The Stan travelled to the seaside at Redcar for their first match in 3 weeks due to 2 postponements. Playing in bitterly cold and windy conditions, although against a spectacular backdrop and clear skies, the Stan achieved another well-deserved victory although against hard working opposition.
The Stan have now won their last 7 matches on the road. There were 2 changes from the win at Carlisle with Slaughter and Hopper replacing Walker and Lashley.
Both teams started positively but it was the Stan who should have been ahead after 5 minutes when Stephenson’s speculative long shot hit the bar & came down completely behind the line before bouncing out of the goal but the linesman missed it & the referee continued play.
Justice was done in 7 minutes when Anderson broke & under pressure his shot was deflected for a corner. From it, Turnbull headed into the net. The Stan kept attacking although the wind was not helping either side.
In 16 minutes, a Stan free kick resulted in Shepherd heading just wide. The Stan were keeping the pressure on the home side, especially through Lamb, & in 22 minutes it paid off. A Cassidy ball into the box was cleared but went out to Stephenson on the edge of the box whose shot then hit the bar & went into the net in a similar fashion to his earlier disallowed effort.
It should have been 3-0 in 26 minutes when a long ball to Lamb saw him run in on the keeper but then shot at him. Redcar had some rare attacks, but the Stan defence dealt with them well. In 37 minutes, Hopper shot just wide. Redcar finally had some clear pressure in 42 minutes when from a free kick the Stan had to clear the ball twice.
The Stan then countered when Stephenson supplied Lamb who ran up the left wing & into the box then calmly shot into the net to make it 3-0 after 43 minutes.
A minute later it was 4-0 when Anderson supplied Stephenson just outside the box & his shot went off the left post & into the net.
Unlike the 1st half, the 2nd half was not one way traffic as Redcar tried to get back into the match & the Stan also struggled against then strong North Sea wind. As a result, Purvis had to stop a shot for the 1st time almost immediately after the restart.
Both sides were continuously trying to attack but with no end result. In 52 minutes, a Redcar player ran into Lamb but the latter was booked. There was finally a clear effort in 60 minutes but for Redcar when Purvis had to catch the ball. Redcar then won a corner but the resulting ball went across the goal for a throw in. From it a headed effort was caught by Purvis.
Redcar got a goal back in 65 minutes when a ball from a corner was headed clear but it was put back into the box & then into the net. In 69 minutes, Anderson & sub Lashley supplied Stephenson whose effort hit the bar.
Redcar then had a couple of minutes of pressure before a Lashley effort went just wide. A minute later & Anderson’s ball into the box saw Stephenson unable to make contact followed by Lashley slicing his shot high and wide.
The Stan were back in control until the 76 minute when a Redcar long range effort was head out for a corner. In 78 minutes, Stephenson supplied Lashley in the box & although his effort was blocked by a defender’s hand nothing was given.
Both teams continued trying to attack but it was Redcar who found the net in the 89th minute with a headed effort. In 91 minutes, Evans shot wide. Redcar then had a free kick cleared for a corner. From it they shot wide & 2 minutes later they shot over from a counter attack. Evans then stopped another attack before Redcar attacked again.
The Stan finished off the never tiring opposition with the last kick of the game in 95 minutes when a long ball to Lashley saw him pass to Proctor who made it 5-2.
As had also happened to the local blast furnace on Wednesday, which made the national news, the Stan demolished Redcar Athletic in the 1st half & it could have been by more than 4 goals. The 2nd half was more challenging for the Stan, especially against an increasingly strong wind, but their resilience showed & they achieved a resounding victory. The Stan now host Ashington in the league on Wednesday night.
Heaton Stannington: Purvis, Evans, Hornsby (Taylor 75), Cassidy (Burn 67), Turnbull, Shepherd (C), Lamb (Lashley 67), Slaughter, Anderson, Stephenson (Walker 80), Hopper (Proctor 59)
Goals: Stephenson 22, 44, Turnbull 7, Lamb 43, Proctor 90 (+5).
Yellow Cards: Cassidy, Lamb.
Supporters Man Of The Match: Dan Stephenson.
Referee: Callum Black.
Assistants: B. Richardson, A. Cook.
Attendance: 241.
Venue: Green Lane, Redcar TS10 3RW.
Kevin Mochrie