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 1^st 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 2^nd 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 1^st 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

Photo Gallery

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 1^st chance wasn’t until the 4^th 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 9^th 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 16^th 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 20^th 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 27^th 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 1^st 3 minutes of the 2^nd 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 55^th minute, Hopper replaced Lamb & Burn replaced Payne. Unfortunately, this was followed immediately by Carlton getting a 2^nd 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 1^st 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 69^th 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

Photo Gallery

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

Photo Gallery

The Stan’s three month wait for a win came to an end at home to promotion-chasers Dunston in the second of three back-to-back games at Grounsell Park, following a disappointing defeat to Pontefract Collieries just three nights prior.

Having been a substitute for the last three games, Leighton Hopper was recalled to the starting eleven and showed why he deserved his spot in the side, being an integral part of the attack from the off. Just as they did on Tuesday, the Stan started on the front foot. On 3 minutes, Hopper cut in from the left, fired an effort which was destined for the goal, but blocked en route by his teammate Jay Errington.

Unlike the Pontefract game, the Stan didn’t then concede and instead continued piling on the pressure, not giving Dunston a moment to breathe. Hopper was a huge part of every good opportunity in the early stages, forcing two saves from goalkeeper Dan Lowson and almost turning provider at the end of one of his trademark mazy runs but his pass was intercepted before it could result in a chance.

Andy Burn also had opportunities to score in the first half, with one wide, one over the bar and one straight at the goalkeeper. He was a key part of a midfield and forward line who pressed the opposition at every opportunity and dictated the high tempo of the game.

Dunston failed to register a meaningful effort on goal in the first half, but came out stronger in the second half and did lightly test Stan goalkeeper Lewis Brass in the early stages as JJ O’Donnell flicked towards goal from a corner. The North East non-league stalwart would have another effort midway through the half from a header, managing to generate a decent amount of power despite being around 15 yards from goal.

Manager Dean Nicholson bemoaned the failure to put away big chances on Tuesday night, just as he has on many occasions this season, and it looked like history would be repeating itself with some of the big opportunities not taken against Dunston. On 58 minutes, Dan Groves flicked on a throw into the path of Jay Errington, who confidently controlled the ball and dashed towards the box. With three defenders tight on him, he opted to shift wider to his left, unleashing a shot across goal which was unlucky to miss the far bottom corner.

As the minutes ticked away, it was looking more and more likely that the game was going to end goalless, but not for a lack of effort, and mostly because just as against Pontefract, the ball just seemed unable to cross the goal line. On 76 minutes, a low ball was sent into the box but cleared by a Dunston defender. The ball came out to Errington on the edge of the six yard box who steadied himself and then fired at goal, saved by Lowson. The ball bounced perfectly towards the head of substitute Bailey Adamson, but his nod at the near post went for a corner.

Three minutes later, another chance inexplicably went begging. Connor Walker made a run to the wide area and breezed past two marking defenders with some beautiful footwork, finding space to charge into the box where he shrugged past another man. Walker fired low from 12 yards out, Lowson saved and again the ball sat up perfectly on the rebound, this time it was Errington who was unable to convert from a close range header.

The game’s decisive moment arrived on 89 minutes. Dunston will agonise over the fact that they missed their best chance of the game just 30 seconds before our goal arrived. Tom Devitt nodded against the post from a well-delivered free-kick and the Stan were able to get the ball away. From that corner, Brass punched it away, the defence cleared their lines and set the Stan away on a rapid counter-attack. A brilliant pass from Alex Payne found Errington in space just in front of the centre circle, he carried the ball into the box with two big touches, used his physicality to hold off the defenders crowding him, took his time before flicking a shot under the goalkeeper. Cue pandemonium in the stands, on the touchline and on the pitch as all eleven players, including goalkeeper Brass, piled on top of each other by the corner flag.

“We are staying up” was the cry from the Stan supporters on the terrace – and moments later the whistle would blow, confirming an enormous three points which keeps alive hopes that the club will survive in its first season at Step 4. Attention quickly turns to another midweek home game on Wednesday, where Bradford (Park Avenue) are the visitors at Grounsell Park.

Liam Milburn

There was no icing on the Pontefract cake for the Stan due to an early & a relatively late goal for the West Yorkshire visitors. This relegation 6 pointer therefore ended pointless for the Stan even though they created lots of chances to score. There was one change from Saturday’s draw at Garforth with Burn replacing the injured Stephenson. Joe Shepherd made his 101 appearance for the club.

