For the first time this season, the same eleven started two games in a row. There was also a full subs bench with a first seat on it for new signing from Morpeth Town, Daniel Taggart.

Whickham started the stronger team and in the fourth minute were only denied a goal by good goalkeeping from Rule. From a corner, he got his hand to a headed ball with the second corner again being headed but going just over. The Whickham pressure paid off in the eleventh minute when they went 1-0 up. A long ball from Whickham was ahead of Stoddart as he ran back towards goal but the ball bounced off Rule only for Whickham’s Aiston to head it into the net. Whickham continued to dominate and in twenty two minutes the ball bounced awkwardly from a Whickham shot but Rule got his hand to it.

After this the Stan started to make it more of a two way contest. In the twenty fourth minute, Wright had a great shot which required a full stretch from the away keeper to stop the ball going in the net. As the Stan attacked more, Whickham packed their defence. Burns was close with a header from a free kick, although a foul was given, and a long header from Pearson created a chance for Wright that was blocked. Jon Jon then tried a shot from the bye line when he should have passed. There was a shot by Whickham that was caught by Rule.

There were other chances at either end although it was the Stan who made one count in the forty fourth minute. After a Stan attack, the ball came to Lee Johnson who shimmied past two players and, with the help of a slight deflection, shot and scored to make it 1-1. There was a shot by Whickham and another by Johnson which went just wide, but the half ended 1-1.

As with the first forty fice minutes, both sides were trying to score although the Stan had more of the ball as the half went on. It was Whickham though who had the first good chance in the fiftieth minute when Rule parried over a looping header from a free kick on the left. It was a good save from the young keeper who is growing in confidence.

In the fifty third minute a Johnson free kick went just wide. There were more chances for the Stan although the play was end to end. Daniel Taggart made his debut as a substitute and came close to scoring in the sixty seventh minute. He then made a good run and passed to Wright who shot over. The Stan now had chance after chance including from Burns who hit just wide and from Telford, in the sventy third minute, who hit just over from a corner and should have scored.

It was now all Stan and only poor finishing stopped them taking the lead. Taggart was looking increasingly dangerous and it would have been ‘murder’ if he had not scored. He did though in eighty three minutes when, from the left, his shot went past the keeper and into the left hand corner. Wright should have then made it three but a 2-1 win still takes the Stan up to sixth place. By coming from 1-0 down to win, the players showed that success will not just been down to the Terminator but to the whole squad.

Stan Team: Rule: Hoggins; Deagle; Stoddart; Pearson; Telford; Creswick; Wear (Dodsworth); Wright; Johnson, L (Taggart); Burns.

Sub not used: Dixon, G; McGarrigal; Johnson, A.

Goals: Lee Johnson 41, Taggart 83.

Yellow Cards: Creswick, Wright, Burns.

Attendance: 118.

Kevin Mochrie