Nicholson delighted as Heaton Stan and deliver in Trophy tie

A week is a long time in football – just ask Heaton Stannington manager Dean Nicholson.

There was bitter disappointment for the Northern Premier League East Division club last weekend as they exited the FA Cup with a first qualifying round defeat at Northern League neighbours Newcastle Blue Star.

However, after a week of hard work on the training pitch and demands for a response, Nicholson’s men bounced back in fine style by sending league rivals Emley out of the FA Trophy with a professional display at Willow Park.

After a largely uneventful opening half-hour, the Stan started to find some rhythm and duly grabbed the lead ten minutes before the interval as Leighton Hopper lobbed a loose ball over visitors keeper Declan Lambton after he failed to sufficiently retreat to his line after a rush from the area.

That slim advantage remained in place at the break but was doubled just after the hour-mark as Alex Payne’s determined midfield play released Connor Walker in on goal and he made no mistake with a neat dink over the advancing Lambton.

Despite some late pressure, Emley failed to find a way back into the game and it will be the Stan that take their place in Monday’s second qualifying round draw after they racked up only the second Trophy tie win in their history.

Nicholson was delighted with his side’s response from their FA Cup exit and believes they have righted the wrongs of some poor results in recent weeks.

He told The NLP “Last Saturday was a really edgy FA Cup tie that could have went either way.  We missed a great chance, they took theirs, fair play to them and we wish them well.

“We trained through the week, we said we had to right some wrongs in front of our fans tonight against a really top side and I thought we were fantastic to a man. Everything about it, in both boxes, we were the better side and rightly won the game.

“To win against a really strong Emley side tonight is really satisfying.”

Heaton Stannington: Flynn, Evans, Stephenson, Robson, Capewell (Groves 81), Milburn, Hopper, Payne (Burn 66), Adamson (Errington 66), Walker (Shepherd 81), Storey Subs: Lamb

Emley: Lambton, Shepherd, Stacey (Lindley 53), Metcalfe, Cowgill, Banks, De Sousa Rodrigues, Whittingham, Rodrigues (Gordon 61), Dean (Sorhaindo 67), Mampala Subs: Cressey, Dawson