It was a great start for the Stan as they won the ball from the Pontefract kick off & started immediately on the attack through Errington who saw his effort blocked on the Pontefract goal line with Burn’s rebound effort hitting the side netting. The Stan attacked again & Burn had his shot saved. The visitors immediately attacked for the 1^st time & although their initial effort was blocked, Dunn chipped the ball from the edge of the box & into the net to give Pontefract a shock lead. Pontefract had an effort headed clear 2 minutes later. Errington then broke with his 1^st effort blocked followed by his 2^nd effort from the edge of the box being cleared on the line. A Stan free kick was then head clear & the resulting Pontefract counterattack was off side. After an injured Pontefract player was treated, it was back on the attack for the Stan. After a quieter few minutes, 2 Pontefract attacks were cleared in the 13^th minute followed by a home attack being cleared. Pontefract had a long throw into the Stan box which was cleared & the long range rebound shot went well wide. The visitors shot wide again in 19 minutes. The Stan then had a ball from a corner blocked followed by a shot going over the bar. In 23 minutes, a Pontefract attack was cleared & again 2 minutes later. A Groves corner was then punched clear by the Pontefract keeper. Groves then sent a ball into the Pontefract box which was headed out for a corner from which Adamson’s shot was blocked. The Stan pressure continued but Pontefract continued to defend well & in 32 minutes Marriott shot wide. From the 34^th minute, there were 3 minutes of end to end action but with both defences clearing well. In 37 minutes, Brass caught a Pontefract effort then sent a long ball to Errington but the keeper easily caught his shot. In the 39^th minute, the Stan had a sustained attack which included 2 Stan efforts being blocked followed by an effort being cleared on the goal line by a Pontefract defender when the Stan thought they had scored. It was end to end again as the 1^st half came to a close,

Both teams continued trying to attack after the start of the 2^nd half & each had initial efforts cleared. The Stan added to their attacking threat by introducing Hopper in 52 minutes & Walker & Lamb 13 minutes later. In 56 minutes, a Stan free kick into the Pontefract box saw an unmarked Shepherd break forward & collect the ball but his effort was saved by the keeper. Soon after Brass made a great save at the other end. It was end to end again but again both defences dealt well with the attacks. In 69 minutes, Walker shot well over & for the remaining 20 minutes there was mainly joined up pressure from Heaton Stannington. In 70 minutes, Pontefract had to clear 7 times as part of the sustained Stan pressure. In 76 minutes though, against the run of play, Pontefract broke & although their initial shot was blocked by Brass, the 4-yard rebound effort was tapped into the net by Elliot Walker. It was then back to Stan pressure & Pontefract defending including through 2 headed clearances. In 84 minutes, A Groves free kick was initially cleared followed by a ball from Lamb going across the Pontefract goal line before being cleared then back to Payne whose effort, from just outside the box, bobbled just wide. In 89 minutes, Walker shot just wide. Capewell then had to make a good clearance from a rare Pontefract attack. The 6 added minutes again saw 1 way traffic as the Stan continued to try & get the ball into the visitors’ net, but Pontefract managed under pressure to deny them.

There were highs & lows during the match. The highs included the Stan continually trying to attack when they had the ball & creating lots of chances as well as defending well when required. The lows were not converting any of the many chances created & conceding 2 goals which were both when scored against the run of play. The Stan are in action again in 3 days when they host Dunston in a Friday night local derby.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery 1

Photo Gallery 2

On Burn’s Night, there are usually lots of toasts including to the lassies & the haggis. The Stan Army were also looking forward to toasting their team who looked likely to achieve at least a draw against high flying Cleethorpes but they undeservedly lost due to conceding a late goal. After a 24-day gap, there were 7 changes form the New Year’s Day draw at Consett with Evans, Groves, Capewell, Anderson, Errington & new loan signings Ben Milburn & Alex Payne, from Blyth Spartans & Darlington respectively, replacing Marriott, Stephenson, Turnbull, Slaughter, Walker, Spence, who had been recalled by Hebburn, & Thompson who has left the club.

The match kicked off in calm but cold post storm weather & although they were not really threatened, the 1^st 8 minutes were mainly played in the Stan half. Cassap easily cleared after 6 minutes followed by a Cleethorpes corner being cleared. A minute later & Evans cleared a ball crossed into the Stan box. The ball was sent back in & bounced off Shepherd for a corner. From the corner, in 9 minutes the visitors were ahead when Capewell cleared in front of goal but the ball went back to Bateson on the edge of the 6 yard box who kicked it through a number of players & into the net. In the 12^th minute the visiting keeper had to clear a Stan ball & 2 minutes later 2 more Stan attacks were cleared. With their 1^st clear effort of the match, the Stan were back level in 18 minutes. Burn sent a ball forward to Errington who broke past defenders & shot & although his effort hit the right post, the ball went back across the goal line & into the net to give him his 1^st goal for the Stan. Both teams continued to try to attack & in 22 minutes Cleethorpes had 2 shots blocked in a busy Stan box. 2 minutes later, Hopper advanced & shot just wide. After some Stan pressure, it was Cassap who had to get down to save in 29 minutes. 5 minutes later & Hopper was brought down in the box but nothing was given. Cleethorpes then had a few minutes of pressure but they were stopped by 4 Stan clearances. The Stan though deserved to go into half time on equal terms.

