross resulted in Adamson’s effort going just wide. In the 59th minute there was a triple substitution for the Stan. In the 64th minute there was some pressure from the Stan when sub Lamb was in on Hall & forced a throw in. The Stan were now getting more of the ball but with no clear end product until a Capewell effort went wide in the 70th minute. In 73 minutes, Slaughter’s corner was headed clear & Lamb’s long range rebound effort was blocked. The ball went back out to Lamb who shot again but Hall caught the ball. The Stan pressure continued & a great diagonal ball by Turnbull was collected by Lamb but he was deemed to be offside. In 76 minutes, a long ball from Brass saw both Adamson & Lamb blocked. Bridlington then had their 1st attack for a while which resulted in a corner. From it, a long ball allowed Lamb to counter, but he lost the ball under pressure. After some more Stan pressure, Bridlington attacked twice in the 81st minute with the 2nd one involving the ball going across the Stan goal but it was missed by everyone. The Stan then attacked & Lamb was brought down although the resulting free kick came to nothing. In 85 minutes, Evans cleared from 2 Bridlington corners. In 88 minutes, it was 4-1 to Bridlington when a free kick into the Stan box was headed into the net at the back post by Allan. Sub Errington then had an effort cleared as the match entered 5 minutes of added time. He then headed well wide followed by Hall easily catching the ball. The match ended with a ball from a Stan corner being cleared.

This poor performance by the Stan, including few clear chances created, & no points means that they drop into the relegation zone & are 2 points from safety. There is still everything to play for though with 6 games to go starting with the trip next Saturday to Grimsby Borough.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington v Newcastle United U21

Tell me Ma me ma I won’t be home for tea, I’m going to SJP Que Sera Sera. After a 35 year wait, the Stan will again be playing at St James’ Park although it is 45 years since they have been in the Senior Cup final. A crowd of 1652 watched the Stan take on Newcastle United Under 21s in the 1st ever Senior Cup match between the 2 clubs in the Stan’s 52nd season in the competition. The whole team put in a fantastic performance against their full-time opponents who included players with international experience & some who have been in the 1st team squad including for Champions League matches. The Stan scored 3 great goals, achieved a clean sheet & restricted their opponents to just 2 clear shots. There were 2 changes from Saturday’s defeat against Carlton with Evans & Shepherd replacing Burn & Marriott. It was Kane Evans 100th start for the club.

Apart from a Newcastle cross into the Stan box going out in the 3rd minute, it was the Stan who started the livelier & in 4 minutes Hopper did a 1-2 to advance into the Newcastle box but Harris got down to save easily. There was more Stan pressure before Harris easily collected from a long-range header from a long range throw. In 6 minutes, Capewell headed just wide from a corner.2 minutes later & Adamson ran through, but Harris got to the ball 1st. The Stan kept attacking & in 12 minutes a Hopper shot was deflected for a corner. From it, Adamson headed just wide. Hopper attacked into the box again in 14 minutes, but the ball was eventually cleared. The Stan were 1-0 up in the 15th minute when a joined up attack saw Adamson shoot against the right post but the ball went across the goal for Hopper to tap it into the net. The Stan Army erupted. In the 19th minute, after 16 minutes of the ball only leaving the Newcastle half once, Stanton had Newcastle’s 1st shot of the match but it went high & wide. In 22 minutes, Newcastle got their 1st corner but Brass made sure he caught the ball from it. A long ball was then sent into the Newcastle box but it was missed by Slaughter. In 27 minutes Turnbull cleared in the Stan box. In 30 minutes, Hopper twisted & turned before shooting just wide from the edge of the box. In 38 minutes, Harris got up to save under pressure from a Stan corner. The Stan kept pressing & in 42 mutes a defender did well to stop Hopper shooting. A joined-up Newcastle attack in 44 minutes was stopped by a great block by Shepherd. In 44 minutes, Newcastle were down to 10 men when Bailey was sent off for a 2nd bookable when he fouled Walker. In the 4th minute of added time, the Stan headed wide from a throw in.

