SHILDON AFC v STOCKTON TOWN PREVIEW
COMPETITION: ‘Frank Pattison’ Durham Challenge Cup Final
DATE: Tuesday 14th April, 2026
KICK-OFF: 19:30
ENTRY (TICKETS ONLY): £10 Adult, £5 Concessions and Children
GROUND: Heritage Park, Stadium Way, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, DL14 9AE
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter/X
LIVE COMMENTARY: https://stocktontownfc.com/anchors-radio/
Stockton Town are set to face Shildon in their first-ever ‘Frank Pattison’ Durham Challenge Cup Final at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park.
The Anchors had anticipated playing at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light after their 5-0 Semi-Final triumph over Horden CW back in February but a clash with a Sunderland U21 Cup match meant the game had to be moved.
Stockton began their campaign back in October against the now folded Farringdon Detached where they emerged 5-2 winners despite going behind. They then defeated fellow league high-flyers Hebburn Town on penalties before beating Dunston 1-0 on the road thanks to a wonderstrike from Adam Nicholson. The final place was booked with the aforementioned win over Horden CW.
Michael Dunwell’s outfit will aim for a quick return to form after their Play-Off pursuit in the league took a significant stutter with a 4-2 home defeat to Rushall Olympic.
THE OPPOSITION
Shildon head into the game after being consigned to their third-straight second place finish in the Northern League Division One.
The Railwaymen’s 3-2 win at Horden CW was not enough as Guisborough Town secured the victory they needed at Carlisle City to lift the league title.
Shildon have great pedigree in the Durham Challenge Cup with seven titles to their name, the most recent of which came last season when they beat Whickham in the final. On their way to that title, they beat Stockton in the Second Round.
Some of Chirs Hughes’s side will be familiar to Anchors fans from our previous meetings with Shildon.
Billy Greulich-Smith continues to play up top and scored in the win at Horden. Former Anchor Joe Posthill returned to Dean Street earlier in the season from Hebburn. They also have former Darlington Captain Gary Brown in defence.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Since the two sides’ first meeting back in 2017, the teams have faced off on 15 occasions across a number of different competitions, with both clubs getting their fair share of wins in those match-ups. Here are the results from the recent five meetings:
6 Nov 24: Stockton Town 1-3 Shildon- Durham Challenge Cup Second Round
2 Jan 2023: Shildon 0-3 Stockton Town – NPL East Division
29 Aug 2022: Stockton Town 2-1 Shildon – NPL East Division
1 Jan 2022: Stockton Town 1-0 Shildon – NPL East Division
30 Aug 2021: Shildon 0-0 Stockton Town – NPL East Division
FORM GUIDE
Shildon: W W W W W
Last match: Horden CW 2-3 Shildon
Stockton Town: W L W L L
Last match: Stockton Town 2-4 Rushall Olympic
VIEW FROM THE OPPOSITION
Speaking after the win at Horden, Chris Hughes said:
“It’s a good occasion and it’s nice to be in the final. It’s a good opportunity for the lads to go and show what they can do.
“I am sure there will be a good crowd there. It’s just down the bank from Shildon, so I am sure we’ll have plenty of Shildon fans. We’ll need the support.”
PRE-MATCH QUOTES
Looking ahead to the game, Michael Dunwell said:
“There’s probably nothing better to go into to put something right than a cup final and we have just said there it’s not going to be easy either because Shildon will want to get one over on us.
“They are a couple of leagues below and flying high in the Northern League. It’s going to be another tough battle. We need to be a lot better than we were today (v Rushall) and we can’t just expect to turn up and win.”
