The Stan’s poor performance in the league continued with another defeat. Like the weather there had been a glimpse of sunshine but overall both the weather and the Stan were dismal. There were 4 changes from Wednesday with a first competitive start for Frenchman Nakhli and a competitive debut from the bench for Jon Fox. The match also saw Ritchie Hoggins make his 100^th competitive appearance for the Stan including as a sub.

In the 1^st 2 minutes, the Ryton keeper Holden had to make a catch before putting a Holland cross over the bar. After early Stan pressure, the match quietened down until Ryton had a corner cleared after 12 minutes. 3 minutes later and a long ball to a Ryton forward was blocked for a corner which was cleared and led to a Stan counter and corner.

In 17 minutes, Jones’s corner ball was head towards goal but blocked and rebounded to Imray who was pushed in the box. Hoggins took the penalty but Holden dived the correct way and saved it. From the resulting corner Miller headed wide.

In 27 minutes a Deagle free kick was caught by Holden. It was all one way now with the Stan dominating but with no end result. In 29 minutes, Holden had to make another catch which led to a Ryton counter and corner which went wide and out. Soon after Regan easily caught again followed by Holden at the other end. Ryton countered but shot over. Deagle had a shot from outside the box which Holden got down to save.

The Stan were trying to score although Ryton were counter attacking when they could. In 34 minutes, Nakhli set up Jones who shot just over from a tight angle. 5 minutes later a stan corner was blocked. A Ryton corner was then cleared and the Stan countered with Jones crossing to the advancing Nakhli who was brought down just outside the box. Deagle took the free kick which hit the wall and Jones’s rebound shot was also blocked.

The Stan kept attacking until the half time whistle but could still not score. They should have been ahead at half time and, like on Wednesday night, their failure to do so would haunt them in the 2^nd half.

The Stan appeared to have gone to sleep at half time as Ryton looked the livelier team and had most of the ball and all of the attacks in the 1^st 7 minutes. In 47 minutes, Ryton had a shot blocked and a header blocked in the crowded box by Hall. 3 minutes later a Ryton player broke free and under pressure shot just wide. They then hit the post.

In 52 minutes, the Stan finally got an attack and a Jones free kick was cleared in the box and was put back in by Miller with the ball bouncing awkwardly and Holden just getting to it in time. 4 minutes later Deagle shot just wide as the Stan only just began to wake up after half time.

The Ryton keeper then had to catch as the wind got up. Wright came on for Imray and attacked almost right away. It was Ryton though that took the lead in 60 minutes when they counter attacked down the left and into the box resulting in Sayer, as part of a shambolic defence, putting the ball into his own net.

Regan had to drop and catch 3 minutes later and then clear again. The Stan got their 1^st opportunity for a while in 66 minutes but only because what should have been an easy back-pass was sent too fast for the keeper and went out for a corner. From the corner, Bailey put the ball just over from 6 yards out. 3 minutes later and Ryton headed a corner over followed by a Wright shot which was initially dropped by the Holden.

In 72 minutes, debut Fox shot over from a Stan corner. It was Ryton though who made it 0-2 a minute later when the Stan defence stood still in their crowded box allowing Shorrock to shoot into the net after a header was flicked on.

In 78 minutes, a free kick from half way resulted in Wright crossing from the right into the crowded Ryton box where Hoggins tapped it in on his century appearance.

In 81 minutes, Ryton shot wide before a period of Stan pressure with no end result which included Holden clearing under pressure, Salim shooting over and Wright turning a shot just wide. It all meant nothing when in 85 minutes Nakhli lost the ball and Davis tried a curving long shot which went in the net for 1-3.

The 5 minutes of injury time saw lots of Ryton time wasting but they also shot just wide twice. The game ended with a good ball into the Ryton box by Wright which was partially cleared before Hoggins sent it back in but Wright’s header was blocked and although Holden then dropped the ball, it was cleared out to Jones who shot just wide.

It was too little too late and the Stan’s dreadful performance in the 2^nd half had cost them dearly and resulted in them dropping to 3^rd bottom.

Stan Team: Regan; Holland (Salim 75); Sayer; Miller (C); Hall; Imray (Wright 58); Nakhli; Bailey; Hoggins; Jones; Deagle (Fox 69).

Subs Unused: Kerridge; Fulcher.

Goals: Hoggins 78.

Attendance: 137.

K. Mochrie