On a sunny but very cold afternoon, the Stan secured 4th spot in division 2 while Durham remained rooted to the bottom of the table. There were 4 changes for the Stan from last week’s draw at Crook. After being on the bench for the last match, Charmey, Anderson and Campbell returned to the starting 11 along with Lewis Burns who made his 100th start for the Stan. 

Although the Stan had most of the possession, nothing much happened until the 6th minute when Anderson was booked for a rash tackle. 2 minutes later and a Stan attack was initially blocked before Anderson shot wide. After another period of the Stan controlling the game without much happening, Campbell headed wide in 12 minutes. The Stan then attacked again but Anderson’s shot was deflected wide. In 15 minutes, Campbell ran into the box and under pressure calmly flicked the ball to Anderson who side footed the ball into the net for his 1st Stan goal. 

In 18 minutes, a great run by Campbell saw him heavily tackled in the box but nothing was given by the inconsistent referee. Campbell soon advanced again and, under pressure, lobbed a defender but the ball went just over the bar. After initially being blocked, Campbell finally gets his goal in the 20th minute when the ball was crossed back into the box for him to side foot it into the net. 

The Stan kept attacking after this and in 25 minutes Burns tried a 40 yard shot which went through 2 defenders and just wide. The Stan attacked again although Durham were trying to get forward but had not managed an attack yet. In 27 minutes, Campbell was booked when it should have been a Durham player. After a quiet patch, Anderson was tripped in 35 minutes and the guilty defender was booked. Burns took the free kick which went over the wall but straight to the keeper. 

Durham had their 1st attack after 37 minutes. Campbell then counter attacked and 2 defenders and the advancing keeper, who came out of the box, collided with him. The keeper was initially booked but after consulting with his flag waving linesman, the ref unbooked him and booked a defender instead. Charmey scored directly from the resulting free kick which he sent into the top left corner of the net in the 40th minute. 

In 44 minutes, a Stan through ball went towards the Durham keeper who bent down to pick it up but dropped it allowing Campbell to get it and then advance towards and shoot into the empty goal for 4-0. Sayer soon after had a shot deflected high and into injury time a combined Stan attack saw a Burns shot from the edge of the box deflected out for a corner from which Anderson shot over the bar.

The 2nd half saw the Stan much quieter with Durham playing a more active part in the match compared to the 1st half. Straight from the restart, Campbell advanced but hit the side netting as the Durham keeper floundered. Campbell then shot wide. Durham then had 2 attacks which saw their 1st shots of the afternoon. In 53 minutes, the ball from a Stan corner was headed clear and a minute later another Stan attack was cleared. In 55 minutes, Campbell crossed to Anderson in the 6 yard box but his header hit the keeper and was cleared. 

There was then a quiet period although with mainly Stan possession until the 62nd minute when a Durham attack saw Hall nearly put the ball into his own net. A Durham corner was then cleared before they attacked again. Although Durham were now getting into the game, in 72 minutes Campbell saw the keeper catch his effort while Charmey’s shot was blocked. Sub Hoggins then headed over form a corner ball. A Durham attack was then eventually cleared. 

After a quiet half, the Stan put the foot down for the last 12 minutes with the Durham defence were put under almost continuous pressure. In 88 minutes, Campbell was blocked but Sayer’s shot from the rebound went just over. The San kept going and in 44 minutes, after a Hoggins shot had been deflected out, while the corner was being cleared there was a handball by a Durham defender in the box but nothing was given. The ball was sent back in by Burns to Hoggins but his header was easily caught by the keeper. 

In the 93rd and final minute, a Sakellaropoulos cross into the box saw Campbell head into the net for his hat-trick. A solid performance, if a rather quiet one in the 2nd half, set the Stan up nicely for next Saturday’s last match of the season when they host league leaders Billingham Town.

Heaton Stannington: Regan, Sakellaropoulos, Sayer, Miller, Hall, Charmey, Holland, Mason (Davison 42), Campbell, Anderson (Hoggins 65), Burns. 

Sub Not Used: Fulcher. 

Goals: Anderson 15, Campbell 20, 44, 90 (+3), Charmey 40.

Yellow Cards: Anderson, Campbell.

Referee: B. Law.

Assistants: A. Perros, Daniel Taylor.

Attendance 190.

Kevin Mochrie