Heaton Stannington v Blyth Spartans | Saturday, 31 January 2026 - 15:00 | League

Matchday Information

Ticket Prices: £10 for adults, £7 for concessions, £2 for U16

Blyth Spartans head to The Willow Park for their next NPL East match as they prepare to face play-off chasing Heaton Stannington this Saturday.

Despite a valiant performance on the road last week Spartans were unable to take any points from Matlock Town, and they remain in the fight to survive relegation.

Blyth must take confidence from last weekend's performance against the Gladiators; despite coming out of the game on the wrong side of the result, they had opportunities throughout, with Michael Fowler even having an attempt ruled out for offside, but it showed the Spartans' ability to compete with any side in the league.

The Hosts: Heaton Stannington

Heaton Stannington currently sit 7th in the NPL East, they have accrued 42 points so far this season and sit just four points outside of the play-off places.

The Stan have endured some difficult games recently, only winning one of their last five matches in the division, with their most recent defeat coming to play-off rivals Pontefract Collieries last weekend.

That defeat was their first at home in six games. The Stan have made The Willow Park a difficult place to visit this season and will need to utilise that when they entertain Spartans on Saturday afternoon.

The Visitors: Blyth Spartans

After back-to-back victories in the league Spartans were defeated on the road, leaving them second from bottom in the NPL East.

Five points separate the bottom eight sides in the division, showing that if Blyth can continue to put together consistent results, they can climb up the table heading towards the end of the season.

Spartans will be prepared for the difficult task ahead as they were for Matlock last weekend, but will be hoping for a more positive outcome results wise if they are able to match the performance level they have shown in recent weeks.

Last Time Out: Blyth Spartans 3-4 Heaton Stannington

A seven-goal thriller was played out in front of a large crowd at Croft Park, the last time the sides met in the NPL East, both sides finished the match with 10-men and despite a late fightback from Spartans, it was Heaton Stannington who claimed all three points.

The Stan started well and raced into a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes. The visitors extended their lead further in the first half through Dale Pearson, who reacted first to a loose ball in the Spartans' box and smashed home into the bottom corner.

Just under 10 minutes played in the second half, a defensive error from the Blyth backline and goalkeeper presented Alex Payne with an empty net, which he slotted into to make it four. The situation got worse for Spartans as they were reduced to 10 when Matty Slocombe remonstrated with the referee about the goal and was sent off.

The away side took their foot off the gas and allowed the hosts back into the game after a Blyth player was hauled down in the box from a free kick. Benji Shodeinde was on hand to convert past Alfie Gordon, giving Spartans a slight lifeline.

Once again, a red card was shown after the penalty, but this time it was handed to Ben Milburn of Heaton Stannington. This opened the game up, and Blyth pulled another goal back through Joe Aungiers, who spun the defender excellently and slotted the ball home neatly.

Towards the end of the game, Spartans got their third with Jack Vaulks in the 86th minute. The initial effort was saved, but Vaulks was on hand to poke home the rebound.

Despite the valiant effort and fightback from the hosts, it was still Heaton Stannington who left Croft Park with three points.

Team News

Marc Nash will be without winger Noah Millington, who suffered a stress fracture in his left foot and will be sidelined for a sustained period.

There are no other injuries or suspensions to report on for Saturday's game.

Media Coverage

You can follow all of the action on Saturday afternoon via our social media platforms and BlythLive on Mixlr from 2:50pm.