The Young Anchors came through the Preliminary Round with an 8-1 thrashing of Kendal Town.
Although manager Paddy Davis admits the scoreline was harsh on the hosts, “To be fair to Kendal, the scoreline doesn’t suggest how much they made the game competitive. I think we were very ruthless in and around their box, which is obviously a bonus for us. Very pleased with the energy we showed in the game, which I know the opposition found hard to cope with.”
The star of the show was Jaedon Faulkner, who netted a hat-trick in the game. Faulkner is well-known to Stockton supporters having made his debut last season at Mickleover. This season he has played a more prominent role having featured for the first team on three occasions.
“It was good to help the team to the next round and hopefully we can go the furthest we have ever been,” Faulkner said on the win at Kendal.
“It’s been a big change from 18s football playing in bigger crowds, more people watching and more pressure, but I like being involved and doing a job when needed,” he added.
Stockton Town are really making use of the dual-registration system to allow their U18s to play more First Team football in the men’s game. The system allows Stockton to register their young players with Northern League clubs, but also allows them the flexibility to call them back for Stockton should they need to, nurturing their talent further.
Faulkner is currently dual-registered at Guisborough Town in the Northern League Division One, and he is thriving. On Saturday he netted in a 2-1 defeat at Penrith.
Faulkner said: “Guisborough has allowed me to play men’s football consistently and has made a difference to my confidence with settling in with older lads which has allowed me to feel ready every time I’m needed for Stockton.”
Elsewhere, Seb Waller has recently joined Crook Town on a dual registration in the same division. There are a number of players at Darlington Town in Division Two in Tyler Smith, Harvey Parkinson and Chuka Unigwe.
There’s certainly been faith shown in this current cohort of U18 players. So far this season, two have been handed their debut for Stockton Town. Luca McHugh came on in the 6-0 win over Workington, while the aforementioned Waller came on in the 2-0 defeat at Gainsborough Trinity.
McHugh commented: “It has been a great experience being involved with the first team, not only to make my first team debut but also to develop as a player, especially in training.”
“It was a good experience to come on against Gainsborough and make my debut. Something that I’ve been aiming to do for a while and glad it happened,” Waller said on his debut.
For Davis, it’s reward for his and his coaching team’s hard work with the group, “It’s been fantastic to see so many of the lads being exposed to first team football. It’s a big compliment to them but also shows how much trust the first team set-up have in them as well.”
It’s easy to see why this group is held in such esteem. The majority played in the JPL Cup success last season, which saw the Young Anchors defeat Bottesford Town in the final at Doncaster Rovers Eco-Power Stadium to complete the double. They also came close to completing a treble, but were beaten in the National Finals.
Waller, who captained the side to glory, said: “It was a great feeling to lift the JPL Cup after a good season where we all worked hard for it all season long. It was well deserved. It would be great if we could do it again this year.”
In the majority of their games, the Young Anchors are much favoured, but tomorrow night face a stern test against a high-powered Darlington outfit.
Looking ahead to the game, Davis said: “We had some tough games in the FA Youth Cup over the last couple of seasons — Blyth Spartans and South Shields in particular — which showed us the level we need to be at to have a chance. I’d expect Darlington to pose the same threat.
“It’s a good set-up at Darlington. They play in a high-standard league and it should be a real test for us. It’s what we need to help develop the lads.”
From a player’s perspective, McHugh added: “I think it will be a good challenge against Darlington and we should still come away with a win. I wouldn’t expect less from us due to the score from the previous Youth Cup game.”
The lads thoroughly deserve a big crowd for the game, and are excited by the prospect of one.
“To be honest, the players mention it all the time — in terms of how many they think will come and support us. That in itself shows what it would mean to them.
I hope that those who follow the first team regularly come down and get behind the team. It helps them experience and enjoy the atmosphere they may have to get used to if they get around the first team more often,” Davis said.
“The Stockton crowd are great — the best fans in the league by far. They definitely play a big part,” Waller concluded.
Fans wishing to attend tonight’s tie should note it is cash at the turnstiles: £4 Adults and £2 Concessions.
