While some people in Newcastle were watching a parade, the Stan Army made a 3-hour trip to Grimsby & the team made sure that they went home happy & singing. The Stan convincingly beat Grimsby Borough, with a well thought out & excellent team performance. They dealt well with playing into the wind in the 1st half & defended. Unlike Grimsby who didn’t so in the 1st half, they took advantage in the 2nd half of playing into the wind themselves & being able to attack basically at will.
There were 3 changes from last week’s home defeat to Bridlington with Stephenson, Robson & Lamb replacing Shepherd, Burn & Turnbull. Jeremy Perera made his debut from the bench.
Grimsby had the 1st clear threat in the 2nd minute when they had a free kick into the Stan box which was cleared. In the 5th minute another Grimsby attack was blocked by Capewell & 3 minutes later Brass easily caught. With the wind in their faces, the Stan found it difficult to attack but in 8 minutes a long ball from Stephenson to Hopper saw him shoot but the ball was easily caught by Higton in the home goal. 2 minutes later & a Grimsby free kick was cleared followed soon after by a great defensive block by Robson.
Grimsby kept attacking & the Stan kept defending & keeping them out. The Stan eventually got another attack in 17 minutes but although Adamson was in on the keeper, Higton easily cleared. The Stan had another attack cleared 4 minutes later. In the 24th minute, a Hopper effort was easily caught by Higton & 2 minutes later he advanced again but was brought down. A Grimsby player then broke but Brass got to the ball 1st.
In 28 minutes, a Stephenson free kick resulted in Hopper heading wide. In 33 minutes, a Grimsby corner was cleared & soon after another home effort was easily caught by Brass. The Stan then had a shot blocked followed by Brass easily clearing a long-range Grimsby effort. In 36 minutes, a Lamb shot went across the home goal & wide. The ball came back in, but Lamb’s follow up shot was easily caught by Higton.
In the 39th minute a Grimsby shot was blocked by a Stan defender & the follow up shot went wide under pressure. In 41 minutes, Robson headed clear from a Grimsby free kick & Brass easily caught the rebound effort. 2 minutes later & the Stan had a corner cleared. In 45 minutes, Robson headed out for a Grimsby corner from which Brass easily caught the ball. In added time Lamb broke but the high ball sent forward for him was cleared before he could get to it.
The 2nd half started with mainly pressure from the Stan. There was a sustained Stan attack in the 48th minute which include a Slaughter header being cleared. The positive restart by the Stan continued & in 52 minutes a Stephenson long range effort was caught by Higton. It was still mainly 1 way traffic & in 59 minutes a Capewell header, from a Slaughter throw in, hit the Grimsby post.
Grimsby finally had their 1st clear effort of the 2nd half after 61 minutes when a ball from a free kick was headed over the Stan bar. The Stan pressure continued, including a Stephenson free kick being cleared in 66 minutes, until Grimsby had a shot deflected for a corner in 69 minutes. It was cleared & the long range rebound effort went well over the bar. It was back to Stan attacks & in 73 minutes, Lamb won the ball & passed to the advancing Errington, who had replaced the injured Adamson, but his shot went just wide.
The Stan pressure finally paid off in the 74th minute when Lamb received the ball in the home box & took his time to confidently shoot past Higton & put the Stan ahead. 3 minutes later & the Stan were 2-0 up. Lamb was brought down just outside the Grimsby box & the ball from Stepheson’s free kick was headed into the net by Capewell at the far post & his celebrations with the jubilant Stan Army behind the goal earned him a booking.
Soon after, a long-range Stan effort was caught by Higton. In the 80th minute, a Grimsby free kick was cleared & the Stan counterattack ended when Lamb was brought down but nothing was given. In the 82nd minute, the Stan secured their win when a penalty was given for a Grimsby hand ball in the box. Hopper took the penalty & sent Higton the wrong way to make it 3-0 for the Stan.
Grimsby shot over in the 90th minute & 2 minute a long-range effort was saved by Brass who had had a relatively quiet game. Errington had a shot easily caught before the celebrations started after the final whistle.
This well-deserved win allowed the Stan to move out of the relegation zone & they are now 2 places & 1 point above it. A win at home on Friday night against Bishop Auckland will see them move up to 12th place.
Heaton Stannington: Brass, Evans, Stephenson, Payne (Burn 73), Robson, Capewell, Walker (Marriott 84), Slaughter (C), Adamson (Errington 52), Hopper (Perera 85), Lamb (Hornsby 81).
Goals: Lamb 74, Capewell 77, Hopper 82 (Pen).
Supporters Man Of The Match: Joe Robson.
Yellow Cards: Lamb 41, Capewell 77.
Referee:
Attendance: 226.
Match Photos: Flickr.
Venue: 38 Bradley Rd, Bradley, Grimsby DN37 0AA.
Kevin Mochrie