The start of the 2nd half saw Lamb replace Hopper. In 50 minutes, Harris got up to catch a Slaughter cross into the box. 2 minutes later & a Stephenson free kick at the side of the box looked like it was going into the net but Harris got up to save. Lamb & Walker were combining well although it was a Capewell header from a corner in 54 minutes that was deflected for another corner. The Stan kept the pressure on & in 57 minutes a long-range Lamb effort went just wide. Stephenson then took a free kick from halfway which was initially blocked before Lamb chipped the ball over the defence but Harris caught it. In 61 minutes, a Turnbull long ball to Stephenson was put out for a throw in. From it, Adamson shot from the edge of the box & the ball went through the crowd & into the net for 2-0. In 65 minutes, it was nearly 3-0 when a Stephenson free kick from just outside the box went just over. The Stan kept the pressure on & in 70 minutes, from a Stephenson cross, Lamb’s effort was saved by Harris. It was still one way traffic until Newcastle had their 1st effort of the 2nd half put out by Brass in the 77th minute. In the 80th minute, a Shepherd effort went straight to Harris. It was all Stan pressure until a Newcastle attack was cleared in the 89th minute. There was icing on the win for the Stan in the 90th minute when a Stephenson free kick from halfway was put into the net by Marriott. There was 4 minutes of added time followed by Doris day starting singing.

Everyone associated with the club was ecstatic about the win & the Stan Army partied into the night. Thanks must go to all the volunteers, Newcastle United for their support & help & to all the fans. As well as a cup final to look forward to, both the win & the performance should put increased confidence into the Stan’s fight to avoid relegation. Hopefully the impact will be seen on Saturday when the team travel to Ossett United who won on Tuesday night to go 6 points ahead of the Stan.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington vs Grimsby Borough

The Stan failed to take the opportunity to achieve an important win against a team 3 points above them & despite very limited goal scoring opportunities for Grimsby Borough, it was the visitors who left with all 3 points. There were 5 changes from last week’s home defeat by Carlton with Marriott, Stephenson, Burn, Adamson & Hopper replacing Evans, Groves, Robson, Errington & Lamb.

The match started positively for the Stan with Hopper, Payne & Adamson combining going forward. After 5 minutes Stephenson got into the box but his shot was blocked & the follow up shot went wide from Burn. In 21 minutes, there was a good opportunity for the Stan when Adamson sent the ball into the busy Grimsby penalty box but Payne wasn’t quick enough to take advantage at the back post. Against the run of play, & with their 1st effort of the match, Grimsby were ahead after 25 minutes when Fenwick scored from a deflected shot. It was all pressure from Grimsby after the goal & they nearly scored again in 29 minutes when Drury shot just wide. 2 minutes later & the Stan showed they had not given up when Slaughter shot just over. After a quieter period, just before half time Stephenson crossed to Adamson who headed wide. In the 2nd minute of added time, Adamson had a great opportunity from a cross but tried to control the ball rather than shoot.

4 minutes after the restart, Errington blasted over the bar from just inside the box. In 54 minutes, Turnbull headed wide from a Stephenson corner. Slaughter then sent a long throw into the Grimsby box but no one was able to put the ball in the net. In 74 minutes, after a Grimsby time wasting attempt, Groves was shown a red card. Grimsby took advantage of the extra player & 2 minutes later they were 2-0 up when Burden-Whittleton advanced into the Stan box & sent his shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Shepherd got a goal back for the Stan in 82 minutes, but time was running out. 2 minutes later Walker sent a great shot towards goal, but it hit an off side Stan player in the stomach. The Stan kept pressing & in the 1st minute of added time Capewell headed at the keeper & the match finished with Walker shooting wide & Grimsby holding on for a win.

The Stan were undeservedly sunk by their fishing port visitors & they remain 1 place above the drop zone on goal difference. Next up is a huge match for the club on Tuesday when they host Newcastle United Under 21s in the semi final of the Northumberland Senior Cup.

