For the first time since October 2025, Emley have lost a home game! Heaton Stannington were the beneficiaries of something that rarely happens, mistakes at the back! Twice, Emley shot themselves in the foot and The Stan's star man Dale Pearson was only too happy to punish them.

In truth, it was a fairly drab game played under early spring sunshine but Emley couldn't get going, there was a lack of fluency to their play, the smooth link up play wasn't there and there was a lack of an attacking threat that the fans had become used to.

Since our last home defeat, 9 games ago in October, to another North East team, Bishop Auckland, who also beat us again last week, we have won all 9, scored 21 and only conceded once, against Ossett on New Year's Day, The visitors from Newcastle clearly hadn't read the script then.

Within 4 minutes a header off target from Gabriel Johnson suggested it was going to be another dominant home performance, but the game soon settled down with neither side threatening the other, or finding any real rhythm or consistency. Emley's Alex Walpole was the first goalkeeper to be called into action, rushing off his line to smother a dangerous looking Heaton attack.

Emley had their best chance of the game so far when a free kick from the left wasn't cleared and the stabbed shot was eventually cleared away, possession then drifted one way then another as action was limited to between the penalty areas, that deadlock was broken when the visitors fizzed a shot wide around the half hour mark.

Bailey Thompson looked to get onto a long through ball but the Stan keeper beat him to it and Joe Clegg was forced to make a clearance as Heaton threatened again down their left, the final action of the half saw an Emley chance cleared and the corner landed on top of the net.

H/T- Emley 0-0 Heaton Stannington.

Not much for the expectant crowd to get excited about in the first half and so more was expected in the second, Emley were attacking the shed, which once again was in fine voice despite the lack of action.

But most of the early action was at The Warburton End as the men in yellow took early control of the half, a couple of chances led to Emley's defence scrambling before a shot was sent wide. An early substitution saw Chris Dawson make way for Brad Abbott to make his Emley debut, Emley then had a half chance as Clegg did well to earn a corner on the right but Cowgill's downward header lacked intensity and the keeper caught easily.

Just past the hour and Emley conceded at home for only the second time this year and it was a rare thing to see, a major malfunction in one of the countries' best defences, the original ball wasn't dealt with with a poor attempted clearance and the second effort to clear saw a kick and miss by the unfortunate Walpole and Pearson was on hand to stroke home.

It was a really poor goal to concede, one of Emley's own making and they looked to put that right but it was the visitors who almost snatched a second, Emley again in sixes and sevens at the back but eventually the danger was cleared for a corner, more changes were made by Emley, Sorhaindo and Rodrigues for Turner and Stacey but Emley still couldn't turn the tide.

And the tide then turned the other way when another defensive nightmare saw Heaton double their lead, Emley, yet again failed to deal with the initial ball that left Walpole exposed and the keeper was left in no man's land as Pearson lobbed him from 20 yards out to send their merry band of supporters into raptures.

It was the most "Un-Emley" like performance, especially at the back where they had been so strong, but The Pewits had also been strong up front, but even this didn't click in this game, credit also has to go to the visitors for making it such a tough game, they had Emley on the back foot for large periods of the game and soaked up a bit of pressure in the last few minutes and of course, took full advantage of The Pewits' defensive mishaps.

Thompson saw a glancing header wide as the hosts struggled to create anything, Carlos Rodrigues offered his usual pace and trickery down the left, winning a corner which ended with Lindley, unable to repeat his wonder strike from Silsden in midweek, seeing the keeper make a save.

Ross Hardaker replaced Clegg as Emley gave themselves 5 minutes to rescue a game that they hadn't looked like winning, but it wasn't to be, a stabbed Cowgill shot from an uncleared corner saw the keeper down low to clutch it safely as Emley suffered their first home defeat of the calendar year.

The blow was softened somewhat by the news that Matlock had again failed to take advantage and Emley remain in second place behind champions elect Redcar Athletic, but with two tough looking away games now at Bridlington and Lincoln, Emley need to keep their heads up and go again as the race for promotion shifts up a gear.

F/T- Emley 0-2 Heaton Stannington.

Attendance- 411

Emley- Walpole, Clegg, Farrar, Lindley, Cowgill [c], Barks, Turner, Dawson, Thompson, Johnson, Stacey;
Subs all used- Rodrigues, Sorhaindo, Abbott, Hardaker