STOCKTON TOWN VS CLEETHORPES TOWN PREVIEW
COMPETITION: Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division – Matchday 26
DATE: Saturday 31st January, 2026
KICK-OFF: 15:00
ENTRY: £13 Adult, £10 Concessions, £6 11-18 year-olds, £4 U11
GROUND: Stockton Town FC, MAP Group UK Stadium, Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 0QD
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter/X
LIVE COMMENTARY: https://anchors-radio.mixlr.com/
Stockton Town celebrate Junior Day with the visit of Cleethorpes Town.
Stockton Town Junior Players are encouraged to turn kitted out in their Stockton Town apparel for the final game of January.
The Anchors were the better side for much of last Saturday’s trip to Guiseley and led through Amar Purewal’s header. But they were left frustrated after Guiseley found an equaliser through Joao Silva. The Anchors could have won it at the end, but Jake Petitjean had his close range header saved.
Michael Dunwell will be boosted by the return of Kev Hayes from his two-game suspension. The mercurial winger scored a stoppage time winner the last time the two sides met at the MAP Group UK Stadium.
THE OPPOSITION
Cleethorpes Town were promoted to the NPL Premier Division after winning last season’s NPL East Division title with 93 points. Presently they are in 13th and sit ten points off the Play-Offs but only five from the relegation zone.
Manager Craig Rouse is familiar to Stockton for his work at Pontefract Colleries who often gave the Anchors hard time during their NPL East Division days.
Striker Josh Walker, who scored in the last meeting at the MAP Group UK Stadium, is their only player who boasts a double figure goal tally this season. Namesake Nicky, who has also impressed against Stockton in the past, is another attacking threat.
Elsewhere there’s plenty of experience, particularly in Callum Ainley and Brad Abbott. The former had a short spell locally at Spennymoor Town.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Stockton Town and Cleethorpes Town have faced off eight times since their first encounter back in September 2021. Here are the results of the last five:
17 Sep 22 – Stockton Town 1-0 Cleethorpes Town – Northern Premier League East Division
11 Feb 23 – Cleethorpes Town 0-2 Stockton Town – Northern Premier League East Division
10 Feb 24 – Stockton Town 4-3 Cleethorpes Town – Northern Premier League East Division
23 Mar 24 – Cleethorpes Town 0-0 Stockton Town – Northern Premier League East Division
20 Sep 25- Cleethorpes Town 1-2 Stockton Town- Northern Premier League Premier Division
FORM GUIDE
Stockton Town: D L W W W
Last match: Guiseley 1-1 Stockton Town
Cleethorpes Town: D L L W D
Last match: Cleethorpes Town 0-0 Ilkeston Town
PRE-MATCH QUOTES
Looking ahead to the fixture, Michael Dunwell said:
“It’s another tough game, but we are playing well and have felt we haven’t got what we have deserved in our last two games (Hednesford and Guiseley)
“We need to start converting our chances when we get them, but our level of play overall hopefully continues.”
