As the Ref blew his whistle for half time any chance that the Stan could move to the top of the table was looking increasingly slim. With the Stan only 1 goal up despite playing with a strong wind behind them the game was very much in the balance, and with news that Tow Law were leading 2 0 at Blyth filtering through, coupled with Northallerton playing at Bedlington it looked likely that we'd have to wait to reach the summit.

Roll on 45 minutes, probably the Stan's best 45 of the season, and we've won six nowt, Tow Law were held 3 each and Northallerton have lost to the Terriers .......and lo and behold, we are top of the league.

There's an awful long way to go but bearing in mind our current unbeaten run of 13 league games started when we were bottom of the table and barely able to raise a team, our only sub at Hebburn on 28th August wasn't fully fit, and some of the points we have thrown away by conceding late equalisers; the strength of the squad now shows that we have no one to fear in this division.

Indeed it was the strength of the squad that was a feature as injury to Trodd, suspension for Johnson, and Imray unavailable meaning Decka Thompson was forced into 3 changes for the game, a fourth saw Abu Salim replace Ethan Tait who dropped down to the bench where he was joined by the returning Ryan Bailey who had been out for almost a year after surgery on his shoulder.

The visitors, who on there last visit to Grounsell in November 2015 had been impressive as they thrashed us 0-4 on their way to promotion, have since been relegated and lost a lot of the players who took them up and they arrived in NE7 sitting in second bottom place in Division 2 although they were able to include the experienced Hepplewhite brothers.

It was the Stan who kicked off attacking the Car Park End with a strong wind behind them and they forced 4 corners in the first 10 minutes with Petrache having a shot tipped over by Wilson from the third. CLS got out of their own half and Surrey had a shot at goal on 11 but it was always going high and wide and the Stan were soon back on the attack and a decent chance fell to Robinson from a 6th corner but the backheel that won the game at Willington last week let him down and the ball trickled through to Wilson.

Chester were next to show and after Smith made a smart save at his near post he was relieved to see a volley from Clarkson drift inches wide. Robinson responded for the Stan and he broke free on 24 minutes but shot over the top before he superbly controlled a wind assisted clearance from Smith on the edge of the box but this time his shot was blocked.

The Stan continued to press and Dixon got his legs in a tangle when the ball fell for him inside the 6 yard box, Robinson had a shot blocked by the keepers legs and Turnbull shot across the face of goal after a great ball inside the fullback from Petrache.

It was looking increasingly like the visitors would survive the onslaught and get to the turnaround on level terms but a poor defensive header sat up nicely for Shane Jones to volley home the opening goal from 20 yards on 43 minutes , and the Stan went into the interval with a slender lead.

HT: Stan 1 - 0 Chester Le Street Town

The Stan were straight on the front foot and Turnbull won their 8th corner on 46 and although this came to nothing it was soon abvious that the Stan were more in control playing into the gale and it was Turnbull involved again when he found Abu Salim just inside the CLS half on 52 minutes, there was an awful lot for Abu to do but he advanced down the right, beat the last man and fired a fine goal across the keeper from a tight angle to give the Stan a bit of breathing space.

The pressure continued with Turnbull, Holland and Laidler coming more into the game and Ray headed another corner wide, before Jones broke through the middle before slipping a lovely ball through to Dan Robinson who stroked it into the corner for his 8th goal in 5 games to put the game to bed on 64 minutes.

Robinson should have doubled his tally 3 minutes later when he was set up by Abu but his shot from 6 yards was too high but the Stan Army didn't have to wait too long for the next goal when Holland put Salim in for a carbon copy finish of his first goal to make it 4 0 on 70 minutes.

Wilson in the Chester goal then made fine saves to deny Robinson and Turnbull as his defence chucked it before the Stan made 3 substitutions with McKenna, Bailey and Hoggins replacing Robinson, Jones and Salim. There was no respite for CLS though and from the Stan's 13th corner of the game Iulian Petrache headed through a crowd of players and in off the post for his first goal for the club.

The crowd of 160 were enjoying themselves and a chant of " we want six" from the Under 12's was answered on 83 mins when Hoggins crossed for the returning Bailey to poke home unchallenged from 8 yards to complete the rout.

FT: Stan 6 - 0 Chester Le Street Town

Chester's Asst Manger was quick to congratulate the Stan and stated that we'd be promoted and on that showing it is hard to argue with him, CLS won't be promoted this season but hopefully they can pull away from the relegation zone as they are a canny little club with a smashing committee who deserve better than what they got on Saturday.

The Stan had scored six, won fifteen corners, seen Wilson make half a dozen saves and squandered numerous other chances as The Cestrians gave up the ghost once the third goal went in.

The clubhouse was bouyant after the game as we topped the table for the first time since 2013 in our first season back in the Northern League. There will be plenty of twists and turns along the way, indeed Tow Law can replace us at the top before we travel to Ryton on Friday, however now that the squad is returning to virtually full fitness there will never be a better chance for the Stan to make the step up to the First Division.

Team 4-4-2 : Smith; Holland, Ray, Petrache,Deagle (C); Dixon, Jones (Bailey), Turnbull, Laidler; Salim (Hoggins), Robinson (McKenna).

Sub(not used): Tait.

Goals: Jones 43, Salim 52, 70, Robinson 64, Petrache 75, Bailey 83.

Attendance: 160

Simon Lansley