After a quiet start to the 2^nd half, Milburn cleared from a corner in the 50^th minute although the ball came back into the Stan box forcing Cassap to get down to save although the flag was up for a foul. Soon after, the Stan had to clear again as the visitors tried to pressurise. Both teams had corners cleared before, in 57 minutes, Capewell headed clear from another corner. Cleethorpes then had a long-range effort which Cassap saved. Groves then broke free & the ball was deflected for a Stan corner from which 2 Stan headers were both cleared. The Stan were getting back into the match & in 66 minutes Groves advanced crossing towards sub Hornsby in the box but the visiting keeper got up to save. Soon after Cassap had to punch clear. Both teams were still trying to win the match & the Stan introduced fresh legs to their efforts when Lamb replaced Errington. The Stan were also doing well dealing with Cleethorpes pressure. In 76 minutes, Cleethorpes head wide from a corner with the follow up effort going both high & wide. In 78 minutes, Lamb broke & beat the offside trap but a defender got a foot in to send the ball out for a corner. Cleethorpes soon after shot wide. In 81 minutes, after a Hopper advance was stopped, Cleethorpes counter attacked & Bateson slotted the ball past Cassap for his 2^nd goal. It was a bad moment for the Stan when they were doing so well. They didn’t give up & sought an equaliser although time was running out. A Burn free kick in 88 minutes was headed twice by Hopper towards goal & cleared but a 3^rd attempt was prevented because the referee surprisingly awarded a foul to Cleethorpes for an alleged hand ball. As the Stan continued to press, a Cleethorpes back pass saw no action from the referee. As a final Stan attack was cleared in 96 minutes, the final whistle went.

The narrow defeat for the Stan allowed the visitors to return to 1^st place in the league although on the day both teams were evenly matched except for the late goal. The Stan, who remain 2^nd bottom, are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to 3^rd bottom Brighouse Town for a crucial 6 pointer clash.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery 1

Photo Gallery 2

The younger residents of NE7 might have been getting excited about the visit of Santa on Xmas day but there was also much excitement about the boxing day derby and relegation clash between 5^th bottom Heaton Stannington & 3^rd bottom Ashington. On a sunny & mild boxing day morning, 497 fans turned up for this important mid- season match. Unfortunately for the Stan there was to be no late Xmas present as although they took an early lead & faced 10 men for the last 25 minutes, they eventually lost 3-1 to Ashington. There were 4 changes from Saturday’s defeat at Belper with Cassap, Stephenson, Slaughter & Errington replacing Brass, Marriott, Spence & Thompson. There was a debut for new keeper Matthew Cassap who has signed on loan from Gateshead. Ex-Stan Marc Ellison started for Ashington while Jay Errington’s brother Kyle came off the bench for them.

The Stan started on the attack & had an effort cleared in the 2^nd minute. The 1^st 15 minutes was end to end but with no end product. Burn miss hit a shot in 6 minutes. 2 minutes later & a Stephenson cross was deflected for a corner from which Turnbull headed over the Ashington bar. An Ashington corner was cleared in 11 minutes as the action continued. In 16 minutes, Hopper advanced & was brought down just outside the Ashington box. In the 17^th minute Stephenson scored direct from the resulting free kick, for the 2^nd game in a row, as his shot went over the wall & into the net. Soon after, an Ashington free kick from just outside the Stan box bounced off the wall & the ball was then headed wide by a visiting player. Cassap easily caught an Ashington effort after 25 minutes. Both teams were still trying to attack & in 29 minutes the Stan Army thought their team were 2-0 up when Hopper passed the ball on the left wing to the advancing Groves whose shot deflected off the Ashington keeper & into the net but the flag was up for offside. In 33 minutes, a ball from a Stan free kick was headed just over by Hopper as they continued to try to increase their lead. In 39 minutes, an Ashington attack saw the ball crossed in front of the Stan goal, but it was missed by 2 Ashington players under pressure from Turnbull. Ashington equalised in 41 minutes when, from a corner, Cassap couldn’t hold onto the ball on the ground & it was forced into the net by Kneeshaw. In 44 minutes, a speculative looping long range effort by Lamb went just over the bar in between 2 other Stan attacks being cleared. In 48 minutes, a curving Ashington free kick from the edge of the Stan box went just wide at the far post.