Kevin Mochrie

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Heaton Stannington vs Carlton Town

The Stan’s undefeated run of 10 points from 4 games came to a sudden & unexpected end against mid table Carlton Town. It was a poor performance from the Stan against an average team but one that took their chances. There were 2 changes from last week’s important draw at Emley with Slaughter & Lamb replacing Burn & Hopper.

Both teams started positively, including with Lamb pressing, but the 1st chance wasn’t until the 4th minute when a Carlton free kick came to nothing. Groves then sent a free kick into the box but Capewell’s shot, after a touch on from Turnbull, was blocked for a corner which then went wide. In the 9th minute, a Carlton attack saw the ball deflected for a corner which then saw the ball being cleared twice. The ball then seemed to remain mainly in the middle of the park until some Carlton pressure in the 16th minute which ended with a curling shot from the edge of the Stan box which went just wide. The Stan were not holding onto the ball even though they were winning it. In the 20th minute Errington advanced passing to Walker on the right who kept the ball in & supplied Evans who was blocked for a corner. Groves corner ball went straight to the keeper. Carlton then shot well over. In 23 minutes, A Groves free kick into the box was headed clear & the ball went but back in but was cleared again. In 26 minutes, a Carlton free kick was initially cleared but a rebound shot which was blasted from outside the box was put over the bar by a great stretching save by Brass. In the 27th minute, Brass blocked the ball from the corner with his feet but he couldn’t collect it & it was forced into the net by Sargent from the resulting scramble for 0-1. In 29 minutes, Errington was blocked as he entered the Carlton box but only a foul was given in the D. The resulting Grove free kick went straight through the wall to the visiting keeper. 3 minutes later a Carlton free kick was cleared followed by a Grove free kick being caught by the Carlton keeper. Carlton then had a free kick cleared with the long shot rebound effort being deflected for a corner. In 37 minutes, Brass got down to save from a free kick. There was then a great chance for the Stan when Walker on the right crossed on the bye line into the box to Lamb in front of goal with only the keeper to beat but he couldn’t make contact with the ball. Both teams were trying to attack & after both keepers had easily cleared, the half ended with a Stan free kick going well wide.

The 1st 3 minutes of the 2nd half saw the ball mainly in the Stan half. In the 50th minute Carlton shot just wide. 3 minutes later & a ball from a Carlton corner went well wide. In the 55th minute, Hopper replaced Lamb & Burn replaced Payne. Unfortunately, this was followed immediately by Carlton getting a 2nd goal in the 56th minute. The ball from a Carlton free kick bounced awkwardly & went past Brass & into the net. The Stan were back under pressure & didn’t get their 1st chance of the half until 60 minutes when Evans sent a good ball forward but Walker couldn’t get on the end of it. Errington then sent a free kick into the Carlton box, but their keeper easily collected it. In 65 minutes, Brass had to go out to clear. Both teams were still trying to attack but the Stan’s passing & ball control was letting them down. In the 69th minute, Carlton were 3-0 up when a ball from the left into the Stan box was put into the net under pressure by Manneh. In 79 minutes, Brass got down to stop the ball. Both teams seemed to run out of steam & the match fizzled out finishing with a 3-0 win for Carlton.

It was an unexpected but deserved defeat for the Stan who looked flat & often failed to hold onto the ball or complete passes. Off days happen so hopefully this was just one of these from a good set of players. Next Saturday the Stan are at home against Grimsby Borough in a potential relegation 6 pointer.

Kevin Mochrie

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Emley vs Heaton Stannington

With the Emley Moor Tower as a backdrop, which is the highest free-standing structure in the UK, the Stan delivered a towering performance against 2nd placed Emley to earn an important point although it could have been 3. This entertaining match saw the Stan make 1 change from last week’s win at Sherwood with Burn replacing Slaughter.

