Santa would have been happy with the result of the weekend’s two Tyne Wear matches as both ended in wins for the teams wearing his colours (Geordie kids don’t worry though as Santa is not really a mackem and you will still get presents). There were three changes from last Wednesday’s match and only three available substitutes.

The opening period was dominated by Washington and in ten minutes there was a back heal in a crowded Stan box but Backhouse got his foot to it and put the ball wide. The resulting Washington corner was headed over. The next ten minutes saw the ball mainly stuck in the middle of the park and was followed by a couple of attacking moves at either end. In the thirty first minute, after another couple of Stan attacks, Hoggins and Washington’s Winn (who appeared offside) were chasing a through ball when Backhouse slid in and missed. The other two players kept going and Winn managed to put the ball into the net to make it 0-1.

There were more attacks at each end although the Washington players got increasingly dirty and the Stan continued not to have any clear chances. On the stroke of half time things got worse for the Stan, when with two Washington players attacking, Backhouse came out and missed the ball. Even a Stan defender running in could not stop Davison (not the Stan one) making it 0-2.

Half time saw the ground swamped by carol singers, with the only football connotation seeming to be that they were led by a local right wing councillor. The best goal of the match though came late in the second half from a move down the left wing.

Three minutes into the second half there was a Washington break but Backhouse got to the ball. In the fifty first minute Lee Johnson should have scored from a cross but hit just wide. In the fifty fourth minute a ball into the box was attacked by three Stan players and Burns slid in to make it 1-2. There was then a period of Stan pressure but the fight back only lasted until the sixty seventh minute when the first attempt from a Washington free kick was blocked but the ball was put back into the box Winn made it 1-3.

Three minutes later Backhouse punched a long ball over for a corner. There were then a number of attacks at each end including a Washington one that resulted in Wear hitting the side net when clearing the ball. From the resulting corner, a Washington forward hit over the bar, Substitute Anthony Johnson occasionally threatened for the Stan but Washington also had more chances.

In the eighty fifth minute a Stan corner was cleared but this was followed a minute later by a solo run down the left by Telford who turned in, shot and scored to make it 2-3.

The final few minutes, including four minutes of injury time, saw the Stan pressing for an equaliser but it was too little too late. Both teams could have scored in the dying seconds when Hoggins blocked a Washington attempt on the line followed by a similar block on the line at the other end when Lee Johnson should have scored from a Deagle cross.

There was to be no pre-Christmas cheer for the Stan fans though as the match finished 2-3. Grounsell Park now shuts down for its winter break as there is no home match until 17 January with the Stan Army going on the road and hoping that Santa will bring them three away wins for Christmas.

Stan Team: Backhouse; Hoggins; Deagle; Davison (Johnson, A); Ray; Wear; Telford; Weeks (Cairns); Johnson, L; Dodsworth; Burns.

Unused subs: Creswick.

Goals: Burns 54, Telford 86

Yellow Cards: Weeks.

Attendance: 68

Kevin Mochrie