History was made at the Dransfield Stadium as Heaton Stannington picked up their first ever point in the Northern Premier League East Division – but they would’ve had three if they hadn’t conceded another late goal.
The first big chance of the game went to the home side midway through the first half – some good footwork from North Ferriby’s left winger allowed him space to drive a bal into the area, a gift for someone in the area, if only that person existed. They would have an almost identical chance at the start of the second half, again with no-one to turn it in.
The Stan responded with their first good opportunity on the half-hour mark as some good pressure from Marc Ellison forced the home side to turn possession over, Richie Slaughter seized upon the loose ball to ping a lofted ball into the path of Hopper, who dragged his defender this way and that before bending a strike towards goal from the edge of the area – narrowly off-target.
A few minutes later Konner Lamb had a go at a curling shot, this time from the other side of the box. Given that this was the same spot that he scored his play-off final screamer from in May, you’d have fancied him to find the back of the net, but it was an easy catch for home goalkeeper Ben Bottomley.
The Stan took a deserved lead on 60 minutes. Mark Turnbull lofted in a free kick from just inside the North Ferriby half which was gleefully knocked on by Danny Sayer. The men in amber were dominant in the box and eventually found Konner Lamb in an ideal position to shoot on his left. The home defence will have felt that they had him covered from his favoured weapon, so he improvised and flicked the ball with the outside of his boot and found the top corner. A goal just as impressive as his stunner in the previous game against Garforth – but in a completely different way.
It looked as though the lead was going to be short-lived, as just four minutes later North Ferriby were awarded a penalty when their right-winger burst into the box and was hauled down. But Callum Corkhill – deputising for Lewis Brass – dived to his left and confidently pushed the penalty out of danger.
Just as they have in previous games, the Stan could’ve put the game out of sight and make sure of their first win. A good low ball across the face of goal on 77 minutes was just missing a touch to double the lead. Minutes later a central free kick on the edge of the D was fired straight at the keeper.
The Stan are learning fast that they need to take their chances when they get them – and they were punished once again on 88 minutes. North Ferriby piled on the pressure, found space to cross from the right, and in trying to clear the ball, Marc Ellison turned it into his own net.
A heartbreaking way to drop two points in the dying minutes, but another encouraging performance showed that if the Stan can be more clinical and concentrate on seeing games out, the first win at Step 4 can’t be too far away.
Heaton Stannington: Corkhill, Evans, Hornsby (Lashley 74), Beattie, Turnbull, Shepherd, Ellison, Slaughter (Burn 61), Hopper (Harper 86), Lamb (Anderson 66), Sayer.
Unused Subs: Marriott.
Goals: Lamb 60.
Supporters Man Of The Match: Danny Sayer.
Yellow Cards: Ellison, Sayer.
Referee: Macauley Gibson.
Attendance: 310.
Match Photos: Flickr.
Venue: The Dransfield Stadium, Grange Lane, North Ferriby, East Yorkshire HU14 3AB
Liam Milburn