It is back to the classroom for Heaton Stannington after a 4-0 defeat. The scoreline was ’academic’ as the Stan were thoroughly beaten by the University team. Tonight there was still a league of a difference between the Stan and newly relegated Team Northumbria.

The team failed to take advantage of an almost perfect pitch, according to Stan groundsman Mike Chell, as they were outplayed by a tactically superior opposition. A number of changes from Saturday again seemed to unsettle the team. Although he has moved to Jarrow Roofing, Jon Jon was in the crowd tonight and the fans again wished he was on the pitch.

Both teams started the match trying to attack but it was Northumbria who were successful in the twelfth minute when their number ten lobbed Backhouse as he came out of the Stan goals. Team North should have scored again almost immediately and this was followed by two Stan attacks that went nowhere. Team North continued to put in lots of high long balls, which Heaton found difficult to deal with, and as a result Team North nearly scored in the nineteenth minute.

This was followed by some ineffectual Stan moves forward although they did defend the counterattacks well, including a goal line clearance by Stoddart in the twenty seventh minute. The Stan appeared to have cleared the resulting corner but North’s number nine shot through the defence to make it 2-0.

Team Northumbria continued to try both long shots and long balls, including a good attempt in the forty fourth minute, although the Stan also had a number of chances in the last ten minutes. 0-3.

It was only eight minutes into the second half when Team North increased their lead to 3-0 with a ball into the box and over the goalkeeper. Five minutes later and Northumbria scored directly from a free kick.

After that Team North sat back on their 4-0 cushion although it was not until the seventy second minute that the Stan had their first proper two attempts of the second half. Although the Stan then started to get back into the game, they were blocked by good defending. Northumbria had the opportunity to score again from a free kick just outside the box but could not add to the scoreline and the match ended 4-0.

By the end of the match, after a good pre season played mainly in sunshine, it was back to reality for the Stan with two defeats plus cold and darker evenings. It was therefore lucky that the fans did not have far to go to return to the real ale of Grounsell Park. There are two home games now where hopefully the team will give ‘text book’ performances.

Stan Team: Backhouse; Telford; Deagle; Stoddart; Wear; Burns; Chambers (Blakey); Robertson; Johnson, L.; McKenna (Yates); Dixon, G. (Hoggins).

Unused subs: James; McGarrigal

Yellow Cards: Lee Johnson.

Attendance: 108

Kevin Mochrie