THE HORNETS | Hebburn Town v Stockton Town | Issue 46

Daniel Moore

Mark Hudson Assistant Manager

Simon Harris First-Team Coach

Carl Morris Goalkeeping Coach

FROM THE DUGOUT

DANIEL MOORE

TO THE GREEN ENERGY SPORTS GROUND FOR OUR SECOND FIXTURE

OF 2023.

We’ve got to keep going and trying to build on our form with even more wins. It’s important to look after lads since we have a hectic fixture schedule - there will be games where we need to rotate.

With Will McCamley and Liam Henderson coming back, and possibly a new addition, it’ll hopefully be enough to see us until the end of the season. Stockton are a good side. We watched them against Ossett and they were unlucky not to win in the

end, even with 10 men.

If we want to be where we want to be, these are the games we need to show up and perform.

It’s another game at home where we need to stamp down our authority and get at them. They’re going through a rough period but they’re still a danger - they rotated quite heavily at Shildon and won comfortably, and should've beaten Ossett. They’ll m enforce but the good sq doesn’t what 11

put out. We’re under no illusion it’ll be a tough game but the lads should be fired up for it. That Trophy win is something we can take positives from and I’ll mention it to the lads because it’ll give us some belief and confidence. We're taking it one game at a time at the moment. We look at Stockton and see how we come out the other side because we can't foresee anything

ON THE PITCH OLLY MARTIN

BACK

HOME FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S GAME AGAINST

STOCKTON.

The squad is feeling good after a bit of a break due to the weather and postponements. It was important to train hard over the last two weeks to keep ticking over. The management made sure we kept our fitness up with some running and high-tempo games. You have to expect cancellations at this time of yearthe lads are still in a good mood though and we want to build momentum from our recent results. My calf is alright now after the Dunston game. I’ve been quite ill

over the Christmas period as well but

I’m coming towards the end of that.

I’m fully focused on today's game and feel ready to go. It’s good that there’s competition between all the forwards. For personal reasons, you want to be at the top, but you always want to score in every game regardless. You don’t really care who’s getting the goals, as long as the team is winning. We know what Stockton are about. They’ll be wanting to get it down and play but I don’t

think our pitch will suit them.

It’s a big advantage and I think it’ll suit us more because we can adapt our style. Stockton will try to pass it around and get high up the pitch, so we know what we need to do defensively as a unit. If we can get a result it’ll put pressure on them for the rest of the season as well. Getting two goals against them in September was great so hopefully I can replicate that performance this afternoon.

NOTICEBOARD

NOTICEBOARD

Our Durham Challenge Cup quarter-final against Whickham has now been reversed.

The continuous rain meant the pitch at Whickham was deemed unplayable on Wednesday night after an inspection. The fixture has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 17 with a 7:30pm kick-off.

Since the tie has been postponed twice, the game will now be reversed and played at The Green Energy Sports Ground following competition rules. Tickets will be available on the gate, with both cash and card payments accepted.

Admission is priced at £8 adults, £5 concessions and £3 U16s.

Should the game finish level after 90 minutes, it will head straight to penalties on the night.

The winner will host Seaham Red Star in the semi-final in February. The other semi-final sees Dunston welcome National League North side Spennymoor Town.

Hebburn Town scored a late winner against local rivals North Shields to open 2023.

The visitors hit the bar early when Tom Potter crossed to a leaping Cam Cunningham at the back post.

Daniel Moore’s side broke the deadlock on 10 minutes through Joe Walton, after the winger forced Finlay Hodgson into a mistake in his goulmouth. With 19 on the clock, stand-in skipper Connor Oliver equalised for The Robins after nodding home Potter’s cross on the right. Amar Purewal provided Hebburn’s buzz in the final third, getting a clear cut chance in the 54th minute but Hodgson blocked at the front post.

Arron Thompson could’ve got his first Hebburn goal after the hour when Walton drove a ball into the six-yard box, however his effort didn’t challenge Hodgson in the middle of his goal.

Liam Murray and Olly Martin came off the bench and also had great opportunities but couldn't take full advantage. Purewal, who also scored the winner against North Shields in August, got his goal after latching onto Walton's set-piece and blasting into the bottom corner.

