STOCKTON TOWN VS ALFRETON TOWN PREVIEW
DATE: Saturday 22ndAugust, 2026
KICK-OFF: 15:00
ENTRY: £14 Adults, £11 Concessions/U18’s £6 U16’s £4,U5’s free.
ONLINE TICKETS: Click here to purchase online tickets
GROUND: Stockton Town FC, MAP Group UK Stadium, Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 0QD
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter/X
LIVE COMMENTARY: Click to Listen to Live Coverage on Anchors TV
Stockton Town continue the search for their first win on Saturday with the visit of Alfreton Town.
The Anchors were soundly beaten 4-1 at Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night. Michael Dunwell had a depleted squad to choose from and could only name four substitutes on the bench, which included two U18 players.
Sporting their new away kit for the first time, Stockton fell behind within three minutes, and once the second goal went in just after the half-hour mark, the game completely escaped them.
Dunwell admitted in his post-match interview that even the 4-1 scoreline “flattered” his side.
Despite that dismal outing and the absence of a win so far, there is a feeling that performances in the first three games have not yielded what they deserved.
Speaking for his programme notes, Dunwell said: “I think in the three games before we played okay, although I know some won’t agree with that. Obviously our main problem has been in front of goal and that’s something we have to sort out ourselves.”
Stockton will be boosted for the game against Alfreton by the return of Tom Coulthard from injury and Lewis King from suspension.
It is a first-ever meeting with Alfreton Town. The Derbyshire club are back in the Northern Premier League for the first time since 2004 following relegation at the end of last season. They had originally moved up to what was the Conference North in 2004 when it was a newly formed division.
Under the stewardship of Nicky Law, they won the Conference North title in 2011 and played four seasons in non-league’s top tier.
In their current state, they are far from those days, although their NPL return has not been as chastening as anticipated. Following a squad overhaul and chairman William Rush putting the club up for sale back in May, many expected another tough campaign for the Reds.
Currently, they sit 11th with six points from their four games played. It is a symmetrical record, with two wins at home and two defeats on the road.
Last time out, they were beaten 2-1 by Cleethorpes Town at the Linden Club.
Manager Jake Buxton, who played in the EFL as a defender notably for Mansfield Town and Derby County, said they could have got something from the contest: “As much as I was disappointed by the result, I was pleased with the performance. We continued playing and creating opportunities, and we just have to convert those chances.”
Looking ahead to the game, Michael Dunwell said: “We’re looking forward to playing Alfreton. They have just come down and we have never played them before. They’ve had a half-decent start, but we’ll go in looking to score our first goals from open play and get our first three points.”
