After the midweek game away to Brandon had been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch following torrential rain, the weather abated to allow a glorious late autumn afternoon to host a truly superb game at Grounsell Park. The free flowing football of The Stan edged out the more muscular and direct approach of Jarrow Roofing as we reached the season’s halfway point following our return to the Northern League in second place. With 2 camera crews and Radio Newcastle’s Bary Hindson in attendance, this was the game of the day in the Newcastle area.

Much travelled veteran striker Stephen Young put the visitors ahead after 6 minutes when Gary McGarrigal and Paul Chapman, resplendent in Terry Butcher style head band, went for the same ball, allowing the Jarrow front man a run in on goal. However, heads did not drop and Phil Smith brought the scores level with a thunderbolt from well outside the area that flew past Dan Regan in the Roofing goal. Unfortunately for Regan, he was to sustain an injury in a fair challenge with Brian Dodsworth that was to severely restrict the Roofing keeper’s movement and may, in some way, have contributed to the ease with which The Stan eased into a 2 goal lead before the break, courtesy of a rapid Brian Dodsworth double.

Having brought the scores level, Phil Smith fancied his eye was in and tried his luck from distance again. Unfortunately for him, his shot was wildly inaccuracte, but it fell kindly for Dodsworth to steer in home, while a statuesque Roofing defence gazed on. The Jarrow rear-guard were again guilty of immobile ball watching minutes later when an unmarked Dodsworth headed home at the back post from close range, following a Jonathan Wright corner. Early in the second period, Wright again turned provider, producing an inch perfect pass for moustachioed Lee Johnson to calmly slot home, past the struggling Regan. It was a glorious goal. Soon after Anthony Myers scored a scruffy goal, intercepting a weak back pass after some less than organised play in the Stan defence and heading over the on-rushing Shaun Backhouse. Despite the best efforts of several Stan defenders, the ball trundled over the line and Backhouse was yellow carded for his challenge on Myers. Consequently, it is probably better the ball wasn’t cleared.

An increasingly frantic Roofing relentlessly piled long, high balls into the box, but with little danger. Several times The Stan dangerously broke forward and, with more composure, could easily have scored more goals, but a combination of rash finishing and desperate defending meant we were unable to add to the tally. The final goal was scored by Myers again, shooting powerfully low past Backhouse from outside the box deep into added on time. The game ended almost immediately after the restart, allowing The Stan to claim all 3 points from a truly absorbing game and to temporarily return to the head of the table, only to fall back to second after North Shields won away to Esh Winning.

Stan Team:

Subs:

Yellow Cards: Backhouse, Deagle.

Attendance: 89

Goals: Smith 14, Dodsworth 39, 41, Lee Johnson 49

Kevin Mochrie