The Robins were reduced to 10 in injury time after Regan Patterson was shown a red for an altercation with the referee, and Hebburn managed to hold onto all three points.

JOE WALTON

AN INTRODUCTION

PLAYER SPONSORS

BY DAVID COULTHARD

We read into today's visitors, Michael Dunwell's Stockton Town. Stockton Town were founded in 1979 as Hartburn Juniors, however didn’t play senior football until 2009 having changed their name a few years previously. Despite this, The Anchors have enjoyed a huge amount of success in their short existence. Their first senior season was in the Teesside League, however they later joined the Wearside League. The club spent a very successful six seasons in the Wearside League, including four straight league titles before progressing to the Northern League in 2016. In the 2014/15 campaign, the club achieved a historic quadruple when they also won the Shipowners, Monkwearmouth and

League Cups, with the latter two being retained

as part of a treble in 2015/16. Stockton immediately stormed the Second Division, their fifth straight league title.

Division One initially proved a giant leap, with Stockton losing their first eight games, but they recovered to finish sixth and make the FA Vase Final, where they lost 1-0. Like Hebburn, Stockton were promoted to step four on a PPG basis in 2020/21.

They are now enjoying their second year in the Pitching In Northern Premier League club, sitting in second place after a tight play-off final defeat last campaign at Marske United.

LAST MATCH

advantage only lasted until 58, as Danny South was also dismissed for the visitors after elbowing Elliott Beddow. The Anchors then got their noses in front on 66 when Lewis King found Kevin Hayes, who fired a low shot home from the ADAM NICHOLSON ROCK AT THE BACK MADE HIS STOCKTON DEBUT AT 16-YEARS-OLD JOINED IN AUGUST 2009 CURRENTLY CAPTAINS THE ANCHORS KEVIN HAYES ATTACKING THREAT CAME THROUGH STOCKTON'S U18S AND HAS PLAYED OVER 200 GAMES SCORED THE WINNER AGAINST HEBBURN IN AUGUST ALSO HAD A SPELL WITH SPENNYMOOR TOWN

edge of the area. Harry Coates kept Ossett within touching distance by twice clearing off the line, before they grabbed themselves a point eight minutes from time, thanks to Alex Peterson’s close-

range finish.

PLAYER SPONSORS LAST MEETING

BY DAVID COULTHARD

Hebburn beat Stockton for the first time in four years in September with a resounding FA Trophy win.

Hebburn's first chance came in the 11th minute when Arron Thompson's corner was headed down and Olly Martin turned his header just wide of the post.

At the other end, Kevin Hayes' cross was headed against the bar by Mikey Roberts and somehow ricocheted over the bar. The home side took the lead in the 26th minute when Stockton keeper Callum Roberts' clearance came to Martin, who expertly curled into the unguarded net. The second goal arrived in the 34th minute when Dan Groves' cross from the right skipped off the surface, before Martin met it sweetly on the half-volley to smash it past Callum Roberts. Martin almost completed a first half hat-trick on 42 when another curling effort was tipped around the post.

3-1

23 SEPTEMBER 2022

On the hour, Hebburn grabbed our third when Groves flicked into the path of Amar Purewal who chipped the keeper to find the back of the net. Groves did well to win the ball back deep in the Stockton half on 64, before another trademark Martin curler was tipped around the post by Callum Roberts. Substitute James Harrison had a good chance to make it four but his effort fell wide of the target. It was the visitors who grabbed the final goal of the evening in the 89th when Tyrone O'Neill headed past Shaun Newbrook from close-range, but it wasn't enough to prevent Hebburn from progressing in the competition.

PLAYER SPONSORS HUNTER ON DEVELOPMENT

Young shot-stopper Kieran Hunter believes he’s developed well in Northern League Division Two.

The 21-year-old is currently on a dual-registration deal with Chester-le-Street Town, after making five first-team appearances for Hebburn last season.

