Heaton Stannington were well beaten by an organised, motivated and hard-working Darlington Railway Athletic side who were full value for their win. As the first signs of winter reared their ugly heads on a filthy and freezing afternoon at Brinkburn Road, The Stan offered little in terms of an attacking threat, other than a Lee Johnson effort after 38 minutes that Darlington RA keeper Matthew Calvert saved with his legs.

At the time, the score was still 0-0 and if it had gone in, the outcome may have been different, but as it was within five minutes the home side had started and completed the scoring, courtesy of goals by Stephen Allison and captain David Webster, which effectively meant the game was over as contest by half time, such was the utter lack of a cutting edge in the final third from the visitors. Being honest, this was not due to any lack of effort from The Stan, but because of the superb work ethic displayed by Darlington RA. In midweek they’d came back from 3-1 down against Jarrow Roofing to claim a point and that kind of spirit and determination was what saw them home in this contest.

In the early part of the opening period, Darlington Railway Athletic had an array of opportunities that fell to Aaron Ramsbottom, who missed two presentable opportunities before Lee Johnson had The Stan’s only chance of the game. Consequently, it was neither a surprise nor an injustice when RA took the lead and put the contest to bed. In the second period Shaun Backhouse twice denied the home side, tipping a Webster header on to the underside of the bar after 50 minutes and blocking a Ramsbottom effort, otherwise the margin of defeat would have been considerably wider.

It was a disappointed contingent who made their way back up the A1 after this game, hoping for a better showing on Tuesday against Seaham Red Star, who have been in good form of late. If any Stan supporter is looking for a silver lining from this game, then perhaps small consolation can be found from the return to competitive action by second half substitute Kevin Carr and a promising debut by new signing Phil Smith, who has newly arrived from Wallsend Town. On this showing he will find the step up from the Northern Alliance to the Northern League one that he will bridge with ease, though he probably considered himself desperately hard done to when he was yellow carded for allegedly showing his studs in the tackle. Perhaps this decision explained the presence of Premier League referee Michael Oliver as part of the watching crowd. However, it was a useful lesson for Smith to learn about standards in higher grade football.

Let’s hope he and the rest of the squad can bounce back and start getting some positive results again after these latest defeats.

Stan Team: Backhouse, Telford, James, Balmain, McGarrigal,Wear (C), Blakey, Johnson L., Carr, Dodsworth, Deagle.

Subs: Smith, Wood, Davison, Fulcher, Wright. (Unsure who was used)

Yellow Cards: Blakey, Lee Johnson, Smith.

Attendance: 45

Kevin Mochrie