Heaton Stannington slip up again with Hallam defeat as Senior Cup final looms over

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Defeat on the final day, but we’ve still done enough to finish 7th in our second season of @NorthernPremLge football.

Thank you to @HallamFC1860 for the game – see you again next season! pic.twitter.com/seR9uRq1cr

— Heaton Stannington FC (@Heatonstan) April 25, 2026

Leon Salmon Howarth’s penalty ended Hallam’s three-game losing streak, defeating Northumberland Senior Cup finalists Heaton Stannington. 

The Heaton Stan fell to defeat in their final game of the season after conceding a penalty in the 67th minute, which Salmon-Howarth converted from the spot, sending Lewis Brass the wrong way. 

Hallam came into the game off the back of three defeats in a row, with the latest being against Dunston UTS, as for Heaton Stan, they searched for their first league win since April 10, which was a 2-1 win over Osett United, with the stan’s last league game resulting in a 4-1 defeat away to Grimsby Boro. 

Alife Smith saw a yellow card the first of the match as the Stan grew into the game with 12 minutes left of the first half and could have been 2-0 up, as the offside flag was shown twice for the stan; first one was for Hopper after a lofted through pass played into him and placed it past Warhurst, and the other was for Dale Pearson three minutes after the first flag.

It clicked at the right time for the home side, but unable to take their chances as they went into half-time level with Hallam.

The Stan made changes at the start of the second half, with Konner Lamb and Alex Payne coming on for Jay Errington and Andy Burn, whilst no changes were made for The Countrymen. 

Jonathan Chrsip was booked on a yellow card, with it being the second of the match, but for the home side this time.

It was a positive opening five minutes for Stan, as their momentum carried over from the first. Hopper’s strike narrowly went wide, and Connor Walker had a low, driven shot saved. 

With more subs made for both sides, the action in the second was quieter than in the first, and in the 67th minute, Stan put themselves in trouble as Hallem were awarded a penalty. 

Harlem Slater fouled inside the box and stepped to the spot, placed it past Lewis Brass and the Countrymen were in the lead. 

The game had another lull, with the second half quite flat; neither side looked threatening, with Stan having only a big chance in the 85th minute from a corner, but Capewell couldn’t get his header on target.