On a sunny afternoon, the Stan nearly took the lead in the 1st minute when Hopper broke, supplied by Payne, & shot just wide across goal. In 7 minutes, a long-range Errington effort went well over. After 15 minutes, a great move by Turnbull saw him send a long ball to Walker who tried to chip the home keeper but his effort went just wide. Although the majority of the play had so far been in the Stan half, Emley had their 1st clear effort in the 16th minute when a long-range shot went well over. 3 minutes later & a joined up Stan attack ended in a foul for Emley from which Turnbull made a great defensive block. The Stan kept the pressure on although it was Emley who shot well wide in 26 minutes. Both teams continued to try & attack & Brass had to make his 1st clearance after 32 minutes. 3 minutes later & a Stan attack saw the home keeper catch the ball. The Stan had a 2nd great chance to score after Hopper’s 1st minute effort when, after 39 minutes, the advancing Groves did a 1-2 with Hopper but, with only the keeper to beat, his shot went just wide. Both teams ended the half positively, with the Stan having put in a good positive display, although the final action of the half saw an Emley free kick into the box blocked with the rebound effort going wide.

2 minutes into the 2nd half & Brass had to make a great block to stop an Emley attack. Hopper then broke but was blocked. Walker won the ball back but nothing was given when he was brought down just outside the Emley box. After a quieter period, Brass had to get down to save a deflected shout after 56 minutes. In 61 minutes, Lamb replaced Hopper & this introduced new pressure on then home defence. The ball was mainly in the Emley half until after 69 minutes, an Emley free kick was punched clear by Brass followed by the home side shooting well over. After 75 minutes, Errington sent a long ball to Burn in the home box, but he couldn’t get his head to it. After having already shoved Lamb twice, Emley’s Cowgill then grabbed him by the collar & although all 3 incidents happened as Lamb was advancing towards the home box Cowgill was only booked. Emley looked rattled now & this time it was Walker who was pulled down on the edge of the box followed by Cowgill being subbed. Burn sent the free kick into the box, but it was cleared on the goal line by a defender for a corner. Walker’s corner was cleared & so were the follow up shots by Grove & Walker. Emley continued to try & disrupt play, especially through the fouling of Berchil. & in 84 minutes, Lamb was pushed down just on the edge of the Emley box. The resulting free kick from Burn looked like it was going into the net, but the keeper managed to catch the ball. In 89 minutes, from a free kick on half way, Emley sent a long ball into the Stan box which Brass punched clear. The 6 minutes of added time saw the Stan keep the pressure on but the Emley defence was solid. In the 95th minute, the Stan blocked an Emley effort before the home side shot over. The match ended with Emley shooting over again.

Every Stan player gave a great performance & they should have won although they were hindered by over physical opposition & consistently poor decision making by the officials. The Stan are now unbeaten in 4 matches & although they are only 3 points & one place above the relegation zone, getting 10 points from the last 12 means that they are catching up with the teams above them. On Saturday they host mid table Carlton Town in another important match.

Kevin Mochrie

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Sherwood Colliery vs Heaton Stannington

Heaton Stan made it three wins on the spin for the first time, secured just a second away win of the season and the club’s first double in the Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division, but perhaps most importantly, took three points against a relegation rival in Sherwood Colliery.

The first chance of the game came on nine minutes through Mark Turnbull, who received man of the match from the supporters for his defensive work, but probably not for this effort which was a volley over the bar from a corner. Dan Capewell also missed a good chance from a set piece, heading over on 19 minutes.

Turnbull’s defensive prowess was on full display throughout the game but particularly on 11 minutes when Jacob Pearce got to the byline and attempted to cut the ball across the six yard box, but Turnbull timed a slide tackle perfectly, blocking the attempted square pass and then stepping out confidently.

Connor Walker hit two goals against Bradford (Park Avenue) during the week and picked up where he left off 23 minutes into this game. The move started at the feet of Lewis Brass who had just come to claim the ball away from an advancing Sherwood attacker. The Stan goalkeeper played a long ball forward towards Jay Errington, who combined with Dan Groves and then Leighton Hopper who raced to the left-side of the box, cut a ball to Walker on the edge of the area who steadied himself before slotting a beautiful finish into the keeper’s bottom-right corner.

The next goal would be crucial and both sides had their opportunities in the 15 minutes after Walker’s opener. Jay Errington clipped the bar with an overhead kick, and at the other end Bircumshaw fired over from the edge of the area, and Pearce put a free header over the bar from close range.

