On a miserable afternoon weather wise, there were no fireworks as the Stan failed to win their eighth league match in a row but did increase their home unbeaten league run to nine matches. There were five changes from Tuesday night but more players on the bench for this match. Dan Taggart, although injured, has now returned to Morpeth Town.

After a minute’s silence for Remembrance Day, both teams started the match trying to attack. In the fifth minute both Wright and a Willington player had shots that went over. After this the pace slowed down with the visitors having more of the attack. Rule dealt well though with the few attacks that Willington had. In the nineteenth minute, Wright had a chance that went over.

In the twenty fourth minute, a Burns attempt was blocked and Wright calmly shot and scored into the top left hand corner to make it 1-0. The Stan then started to put the pressure on and the team were working well together including Jon Jon who was winning tackles. He won one in the thirty sixth minute which led to a free kick which was headed the wrong way by McGarrigal. This was followed at the other end by a great tackle from Stoddart that stopped a Willington attack from a defensive mistake. The resulting corner was parried by Rule but then the defence just stood about as Weston got too much room and volleyed into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

The visitors then put the pressure on. The Stan did not give up though and in injury time Wright was brought down in the box by both Willington’s goalie and a defender. With his goal tally quickly building up since his return to the club, the fans were already prematurely celebrating when Jon Jon hit the bar with his penalty kick. The ball came back across the goal but a Stan glancing header went the wrong way and the half ended 1-1.

Although the Stan started the second half on the attack, Wright was well marshalled and only got two shots on goal in this half. Willington put in a good performance with relatively deep defending and a packed midfield limiting the Stan runs on goal. Although it should have been easily dealt with, Creswick tested the visiting keeper in the forty sixth minute when his long shot was fumbled away for a corner. In fifty six minutes, Jon Jon turned and shot just wide.

The match could have gone anyway at this stage and in the sixty fourth minute a Willington ball from the right was slid in by a forward but Rule got down well to save it. Immediately the Stan had two shots at the other end and the ping pong approach continued after this. Willington though were getting more of the chances and Rule got his hand to a good attempt in the seventy fourth minute. A minute later and Wear shot just wide at the other end followed by Wright making a great turn in the box only to see his shot blocked by the visiting keeper.

The Stan were now putting the pressure on but Willington were easily withstanding it and they seemed to be settling for a draw. Their first attack in a while though did come with a counter attack with two minutes to go. They then had a few final runs down the pitch and a couple of corners but the match ended 1-1 although it was enough to result in the Stan only dropping one place to fifth.

Stan Team: Rule; Pearson; Deagle; Stoddart; McGarrigal; Wear; Telford (Johnson, A); Creswick; Wright; Burns; Dixon, G.

Subs not used: Ray, James.

Goals: Wright 24.

Attendance: 126.

Kevin Mochrie