“It was a good experience to play games last season,” Hunter explained. “I always wanted to make a

good impression with the new management coming in during the summer, and I feel like I’ve progressed well. “I’m communicating better and making my presence known - all the areas of my game are being improved. “Carl [Morris] has been very welcoming and his training sessions are excellentthey’re very high standard.

“All the goalkeepers are improving and helping each

other - myself, Shaun [Newbrook] and Andy [Coulson] are gaining valuable experience.

“It’s not just about helping one keeper - we’re getting the best out of each other and progressing together.”

Hunter linked up with The Cestrians in September, and reveals former Hebburn goalkeeping coach Chris Errington played a big part in that move.

“I wanted to go out and play in the Northern League,” he said.

“It was about proving myself at that level because I believed in my ability.

“Chris Errington knew Chester-le-Street’s manager at the time and they were looking for a keeper, so Chris put my name forward.

“I’m really happy with how it’s going - they welcomed me in and I’m playing week in and week out.

“It’s a good standard and the squad is a decent mix of youth and experience - it’s

also good to experience a new dressing room.”

After departing the youth set-ups of Sunderland and Gateshead, Hunter had spent the last few seasons playing in the Northern Alliance with Hebburn Town U23s “The standard is quite different,” commented the goalkeeper.

“You could be comfortable all game in the Northern League but all it takes is one chance to lose.

“You need to be a lot more concentrated and communicate constantlyit’s so close and just one

moment can change a game.

“The strikers are more clinical so it’s really important to organise the team and make sure they don’t get through.

“In the Northern Alliance, it’s a lot easier to keep possession and see a game out - strikers might need a few chances before they score as well.”

Hunter joined Chester-leStreet under Colin Wake, who was manager since 1995, however they recently appointed Steve Bowey as gaffer in October. Bowey is a household name with over a decade of experience in the Northern League, while also playing professionally for the likes of Gateshead, York City and Queen of the South. “He’s been good with me,” Hunter stated. “He came to watch a game before he was appointed and we won 1-0, I kept a clean sheet.

“On his first game in charge, he wanted to see the other keeper in goal to compare us both.

“He also kept a clean sheet so we were both doing decent - it was down to me to kick on and fight for my place.

“I proved myself in training and I’ve been rewarded with a run of games over the last few weeks.”

After a defeat to Dunston in the Durham Challenge Cup,

Chester-le-Street have won their last two league fixtures.

The Cestrians scraped a win against Sunderland West End, who featured another Hebburn youngster in Dylan Archer, before a 2-1 victory against Ryton & Crawcrook. “I’m looking forward to the next few weeks,” said Hunter. “We were putting in good performances without getting results - now we’re getting those wins. “The last few games haven’t been pretty - we’ve battled well and took our chances,

and had to dig in for the results.

“We’re building a good run of form, especially at home, so I can’t wait to continue my development.”

Archer has spent time with Sunderland West End since October, having also experienced a month with Crook Town in Northern League Division One. Left-back Gabriel Bada made his Northern League debut with Whickham at the weekend, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw against Sunderland RCA.

U23S REPORT

NOTICEBOARD

Hebburn Town U23s are in Durham Minor Cup quarter-final action at 1:30pm this afternoon.

Hebburn went 2-0 down inside half an hour at Stanhope Town, but an incredible response saw The Hornets net five to book our place in the quarters. "We started brightly and had a few chances on goal," boss Gary Henry assessed. "Unfortunately Stanhope took the lead through an own goal and we fell two down after about 30 minutes. "We kept creating chances at the other end and looked lively going forward - I said if we could get one goal then we'd get a few.

"Jack Robertson linked up well with Harry Loughlin and the returning John Murray, who had been out since September. "Jack got a tap in and then followed it up with a good

strike across the keeper to see us 2-2 at half-time.

"The second half started similar to the first with us having plenty of chanceswe had to wait until one occasion when we got in well and the defender tried to clear but it hit Harry off and went in.

"After that Jack got another two to kill the game off and secure the win." Now the U23s travel to Deerness Valley with a place in the final four up for grabs.

"They're another young team doing well in their league who will be a good test for us," said Henry.

"Hopefully we can continue from our performance last weekend, but it's definitely going to be another hard game in store."