As the temperature dropped, so did the Stan’s chances of promotion which froze after another under par performance. There were 2 changes as the rested Imray and Holland were replaced by Jones and Fulcher.

The 1st effort was not until 13 minutes when 4th bottom Thornaby hit the post. It was the Stan though who scored in 20 minutes when a high ball through to Wright saw him go past the centre half and chip the advancing Gibbs in the visitor’s goal. Thornaby had been the better team until then but the the Stan were the better side for the rest of the half. It should have been 2-0 in 32 minutes when a Wright rocket from 20 yards went in off the underside of the bar but offside was mistakenly given.

The Stan had another couple of chances including a Johnson effort which went just over the bar from 25 yards. In the last minute, offside was deservedly given against Thornaby before 1 of their players put the ball in the net.

The 2nd half was a more even affair. In the 52nd minute, a Thornaby free kick went just wide and then Smith had to make a catch. 2 minutes later a miss-clearance led to a corner which saw Dixon’s header cleared from in front of goal. Wright then blasted a shot at Gibbs from outside the box. There was then 5 minutes of Thornaby pressure with Smith and the defence blocking the visitors’ efforts.

After a brief lull, Wright was judged to be offside then Smith cleared a Thornaby long shot. The visitors then shot wide. The Stan made 3 attacking substitutions but it was Thornaby who got a goal in the 74th minute. Fulcher was unable to block the advancing forward and although the ball got Stoddart, he turned it into his own net.

Gibbs then had to make a catch followed by Stoddart blocking at the other end. Jones then counter attacked but his effort was cleared. In 79 minutes, a Stan attack saw Wright brought down just outside the D. His free kick was only stopped by a full stretch save by Gibbs. From a Jones corner, Ray made a good run into the box but couldn’t connect. The Stan sought a winning goal, with Holland and Jones working well, but Thornaby were also attacking when they could.

In 87 minutes, Gibbs parried away a Stan effort and, after a Thornaby counter attack, Holland started another attack. Yates had an effort put out which then saw Ray’s downward header partially cleared by Gibbs before Deagle put the ball just wide from 6 yards. The 91st minute saw a Deagle free kick eventually cleared and Gibbs caught the ball from a Yates header.

The Stan were putting all the pressure on now but it counted for nothing as the visitors took advantage of the Stan push and countered attacked in the 92nd minute. As a Thornaby forward was about to shoot, he was brought down by Fulcher and a penalty awarded. Sub Mitchell put it to Smith’s far right and it was 2-1 to Thornaby. The Stan had 2 efforts before the whistle with the 2nd requiring a great save from Gibbs to stop Wright’s shot.

After 1 point from 9, with 2 games to go, the Stan are 4 points behind Billingham Synthonia who have 3 games to play. The Stan Army shouldn’t be disheartened though as who would have thought in January that they would win 12 in a row, finish in the top 5 and still have a chance of promotion with 2 games to go.

Stan Team: Smith; Stoddart; Deagle; Wear; Ray; Jones; Fulcher; Johnson (Imray 56); Wright; Robinson (Yates 64); Dixon (Holland 70).

Goals: Wright 20.

Attendance 127.

Kevin Mochrie