Same teams....different game....same result........
Stingers were the visitors to Newton Athletic on a cold November morning. If the weather was cold, the play certainly wasn't. The first half was played at a fast pace with the Classics finding it hard to get into any sort of rhythm. Billy Ranger had a glorious chance to open the scoring in the tenth minute when a great centre from Mike Snow found him unmarked three yards out from goal but Ranger could not get his head to connect with the ball and the chance went begging.

In the 20th. minute the referee failed to award a penalty after a blatant push in the back on Bill McAuley. Straight from the incident the Stingers broke away down the right and the right winger beat an out of place Chas Jones to send over a perfect centre which was powerfully headed past Garry Hackel. In the second half an out of sorts Rick Geary came off to be replaced by Dave Moore but he too broke down after 10 minutes and Mike Snow slotted in defence as a makepiece sweeper for the rest of the game.

In the 60th. minute a great piece of play from Hans Erker on the left wing saw him wait before playing a perfect pass inside to a waiting Jim Eden who hit his shot low to the left of the goalkeeper for a deserved equaliser. Stingers fought back to regain the lead and it took a superb one handed tip over the bar from Hackel to keep the Classics in the game.

The winner came after Eden, although Chuck McGill claimed it was him, played a deft pass through to put Ranger away on his own. With a defender in tow, Ranger cleverly turned his defender to put the ball on his left foot before curling a beautiful shot low to the left of the diving Stinger's keeper. It was a goal which deserved to be a match winner.

Eden had another great goal bound effort blocked and McAuley should have put the game beyond doubt five minutes from time after he was put clean through with only the goalkeeper to beat. Instead of placing the ball low to the right of the keeper he opted for a net buster which sailed well over and is still orbiting the earth at this moment. Not a great performance but a great result. Stingers must dread playing the Classics!