Even though the teams were at opposite ends of the table, there was a lot at stake as Tow Law are still threatened with relegation while the Stan wanted to build on their five game undefeated run in their quest to sure of an FA cup place next season. There were two changes for the Stan from the last match. This included a debut for Sam Walton, a recent signing from Bedlington Terriers, and there was a place on the bench for another new signing Adrian Watson who has recently returned from Australia.

Both teams started on the offensive but it was the Stan who showed they meant business when, in the eighth minute, a ball from Deagle on the left was caught in the box by Telford whose shot was put over by the keeper. There was another attack involving Stoddart, Walton and Telford four minutes later. From the resulting corner Burns headed just wide.

Tow Law then had a rare counter attack but the ball was caught by Rule. The Stan were then back on the attack and went ahead thanks to the hard work of Burns in the twenty seventh minute. He ran up the left wing with the ball and casually went into the box and round a couple of defenders before passing to Walton. The new signing tapped the ball in to make it 1-0.

After a relatively quiet period, the Stan put pressure on the visitors again for the last six minutes of the first half. Burns sent a free kick into the box which was parried by the keeper and Ray saw his shot from the rebound blocked. This led to another counter attack by the visitors which saw Rule run out to block with his feet. The Stan kept attacking and there were wasted chances by Deagle and Walton and a corner that was punched away.

Four minutes into the second half, the visitors tried a speculative shot that went just wide. The Stan, in the fiftieth minute, tightened their grip on the match when Walton ran into the box and passed to Telford who calmly shot past the keeper to make it 2-0. Six minutes later and Telford had another chance when he was put through but his shot was straight at the keeper.

The Stan kept attacking and had a number of chances before Watson, making his debut from the bench, scored in the sixty eighth minute. Burns had run down the right and crossed the ball to Watson running into the box on the left and he shot to make it 3-0. Four minutes later and a Tow Law shot from the edge of the box brought out a great save by Rule.

There was then some crude tackling by the visitors. In the eighty second minute, Telford ran into the box but shot over. Three minutes later and he broke again but hesitated and was blocked by the keeper. After another two minutes, Deagle ran in on the right to a crowded box and put the ball high across the goal to see it headed just wide by Wear when it should have been in the net.

Tow Law did have a chance in the first minute of injury time when Rule did well to catch a long shot. But Tow Law were sent well and truly packing when Telford was put through and he beat the keeper with his effort trickling just over the line. He can now be referred to as Ben 10 as this goal took his tally for the season to ten.

Assistant manager Geoff Walker said that it was both a good result and a good performance and that he was delighted with the contribution of the two new signings including their goals. So even with Shaun Ryder on the bench, the Stan’s 4-0 win meant that there would be no happy Monday for Tow Law.

Stan Team: Rule; Stoddart; Deagle; Ray; Wear; Bailey (Cairns); Telford; Walton; Yates; Hoggins (Watson); Burns (Carr).

Subs Unused: Campania, Dodsworth.

Goals: Walton 27, Telford 50, 90 (+1), Watson 68.

Attendance: 114

Kevin Mochrie