Half time saw Walker replace Groves. A minute into the 2^nd half, & the Ashington keeper got to the ball before the advancing Hopper. Both teams were still trying to attack, although the Stan had more of the ball in the 1^st 10 minutes of the 2^nd half. In 50 minutes an Ashington attack was cleared followed by Lamb advancing with the ball into a busy Ashington box & he passed towards Stephenson but the ball was cleared. In 62 minutes, an Ashington shot was deflected for a corner. A minute later, from the corner, Ashington were 2-1 up when a scramble in the 6 yard box saw Almond put the ball into the Stan net. Cassap then punched clear from an Ashington free kick. In 68 minutes, Ashington were down to 10 men when Gilchrist was sent off after a quick 2^nd yellow card. In 74 minutes, the Ashington keeper got to the ball before sub Thompson. 5 minutes later, Hopper got round 2 Ashington players but his subsequent shot went over the bar. In 81 minutes, the Stan were 2 goals behind when Sampson shot from the edge of the box but although Cassap got his palm to the ball as he went backwards, he couldn’t stop it going into the net. The Stan kept the pressure on although Cassop had to catch a long range effort in 84 minutes. The Stan were still pressing & in 88 minutes a long ball to Burn saw him head towards the net but unfortunately an Ashington player managed to get back to clear off the line. Slaughter’s rebound shot went well over the bar. In 89 minutes, another ball was sent into the Ashington box but Hopper couldnt get to it. The Stan pressure continued although the last move of the game saw Cassap getting out to stop an Ashington counter attack.

So, it was not be a Christmas Cracker for the Stan. The result & others meant that the Stan dropped back into the relegation zone & are 2 points from safety. They are on the road again on New Year’s Day but luckily only up the Durham hills to Consett.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery

There was a lot at stake for both teams as play-off placed Stocksbridge travelled to Grounsell Park for the 1^st time to take on Heaton Stannington who were in the relegation zone. The Stan had only dropped into the 4^th & last relegation spot the night before due to Ossett winning. After losing an early goal, the Stan battled all the way & were deservedly rewarded with a late equalising goal which took them immediately back out of the relegation zone. There were 5 changes from Saturday’s defeat at Sheffield with Brass, Shepherd, Slaughter, Lamb & Stephenson replacing De Jesus, Turnbull, Burn. Anderson & Thompson.

The match started badly for the Stan as they conceded a goal after only 3 minutes. An unexpected pass back to Brass saw him unable to hold the ball under pressure from the advancing Morris who pinched the ball & slotted it into the Stan net. There was a quieter period until the 29^th minute when the Stan had their 1^st clear opportunity to score. Errington sent a great cross into the Stocksbridge box, but lamb was unable to connect with it. The Stan though could have been 2-0 down in 34 minutes when Brass made a fantastic save from a Stocksbridge counterattack. In 37 minutes, a bending long range effort from Errington was caught by the Stocksbridge keeper. A minute later & somehow the visitors’ defence managed to prevent the Stan scoring when they cleared in the 6 yard box 3 times after the initial Stan shot had hit the near post. Stockbridge were reduced to 10 men in 42 minutes when Charlesworth was sent off for a bad tackle on Lamb.

Just as they had finished the 1^st half, the Stan started the 2^nd half positively. There was a great chance for Errington 3 minutes into the half when he controlled the ball from a pass & fired a shot which went just wide of the visitors’ post. In 50 minutes, the Stocksbridge keeper got down to save a Capewell effort. This was followed almost immediately by sub Hopper trying to bundle the ball into the corner of the net but his effort went just wide. The keeper then had to make another 2 saves as the Stan kept the pressure on. In 52 minutes, the visitor’s had a rare effort when they shot wide. After a quieter period, the Stan nearly equalised in 68 minutes when a scramble in the Stocksbridge 6-yard box saw their keeper punching the ball clear before clearing it again. In 74 minutes, a Stocksbridge free kick hit the Stan bar. 3 minutes later a Stan attack was cleared followed by a Stephenson volley from the edge of the box which was caught by the keeper. In 83 minutes, a Stan player was brought down in the visitors’ box but nothing was given. The Stan continued the attack, but a shot was blocked on the line followed by a Capewell header being tipped over the bar by the keeper for a corner. From the corner, Anderson headed over the bar. The Stan kept the pressure on & their efforts, which had included 5 goal line clearances from Stocksbridge,  finally came off in the 92nd minute when they were awarded a free kick just outside the Stocksbridge box. Stephenson’s free kick ball hit the bar & went into the net off the back of the Stocksbridge keeper. What a way to equalise & Stephenson was also deservedly voted man of the match.

After 2 heavy defeats, the Stan showed determination to turn things around against promotion chasing opposition despite going behind after 3 minutes. A solid home performance, after 2 recent heavy away defeats, showed why teams do not like visiting Grounsell Park but why the Stan Army do. They created lots of chances to achieve a well-earned point as they seek to move back up the table. They now travel to Derbyshire on Saturday to face Belper Town & on boxing day there is a local derby when Ashington visit High Heaton.

Kevin Mochrie

Photo Gallery 1

Photo Gallery 2