A big crowd was present on a summer-like afternoon to hopefully see the Stan continue their 12 match unbeaten run and keep the pressure on 3rd place Billingham Synthonia in the race for the last remaining promotion spot. There was 1 change with the recovering Wright replacing Jones. The usual match reporter missed the 1st half and the highlight for the stand-in was a half-time pint of real ale after a lack-lustre 45 minutes.

It wasn’t helped by Wright getting injured after 9 minutes and it seemed to affect his performance. He had scrapped the bar with a shot after 6 minutes and 3 minutes later Rundle forced a save at the other end by Smith from a low shot. After 2 shots from Hebburn after 20 minutes, Wright had 3 shots in a row.

Nothing much else happened until the 27th minute when Imray shot just past the right hand Hebburn post. Again, until the end of the half, apart from a few fouls committed by the visitors, nothing much happened. The only exception to this was a controversial moment in the 35th minute when Robinson scored but it was chalked off for a debatable off-side against Wright.

The 2nd half started in a similar fashion and it was not until the 52nd minute that there was a clear effort when Hebburn shot over the bar from a free-kick. 9 minutes later and, after a scramble in the box, Wright hit the ball over the bar. The standard of entertainment can be judged by the fact that the biggest cheer came in the 61st minute when the Stan’s loudest fan, Jimmy Taylor, confiscated a ball from kids who had thrown it onto the pitch twice during play.

Hebburn had their best chance in 67 minutes when Callum Smith was through on goal but Matt Smith confidently advanced to block him. For the rest of the half, the Stan got most of the ball but their attacks mainly fizzled out or were blocked by the visiting defence. Wright seemed to being getting a 2nd wind but wasn’t involving his team mates enough in his efforts.

In 74 minutes, Imray sent a high ball up to the advancing Wright but the keeper just got to the ball before him. Wright then advanced but passed to a defender and soon after a long effort by Imray went wide. A Yates cross then hit the Hebburn bar and he was then flagged off-side twice. In 83 minutes Hebburn had a rare counter attack but Smith got out to clear followed by a great tackle by Dixon which stopped another Hebburn attack.

The Stan were still trying to find the crucial winning goal and in 85 minutes Yates headed at the keeper from a Deagle free-kick. Wright kept trying to get forward but the lack of finishing by the Stan proved costly in the 88th minute when Hebburn’s North ran into the box from the right and sent the ball across the goal-line for Rundle at the left post to tap it into the net off the right post.

In the last minute, from a Stan corner, the Hebburn keeper parried the ball but Wright then blasted it just wide through a crowded box. Smith then got the ball easily from a North effort before Wright advanced again, held off a defender and sent a great ball into the box for Robinson but he hit it straight at the keeper.

Hebburn countered before Wright had 1 final effort which went just wide of the visitor’s goal. It was a poor performance from a tired looking side but on the positive, Synners also lost and with 3 games to go the Stan are 4 points behind them so still have a chance, though slenderer, of promotion.

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

Subs Unused: Fulcher; James.

Yellow Cards: Wear, Holland.

Attendance 144.

Report by Darren Critchlow/Kevin Mochrie