Green Lane

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

Redcar Athletic vs Heaton Stannington

The Stan’s 1st away league match of the season saw them to travel to Teesside to take on Redcar Athletic. Both teams were desperate for a win & although it was not a match to remember the Stan did enough to secure all 3 points. There were 4 changes from Saturday’s home draw with Carlisle, with Sayer, Burn, Slaughter & Stephenson replacing Doyle, Hornsby, Cassidy & Bisset.

The match started with both teams trying to attack but with them just cancelling each other out. The Stan did have a corner after only 2 minutes which was eventually cleared. Redcar had the 1st clear effort in 8 minutes when they shot over the bar after some good build up. The Stan then had a free kick into the box which was blocked then Scott shot well wide. 

During a quieter period, Brass had to catch from a Redcar free kick in 15 minutes & 4 minutes later he punched clear from a corner. Soon after Reid, who was playing as a centre half, had to head clear. Both teams were again trying to score but both defences were stopping them including some good work by Slaughter. 

By 30 minutes, it was Redcar who were putting slightly more pressure on, but it was the Stan who scored 1st in 32 minutes. Sayer sent a speculative shot into a busy Redcar box & although the keeper caught the ball, he dropped it allowing Lamb to slot it into the net. A minute later & Redcar were back level as an attack into the Stan box saw the ball blocked 3 times before a home player’s shot was deflected into the net off Reid. 

After a Stan attack that was blocked, Kane had to head clear a Redcar headed effort from a corner in 37 minutes. Hopper then also had to clear. At the other end, balls were often being sent too far & high for Lamb to connect with although he never stopped running for the rest of the half & indeed all night.

The 2nd half started with both teams knowing that the match was there to win although this was rarely put into action. In 48 minutes, Brass caught from a corner followed by Stephenson shooting wide under pressure at the other end. The Stan had started positively but the Redcar defence was holding strong.

 After 54 minutes, Redcar had 2 attacks cleared but this was followed by a quiet period. This changed in 62 minutes when Evans sent a ball into the home box for Hopper but the ball was blocked for a corner. Stephenson took it & the ball was put into the net at the far post by Hopper to make it 2-1 to the Stan. 

In 65 minutes, Brass had to get down to save followed by 2 clearances by the Stan. For the rest of the match, when the opportunity arose, Redcar tried sending balls from long high throw-ins into the box. The 1st one in 67 minutes ended in a shot in the crowded Stan box going just wide. Both teams though were cancelling each other out although a Redcar long range effort in 72 minutes went just wide. 

A few minutes later the Stan had some pressure & in 77 minutes a ball from a Stan corner was deflected just wide for another corner. Redcar then had an attack blocked before a Stephenson free kick at the other end was headed out for a corner. In 82 minutes, a Lamb counterattack saw him cynically brought down. Redcar then had a few minutes of sustained pressure. 

The Stan though were always looking to counter, mainly through Lamb, & in 89 minutes a Stephenson long ball to him saw him chip the keeper but the ball went just wide. 2 minutes later, & another long pass from Stephenson saw Lamb get by a defender who then brought Lamb down just outside the home box when he only had the keeper to beat. The player was sent off although Lamb’s resulting free kick went over the wall & wide. 

Lamb was brought down again in 94 minutes. The long drive back to Tyneside for the sizeable Stan Army was delayed as the referee added on an unexpected 10 minutes of additional time which was mainly taken up by fouls.

It was a stop-start game & not a good one to watch for the 300 crowd, but the Stan held in to win & move up to 8th in the table. Next off the Stan are on the road to Wembley (or metro for most of the Stan Army) as they cross the Tyne on Friday night to take on Hebburn Town.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

vs

Redcar Athletic vs Heaton Stannington

3:00 pm