A crowd of 515, possibly the largest at a competitive match at Grounsell Park since the early 1950s, saw the Stan take on Blyth Spartans of EvoStik Premier League and FA cup fame for the first time at home. After much anticipation in the build up to the match there was no disappointment with regards to atmosphere at this cup tie as the fans occupied every spare piece of ground around the pitch. There were four changes to the Stan team from Saturday including a return from retirement for Gary Dixon.

Blyth started on the attack and hit the side netting in eight minutes from a corner although the Stan were up for the challenge. Two minutes later and the Blyth right winger shot but Smith dived to put the ball out for a corner which was then put over the bar. The first Stan attack by Rowntree in 13 minutes was ruled offside. There were two more Blyth attacks followed by a Stan counterattack which was initially blocked but the ball was won back although Rowntree’s shot was blocked.

Two more attacks by the visitors were followed by a foul on Imray just outside the box on the right. Dixon’s resulting free kick was caught by the keeper. Three minutes later, following on from another Stan free kick, Rowntree ran into the box with the ball but was blocked for a corner which was cleared. In the 22nd minute, a Blyth shot after a short corner was caught by Smith. A Blyth attack was then blocked for a corner from which Dixon blocked a shot.

In the 24th minute the visitors' Reid, on the left, sent a ball into the area which unintentionally went through the crowded box and into the right hand corner of the net to give Blyth an undeserved lead. In 27 minutes Ray replaced McCabe and a Stan attack saw Rowntree cross to Imray on the edge of the box but his pass towards goal was missed by Hayton.

The next five minutes saw sustained Blyth pressure which paid off in the 32nd minute when a ball from a corner on the left was put into the crowded Stan box and headed in by Morse from the right hand side. Two minutes later Richardson noticed Smith off his line and from just inside the Stan half he chipped the ball into the net to make it 3-0.

In 36 minutes a Stan free kick was cleared and two minutes later a ball into Bailey in a good position just inside the box should have resulted in him scoring but instead he blasted the ball over the bar. The Stan were again pressurising but it was Blyth who shot over in 41 minutes and then wide in injury time.

The visitors started the second half on the attack and within two minutes a shot from the left by Nicholson had beaten Smith to make it 4-0. Blyth kept attacking and shot wide in 52 minutes. It was mainly one way traffic until Hayton had a shot in 58 minutes but the Blyth keeper got down to save it.

A Stan counter attack in 62 minutes saw Rowntree get to the edge of the box but, under pressure, he could not hold onto the ball. Blyth had three more attacks until a Stan corner was headed clear in 70 minutes. A Blyth long ball was then easily caught by Smith.

It was back to mainly pressure from the visitors for the last 13 minutes as their higher league status and fitness began to pay off. In the 84th minute, Davison miss hit the ball when clearing which allowed Maguire to get to the ball and shoot past Smith to make it 5-0.

Two minutes later and a shot from the left on the edge of the box was blasted past Smith by Nicholson. There were more Blyth attacks although the match ended just after Hayton was ruled offside.

The road to the St James’ Park final is now closed but the players and the club can hold their heads high given that their opponents were from three divisions above and they can now focus on advancing up the league table starting with five home games in two weeks.

Stan Team: Smith; McCabe (Ray); Stoddart;Davison; Wear; Fulcher; Imray (Telford); Bailey; Rowntree; Hayton; Dixon (Jones).

Unused Subs: Grieveson; Scott.

Attendance:

Kevin Mochrie

Photos taken from our Twitter

When Harry and Kev met Mike

An interview with Mike Amos During Last Legs Challenge before Blyth Spartans Game

Before the match, the latest section of the Last Legs Challenge took place. It is a 500 mile sponsored walk by Mike Amos to celebrate his 20th and last season as Northern League chair and involves a walk before a home match for each of the league’s 44 clubs. Mike walked from Central station to Grounsell Park via a roundabout route and was joined by Kev Carling and Heaton Stan Harry who asked him some questions.

Q1: What inspired you to do the Last Legs Challenge?

MA: I knew I was going to retire as NL Chair so I thought how could I mark the occasion and maybe benefit a worthy cause or two and also increase the NL profile in the communities it serves? It has been incredibly successful and I have said that whoever succeeds me as Chair should do the walks again at the start of their Chair because you get to know so much about the people and the grounds.

Q2: How much do you expect to raise?

MA: When it began, I said £10,000 and if we didn’t reach that target then I would put the balance in myself. It is now over £18,000 and will definitely reach £20,000. If it gets to £25,000 I will be absolutely delighted. Half of that amount will go to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the rest in £1,000 lumps to charities nominated by the clubs and decided at the annual NL dinner, so it should be a good swan song.

Q3: Which walk has been the most challenging?

