STANDIANS managed to hold out for their win at Ringley Road on Saturday, but not before demonstrating that they are only consistent at being inconsistent!

Time and time again this season they have thrown away leads through no fault but their own, and it was almost the same story on Saturday.

Critchley and McKenna were drafted into the back four, following late withdrawals from the squad.

Critchley partnered O'Shaughnessy at centre half, while McKenna played in the unfamiliar role of right back.

Even with these changes Standians played the better football earlier on.

Jepson seemed to be enjoying having the option of finding the airily powerful Gatcliffe with his right wing crosses, as he partnered leading scorer Abbott upfront with Gaz Perkin still injured.

Abbott was on the score sheet twice in the first 15 minutes of the game.

Both times he executed his finishes well from inside the box, with the Whalley defenders backing off one of the league's best strikers.

Jepson and Yeates combined well for his first, with Jepson's cross deflecting off the Whalley captain and dropping nicely for Abbott to volley home.

Minutes later Gatcliffe had the centre-backs split and shot quickly, only for the deflection to again drop to Abbott who mirrored his earlier finish.

Whalley have proved to be a capable side against Standians this season, running them close in the 5-3 cup victory and in the 3-3 draw in the league earlier in the season, so it was no surprise that they were a threat going forward.

Whalley did pull a goal back late in the first half when Healy was dispossessed on the edge of the Whalley area, a quick angled ball over the top saw Hinchy rush out of his box to clear, but he misjudged the bounce and let the centre forward in for a tap in.

The second half started much the same as the first, with Standians playing the better football and Whalley probing but to no great effect.

Healy had been moved infield alongside the tenacious Yeates and their combination of flair and grit seemed to be working against a fiery Whalley midfield.

Healy was on hand to release Gatcliffe for his first goal of the season after 70 minutes.

His ball into the right-hand channel was the ideal weight and found Gatcliffe's run perfectly.

His first touch seemed a bit heavy but only helped in drawing the Whalley keeper out to a ball he was always second best to reach, and Gatcliffe rifled home to make it 3-1 for Standians.

With little over ten minutes left they grabbed their fourth. Jepson received the ball at his feet from McKenna, turned well to beat the left back and fired in a pacey cross which beat everyone, including the Whalley keeper, hit the far post and nestled in the goal, for his eleventh strike of the season.

It was at 4-1 that started to show their inconsistency.

Firstly they resorted to a 4-5-1 formation, with Riley replacing Abbott, then they began playing some sloppy football all over the pitch.

They gave possession away wide on the left and allowed a neat sliderule pass to split their defence, and Whalley's substitute striker placed the ball low into the corner.

Within five minutes of that goal, and with less than five minutes remaining, Standians gave Whalley's tall centre-half a free header from a well delivered corner and it crept in just under the bar and above Jepson's head on the back post.

Standians were now begining to hang on, having dominated proceeding for most of the match.

Straight from the re-start the pressure was back on Standians' back four, and Adam O'Shaughnessy mis-timed a tackle on the edge of the box to present Whalley with a last minute free-kick.

Their leading scorer fired the ball up and over the week Standians' wall, and Hinchy was forced to make a full stretch save in the bottom left hand corner.

He managed to get across his goal and tip the shot onto the post, from where it narrowly missed ricocheting off Hinchy before going right across goal and out for another Whalley corner.

Standians saw out the final minutes to hold on to their 4-3 lead and claim their eighth win of the season.