Northern League: Horden boss hails keeper Dean ahead of visit to former club

Horden CW manager Jonny Payne has hailed the impact made by goalkeeper Robert Dean as he prepares to visit former club Guisborough Town on Saturday afternoon.

The experienced stopper was an eye-catching signing for the Marras after he joined them from Guisborough in the early weeks of the season and he has wasted little time in showing why Payne was so pleased to secure his signature. After making his debut with a solid display in a 1-1 home draw with West Auckland Town, Dean has been an ever-present and he produced arguably his best display in a Horden shirt in last weekend’s draw at Newcastle Blue Star.

The former Spennymoor Town and Marske United keeper made several fine stops on what was a blustery night on Tyneside as his side claimed a more then credible point that kept them in the Northern League Division One play-off places.

As he prepares to return to Guisborough for the first time since joining Horden, Marras boss Dean has praised Dean’s ability to spread calmness around his team-mates and described the keeper as ‘a potential match-winner’.

He told The Echo: “He has had a really good start for us and he’s brought everything I expected him to bring in. There’s calmness, there’s experience, and there’s belief from the lads that they have a good goalkeeper behind them and a potential match-winner. His standards are so high and that spreads around the squad. We are delighted to have him in our squad and he is living up to what we always believed we were getting when we brought him in.”

Jason Blackburn will be available for Horden for the final time before he starts a one-match ban.

There are two Division One fixtures on Friday night as Easington Colliery head to Whickham and West Auckland Town entertain Newcastle Blue Star. Elsewhere on Saturday, league leaders Whitley Bay host Boro Rangers, Kendal Town travel to Birtley Town and Shildon head to Penrith looking to make it just one defeat in their opening 12 league games.

Carlisle City will hope to close the gap to the play-off places with a home win against Newcastle Benfield, Marske United travel to Crook Town for a battle of two sides in the bottom three, North Shields face an away day at West Allotment Celtic and Thornaby entertain Northallerton Town.

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