MA: Certainly the most wet was in August when we walked from Sunderland to South Shields up the coast stopping for a few pints then a few more. It didn’t just rain, it absolutely poured it down the whole 15 mile walk. It was a midweek game and I had to watch the match soaking wet. The most challenging? In terms of climbing it was Guisborough Town plus there was lots of clarts (mud). At Consett, the guys told me it was 12 miles and it turned out to be 16 miles and I was knackered at the end of that.

Q4: What was the first ground you ever walked to?

MA: We did a walk to Whitehaven when they were in the NL from Maryport and through Workington, which was 18-19 miles, watched the match then walked back to Workington which was another 6-7 miles. Those last miles were the hardest I’ve ever walked. Ive got the advantage that I don’t drive so I walk a hell of a lot. This got me thinking about the whole thing, what can I do? I can walk. Over the years I’ve walked loads, but these walks are only 8 to 12 miles so they are bite sized chunks.

Q5: Whats your first memory of the Grounsell (formerly) Newton Park?

MA: My first memory is inspecting it in the days of the Alliance and thinking it won’t do, not that that was any surprise to the guys at Heaton Stan. There were no floodlights, no stand, no hard standing but the dressing rooms were excellent and the clubhouse as I later was to discover was absolutely first class. There was still a lot to do but it is a sign of how far the Stan have come that all those things have been done and a lot more. I really enjoy coming to see the Stan because the people are so welcoming and friendly. Of course it helps to have some real ales always on tap. I think I am going to start a campaign to get the club house in the Good Beer guide. As a club it is excellent and someone (Davey Scott) deserves a medal for the quality of the beer.

Q6: KC You’ve mentioned some volunteer work. Well all our wonderful bar staff at the Stan are volunteers so how about a stint behind the Stan bar?

MA: A great idea, but I must warn you I may consume all the profits. Seriously it is a great bar, with great beer. I have been in many a pub that can’t even match the atmosphere and beer that is to be found at Heaton Stan. First class, and I mean that.

Q7: What will you miss most and least about being Chair of the NL?

MA: I won’t miss anything because I will I still be around. I’ve been invited to join a number of organisations both inside and outside of the game as a committee man. I’ve been Chair for 20 years and I’ve been doing the magazine for 27 years so its time to have a change but I will still be around the NL. I would be mad not to because there are so many great people in the NL, folk I regard as good mates and not to see them once or twice a year would be daft. That is what I will miss the most. The least is people twisting all the time. For example, when I walked the 12 miles to Shildon, I literally had been in the ground 5 seconds when an official of the visiting team stormed up to me and said “what are you going to do about so and so?” and I thought, give me a chance. I know the buck does stop with me, and that is fine and I’ve carried that responsibility for 20 years, so I won’t miss carrying it anymore or that people can just say what they want to you. It is far outweighed though by great people and all the kind things that are said.

Q8: On any walk, have you ever felt why have I done this?

MA: No, but the hardest ones, are the couple of times I’ve had to do it on my own. It is amazing how faster the time goes if your with people. We’ve got 10 doing the walk today and it is absolutely great. Last week there was a mix up on the Team North walk and I walked on my own from Tynemouth and it was very tedious. I am now 69, and I am very lucky I can walk the amount I do because when I was a kid, anyone who was 69 you thought they were almost dead. Breaking my arm on the 5th walk created another challenge because I couldn’t cross any styles so we had to divert and walk even longer!

Q9: What is the most unusual thing to happen on a walk?

MA: It was the walk to Alnwick on a lovely August afternoon and we sat on the decking at the pub in Boulmer overlooking the sun-blessed sea. There was an almost empty beach with views for miles either way to coast and castles. "You make the most of days like today, you never know what's round the corner," I said to the guy with me. Half a mile later I'd fallen off the kerb and in flinging down my left arm to break the fall broke my bloody arm instead. Fortunately it was a clean break. Thank goodness I'm right handed.

Q10: What are your plans for next season away from football?

MA: I am still working part time anyway which is great, but I must say my wife has been fantastic. She has never once in all these years complained that I am out 2-3 times a week going to matches and other NL activities. She has been brilliant, but I do need to spend more time with her. At some time I would like to do some voluntary work but I have nothing immediate for when I retire. So hopefully we can get some nice weather and I can watch some cricket, maybe have a holiday. Then I will look at it in the Autumn.

Q11: What are your thoughts on a mid-season break?

MA: It can’t be done or it shouldn’t be done, because you can’t say which 2 weeks will be worst. For instance if we have a 2 week break, it may be the best 2 weeks of the winter. So at the start of the season it is virtually impossible to choose dates. How frustrating it would be if the sun is shining and some idiot says you can’t play because it is a mid-season break. What we are almost certainly going to do is cut the number of teams in each division from 22 to 20 which means fewer games. The league title could be decided because Morpeth are going to be playing 12-13 games in a month. It can’t be avoided at the moment but it is not fair. The solution would be to cut the number of teams in each division and not have a winter break.

The Stan would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike Amos for his efforts as chairman of the league over the years and wish him the best of luck in the future