GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY VS STOCKTON PREVIEW
COMPETITION: Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division – Matchday 10
DATE: Saturday 21 September, 2024
KICK-OFF: 15:00
ENTRY: £13 Adult, £9 Concessions, £4 under-16s
GROUND: Gainsborough Trinity FC, The Northolme, Gainsborough, DN21 2QW
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter/X
Stockton Town will be looking to put Wednesday night’s defeat to Blyth Spartans behind them as they make their first ever trip to Gainsborough Trinity.
The Anchors will be keen to overcome a three game league losing streak following defeat in midweek, where Blyth Spartans took home all three points after a 3-0 victory.
Owen Gallacher is expected to be available for selection following a week out with injury, and Tom Coulthard is expected to undergo a late fitness test after missing the game against Blyth Spartans. Adam Nicholson will serve the final game of his suspension.
THE OPPOSITION
The Holy Blues are participating in their seventh season in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, after narrowly missing out on a playoff spot last season, finishing in eighth place.
The Northolme, Trinity’s home ground, has played host to the team since 1884, after the club was established all the way back in 1873.
Gainsborough are managed by former long-term EFL defender Russell Wilcox, who made over 500 professional appearances across a handful of teams between the 1980s to early-2000s.
Striker Declan Howe is the man to watch for the Holy Blues. The former Cleethorpes Town danger-man won the golden boot in the Premier Division last season, scoring 26 goals across time at Gainsborough and Ilkeston Town. He already has four goals to his name so far this campaign.
Defender Dylan Cogill captains the side, and he is surrounded by a core flooded with professional experience, and winger Fraser Preston notably represented Scotland internationally at youth level, playing alongside Anchors winger Owen Gallacher for a short stint in the Scotland under-16’s side.
The Lincolnshire-based side currently sit 15th in the standings, with three wins to their name picked up against Matlock Town, Morpeth Town and Leek Town. Russ Wilcox’s side also remain in the FA Cup after two impressive wins over Telford and Grantham Town, setting up a trip to Darlington next weekend.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This meeting will be the first ever between the two sides.
FORM GUIDE
Stockton Town: W L L W L
Last Game: Stockton Town 0-3 Blyth Spartans
Gainsborough Trinity: W L W W L
Last Game: Gainsborough Trinity 0-3 Basford United
PRE-MATCH QUOTES
“We’ve got to go there and we’ve got to go and get a result. It’s three losses in a row in the league, considering the great start we had, we’re now looking at a few defeats in a row.”
“We’ve got to go there and play a lot better, work a lot harder and our touches and decision making have got to be a lot better than what it was tonight.”
Words by Jordan Clarke