The Stan would go in at the break 2-0 up thanks to some more magic from Connor Walker. Sherwood’s failure to clear their lines under intense Stan pressure allowed Walker to pick up a loose ball around 25 yards out, find space on the edge of the D before adjusting his body to fire a wicked shot into the near bottom corner, clipping the post on its way in.

Sherwood were resurgent in the second half without breaching Brass. The Stan had done all of their hard work in the first half and just had to defend valiantly in the second half, which they did with aplomb. Fantastic scenes ensued at full time as the players and coaches came across to the noisy Stan Army section to thank them for their support. The journey home reflected the jubilant mood, as belief grows that survival in our first season in the Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division is very achievable.

Liam Milburn

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Heaton Stannington vs Bradford Park Avenue

Just five days after picking up a first win since early November, Heaton Stan made it back-to-back league wins for the first time all season by thrashing Bradford (Park Avenue) at Grounsell Park.

In the reverse game at Horsfall Stadium back in September, the Stan were 2-0 down inside six minutes after a mistake-laden start, but there was to be nothing of the sort tonight as they flew out of the traps and should’ve had a penalty less than two minutes into the game. A free kick inside the Stan half was driven towards the box and eventually flicked into the path of Connor Walker who ran onto the ball, tried to go around away goalkeeper Cameron Mason and was pulled down in the process – nothing doing according to the referee.

Mason would give away a penalty 14 minutes later. The move started with another long free kick which caused chaos in the box, eventually falling to Walker on the edge of the area, who fed Hopper to the right of the goalkeeper. The ball was lofted into the centre and in trying to claim the ball but dropping it, Mason clattered Jay Errington. Hopper stepped up and calmly slotted away his ninth goal of the season to open the scoring.

The chances to put breathing space between the sides kept coming. Just a minute after the restart, Hopper was able to shoot on the turn after a lovely touch but couldn’t generate enough power. There was a goalmouth scramble three minutes later, another Hopper chance lacking power shortly after that, and then another scramble from a corner on 33 minutes.

Typically, completely against the run of play, Bradford had an equaliser before half time. A throw into the box bounced uo to the arm of Capewell, the referee gave a penalty which was dispatched into Brass’ bottom left corner – the goalkeeper guessing correctly but just fingertips away from it.

The resumption of the game after the interval was delayed after a new assistant referee was required – but the Stan didn’t let the interruption ruin their flow as they started the second half just as they did the first – on the front foot and looking to punish a Bradford side clearly not at the races.

Dan Groves, Leighton Hopper and Jay Errington all had good chances before Connor Walker restored the Stan’s lead on 59 minutes. After a good spell of controlling the possession, Jay Errington received the ball wide on the edge of the box, used his strength to beat two defenders off him, drilled a low ball into the centre for Walker to cleverly prod the ball into the bottom corner for his first goal since September and just his second for the Stan overall.

Attempts to kill the game off were still flowing nicely but nothing was going in. Alex Payne had a good effort from the edge of the area which looked as though it was heading in but it skimmed wide. On 72 minutes, Jay Errington forced a big save from Mason who had a very busy night in the Bradford goal.

Some breathing space finally came on 83 minutes. The Stan played an overload on a Bradford throw and had a lot of attacking players high up the pitch. Winning the second ball, it was Errington who fed Walker in the area who raced towards Mason and cheekily lifted the ball past him for his second goal of the night, capping a man of the match performance.

The game was well and truly sewn up four minutes later, and just one minute after the introduction of Konner Lamb from the bench. Some careless play in midfield from the away side allowed the Stan to break with pace, Lamb given the ball inside his own half with acres of space to run into, reaching the box, pulling off a trademark Lamb chop onto his left foot and bending into the far post to score.

Supporters will start to feel that Northern Premier League East Division survival is possible after taking six points and playing fantastic football against two of the division’s top sides. Attention now turns to an away game at Sherwood Colliery, another newly promoted side fighting for their life, as we look to take three points on the road for the first time since August.

Liam Milburn

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