After two consecutive home wins, the Stan hoped to get their first away win of the season. It was not going to be easy though as again only thirteen players were able to make the kick off. As a result there were five changes to Saturday’s starting line up. The officials also had a similar problem as due to an injury to the referee there was a long delay just before half time which resulted in a Washington coach running the line for the remainder of the match.

The Stan looked second best for most of the first half. Washington put pressure on the Stan from the start and had a number of chances in the first five minutes. There was some hard play from the home side with Telford being caught in the face in the tenth minute. The expected goal came in the nineteenth minute when a Washington player broke down the left and blasted the ball into the box for Pearson unfortunately to put it over the line for an own goal.

Play stopped in the twenty fourth minute when the referee appeared to pull a muscle. He bravely carried on and this stop in play seemed to revitalise the Stan. They started to fight for a win and there were some good attacking moves by both teams.

Washington came closest to scoring though as they had two good chance in the thirty seventh minute. This was followed by chances by Stevens and Johnson that were well saved by the Washington keeper. With the referee struggling physically, another long break followed and, after what seemed like endless discussions, led to him being replaced by a linesman. The new linesman was Washington coach although he did not seem to realise that he did not retain both roles for the second half.

The match resumed and the Stan were trying to keep the momentum going when Roberston was brought down on the edge of the box. Johnson hit the wall from the free kick and Washington nearly scored from the counter attack. Eventually half time came and the Stan were still 1-0 down. The squad was strengthened at half time by the arrival of Joe Wear, who replaced Paul Blakey.

The second half saw a much better performance by the Stan and more attacking football from both teams. A good team effort in the fifty seventh minute resulted in Johnson rounding a defender and scoring. There were then chances for both sides but it was the Stan who took the lead. A break from Stevens in the twenty first minute was blocked by the Washington goalkeeper. The resulting corner was tapped in by Joe Wear.

The Stan lead only lasted ten minutes as Washington’s Winn broke through the defence and his shot missed everyone to make it 2-2. Four minutes later and the earlier joy at the Stan taking the lead was all washed out when Lay headed in a corner from the edge of the box to make it 3-2 to Washington.

The Stan continued to press for an equaliser and were unlucky not to get it especially when the Washington goalkeeper blocked two breaks including one from Telford. Eventually time did run out and the match ended in a narrow victory for the home side.

Lets hope that the Stan find it easier on Saturday against Esh Winning than the reporter did after the match trying to find his Nissan car in the Washington car park which is situated within the Nissan factory and, you guessed it, is full of Nissans!

Stan Team: Rule; Telford; Pearson; Stoddart; McGarrigal; Chambers (Weeks); Blakey (Wear); Johnson, L; Stevens (Yates); Robertson; Burns.

Goals: Johnson 57, Wear 68.

Yellow Cards: Stoddart.

Attendance: 58.

Ken Rodger / Kevin Mochrie