The Stan’s first away game in the Northern Premier League East Division was another indication of the difficult task ahead this season as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at last season’s play-off semi finalists Pontefract Collieries.
Having felt hard done by and unlucky in the previous game against Belper to lose having gone ahead, there could very little argument this time as the West Yorkshire side set out their stalls from the first minute and frustrated the Stan from then on.
The home team’s breakthrough came after just over a minute. A free kick from Stan goalkeeper Lewis Brass just to the left of his penalty area was returned his way by a Pontefract defender which quickly put them on the front foot. You would have backed our 3-man central defence to deal with them this early on, but when Mark Turnbull lost his footing, a crack in our armour appeared. Mikey Dunn gratefully accepted his gift and slotted it under Brass.
Moments later, the Stan had their first chance to respond but Slaughter’s effort from 25 yards was high and wide. At the other end, Brass was forced to save at his far post following a Pontefract corner which eventually landed for an attacker in a lot of space.
The Stan struggled to settle for the first quarter of the game, with Pontefract’s dominance clearly frustrating our lads, leading to mistakes, turnovers and limited possession.
The deficit doubled on 27 minutes as the Pontefract right back received the ball midway into the Stan half, decided to run at the back line, cut onto his left and fired at goal. Brass got down to make the save, but could only push it into the path of Kieran Ceesay who was fast to react and squeezed the ball in from a tight angle.
The game was almost completely out of sight just a minute later. A failed Stan free kick sparked a counter attack and put Pontefract’s winger in a battle with Jay Hornsby down the left. The home side’s fitness and sharpness was evident throughout the game, and especially here as the usually unmovable Hornsby was brushed aside. The winger cut into the box, rounded Brass, but typical of a side that doesn’t let their heads drop, Hornsby recovered from losing his tussle to hack the shot off the line.
After a shaky start, the Stan grew into the game and while they never looked like taking anything from the match, there were glimpses of the ability that got us promoted in the first place. A left-footed Stephenson shot on 37 minutes registered our best effort on goal of the half, and three minutes later a header was flashed wide from a corner.
Konner Lamb is an integral part of the Stan’s attacking play, and will have considered himself unlucky to have failed to score on the stroke of half time, but also that he didn’t win the Stan a penalty after being hauled down in the area. The linesman’s flag nullified all possibilities, but better timing on Slaughter’s through ball to find him could’ve given the Stan a lifeline.
The introduction of Liam Doyle – a half time sub for Mark Turnbull who limped off for the second consecutive game – provided the Stan with a new outlet and suddenly more questions were being asked of the home side’s defence.
The Stan can take heart from the fact that having largely struggled in the first half, they more than matched Pontefract for the first 30 minutes of the second.
A mostly tight and technical spell turned into a light flurry of action in the final 15 minutes as the home side looked to make sure of their win. Two saves in a minute from Brass kept the faint Stan hopes alive, but they were ended once-and-for-all on 84 minutes when substitute Derry Robson pinched the ball from the tired legs of the Stan defence and fired into the far top corner from 6 yards out.
Nobody said it was going to be easy for the Stan at this level, and these opening games have proved that there is still much to do. After the game, manager Dean Nicholson accepted that they lost to a good team and didn’t get the basics right, but he is well aware of the ability, togetherness and character of the squad which has got them so far, and based on the never-ending effort and commitment shown at Pontefract, there is every hope that things will turn back in our favour soon enough.
Heaton Stannington: Brass, Evans, Hornsby (Harper 82), Turnbull (Doyle 45), Marriott (Foster 72), Shepherd, Burn (Lashley 55), Slaughter (C), Hopper, Stephenson, Lamb.
Unused Subs: Corkhill
Supporters Man Of The Match: Richie Slaughter.
Referee: Paul Roots.
Attendance: 245.
Match Photos: Flickr.
Venue: Beechnut Ln, Pontefract WF8 4FU
Liam Milburn