Boxing day definitely saw the Stan Army get their gloves on, but it was to keep warm as they headed up the hills to cold but welcoming Consett. It was definitely a game of 2 halves as Consett dominated the 1st half & took a bizarre lead but the 2nd half saw the Stan on top & get the draw that they at least deserved. 

There were 3 changes from the home draw with Dunston 10 days ago with Chrisp, Robson & Lamb replacing Shepherd, Chater & Errington.

Both teams started positively but the 1st goal scoring opportunity came in the 6th minute for Consett when their Walker broke & beat the Stan defence, but Gordon got out & made himself big to deflect the ball out for a corner & bring to a halt a clear goal scoring opportunity. In the 9th minute, Lamb broke & shot in the box under pressure but Moss in the Consett goal saved his effort. The pressure was mainly from Consett but in 13 minutes, Lamb counter attacked but was eventually blocked. 2 minutes later & Moss stopped another Stan attack when Walker flicked the ball on towards Pearson but Moss got to it 1st. 

The Stan continued to get back into the match & in 18 minutes Moss got to the ball just before Lamb. In 21 minutes, a Consett player broke past everyone but was flagged offside. The match turned drastically in Consett’s favour in the 24th minute when Moss sent a high ball up the pitch towards the advancing Holdsworth who never made contact with the ball. In front of him were Crisp & Robson & after Moss’s ball had bounced once awkwardly, Robson tried to head it back to Gordon but after he had headed it the ball bounced in front of Gordon & although he tried to grab it the ball went past him & into the net. 

In 28 minutes, a cross into the box to the advancing Consett Walker saw him shoot just over the Stan bar. Lamb then broke but his great shot, taken under pressure, was stopped by Moss who got down to put the ball out for a corner. From it, Capewell headed just over the Consett bar. In 35 minutes, after a joined-up attack ended with Stephenson shooting wide. 

The last 10 minutes of the 1st half were mainly played in the Stan half as Consett eagerly searched for a 2nd goal. In 36 minutes, they put the ball wide & 2 minutes later Gordon got to the ball just before a Consett player did. In the 40th minute, a shot by Holdsworth was blocked in the Stan box followed by a Robson clearance. Consett then attacked again but Gordon got down to save Consett Walker’s shot. Consett attacked again & the half time whistle couldn’t come soon enough for the Stan.

Half time saw another blow for the Stan as both centre halves, Capewell & Milburn, had to be replaced because of injury by Payne & Beattie. There was a quieter start to the 2nd half, although play was mainly in the Consett half, before the Stan stepped up a gear. In 58 minutes, Robson was felled in the Consett box but nothing was given. In 66 minutes, Stephenson sent a ball from a free kick into the Consett box but Beattie’s overhead kick hit the post & then the ball was put out for a corner. The Stan attacked again with a shot being blocked by Moss & Beattie’s rebound shop saw Moss get down to grab the ball. A minute later & Lamb crossed towards Pearson in the 6-yard box but he couldn’t make contact with the ball. 

It was mainly Stan pressure now as Errington forced a corner from which there were claims of a handball in the box which were ignored by the referee. In 70 minutes, Stephenson shot well over the Consett bar. 3 minutes later & a Consett attack came to nothing. 

The Stan were back on level terms in the 74th minute when a long diagonal ball to the advancing sub Errington saw him confidently shoot & his effort went into the net off the far post. 

In 78 minutes, a long ball to Pearson saw him pass to Payne whose shot was blocked. In 81 minutes, another rare Consett attack was blocked & 2 minutes later a 30-yard Stan free kick was headed clear. Both teams now were trying to attack but cancelling each other out although Errington shot just wide in the 90th minute. The 5 minutes of added time saw almost constant attacking from the Stan including a Stephenson free kick that was headed just over the home bar by a Consett player.

The Stan had dominated most of the 2nd half, in contrast to the 1st, & at least deserved to take away a point. So, the Stan complete 2025 with only 2 away league defeats all year which is a remarkable achievement given the opposition & the fact that they are only in their 2nd season in tier 4 of non-league football. They are still in 5th place, in a play-off spot & in theory only 4 promotions off a place in the football league. The Stan now have a week off as they next host Ashington on Friday 2 January at 7.45pm.

Heaton Stannington: Gordon, Milburn (Payne 46), Chrisp, Burn, Capewell (C) (Beattie 46), Robson, Hopper (Errington 62), Walker (Storey 62), Pearson, Stephenson, Lamb (Johnson 80).

Goals: Errington 74.

Supporters Man Of The Match: Andy Burn.

Attendance: 521.

Match Photos: Flickr.