PRECIOUS POINTS FOR THE STAN

Thornaby 0 Heaton Stannington 1 – Ebac Northern League Division One:

 Neither of these teams have got off to the best of starts in the league and that was rather reflected in the match,  a match that was a bit one-paced and lacking fizz.

Both No. 9s – Thornaby’s Craig Hutchinson and Heaton Stannington’s Matthew Ward – struggled to make an impression in the first half of the game, looking isolated and well marshalled by the respective defences.

Both No 11s had more of an impact in the opening quarter.  Stan’s left winger Konner Lamb cut back inside several times before shooting, the third time the best of the bunch when his shot was deflected for a corner.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Thornaby’s Joe Pickett came closer still, twisting and turning in the Heaton area before hitting a shot that Greg Purvis had to tip over the bar before it dipped into the net.

With only minutes to go before the break Pickett came close again.  Hutchinson laid the ball off to him and the winger’s shot across Purvis only missed by a foot or two.

For half an hour, Heaton Stan couldn’t quite get the timing and strength of their passes to get the ball past the defence quite right.  That all changed with the last attack of the half; and it proved decisive.  Jordan Lashley hit a through ball that allowed Daniel Stephenson to run on to it past the defence before placing it past home keeper Quinacea Hunt.

Midway through the second half, the No. 9s had their best chances.  Hutchinson weaved between a couple of defenders, with his shot stopped by Purvis and then seconds later seeing another effort blocked and sent out for a corner.

At the other end, Ward took a pass from Jay Hornsby and went for goal instead of passing to two team mates who were running in on goal.  Minutes later, nice work by Lashley down the Heaton Stan right allowed him to knock a pass inside to Ward whose chip over the keeper hit the angle of post and bar.

Thornaby were unable to convert a late push into an equaliser.

PS – hopefully the win was a fillip to a certain jet-lagged Heaton Stan official who’d just flown back in from the States.

PPS – and congratulations to Ashington on their magnificent win in the Emirates FA Cup yesterday.

Mike Snowdon