Cleator Moor Celtic came to Stockton Town knowing that a victory was needed if they were to maintain any chance of challenging for the league Title. A Stockton victory however would move us to within 17 points of the Wearside League Title for a third consecutive season.
Cleator Moor started the game brightly and as they tried to get the ball forward early, this meant a lot of heading practice for centre halfs Adam Nicholson and Alan Cossavella.
Kallum Hannah could have opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he raced towards goal and slid the ball past Craig Devine in the Cleator goal, but the ball went across the face of the goal and just past the far post for a goal kick.
Max Craggs was next to test Devine with a powerful shot from outside the box that Devine just managed to hold onto, if the ball had popped up both Kallum Hannah and Chris Stockton were closing in to finish.
After 31 minutes Stockton got the goal the pressure they put on the Cleator defence deserved, Cleator failed to clear on a number of occasions before the ball popped up at the back post for ace marksman Kallum Hannah to head in for his 45th goal of the season.
The second half continued in the same vain with Stockton dominating play but Devine was equal to everything they could muster, until the 59th minute when the strike partnership of Hannah and Stockton struck again. Hannah held the ball up for Chris Stockton to run around the defence and ran onto the ball that Hannah had slipped through two defenders, Stockton gave Devine no chance with his shot for his 29th goal of this season.
The task for Stockton Town was made a little easier after 81 minutes when Sonni Coleman raced towards goal and Rhys Little brought the striker down, the referee gave the defender a straight red card.
Despite having 10 men Cleator looked for a consolation goal, in injury time Dunn had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside to keep another clean sheet, that’s 25 clean sheets for Michael Arthur.
Stockton are now unbeaten in 44 league games and have lost 1 in 46 league games.
