STOCKTON TOWN VS PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES
COMPETITION: FA Trophy First Qualifying Round
DATE: Saturday 9th September 2023
KICK-OFF: 19:45
ENTRY: £9 Adult, £7 Concession, £3 Child (tickets available online or at the gate)
GROUND: MAP Group UK Stadium, Bishopton Road West, Stockton-On-Tees, TS19 0QD
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter
Stockton Town host an FA Trophy game for the first time when they welcome Pontefract Collieries to the MAP Group UK Stadium.
The game marks the second consecutive week without a league game after last Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup exit at Warrington Rylands. The Anchors pushed the side from the league higher all the way and had a few decent chances in the closing stages to force a replay.
The FA Trophy First Qualifying Tie against Pontefract begins the third campaign in the competition. Stockton won their first game in the competition last season when they claimed a dramatic come from behind triumph at Witton Albion. They then exited in the following round with a 3-1 defeat at Hebburn Town.
This is the first of back-to-back games against Pontefract with the away meeting in the league scheduled for next Saturday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the sixth meeting between the two clubs. Pontefract have the upper hand with four victories to Stockton’s one.
12 Feb 2022- Pontefract Collieries 2-0 Stockton Town- Northern Premier League East Division
26 Mar 2022- Stockton Town 3-1 Pontefract Collieries- Northern Premier League East Division
20 Aug 2022- Stockton Town 2-3 Pontefract Collieries- Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
18 Oct 2022- Pontefract Collieries 2-1 Stockton Town- Northern Premier League East Division
21 Jan 2023- Stockton Town 2-3 Pontefract Collieries- Northern Premier League East Division
FORM GUIDE
Stockton Town: L W W W W
Last Game: Warrington Rylands 1-0 Stockton Town
Pontefract Collieries: W W W L L
Last Game: Belper Town 1-3 Pontefract CollieriesÂ
THE OPPOSITION
Pontefract Collieries are under the guidance of Craig Rouse who has entered his third full season at the helm. They began the season with back-to-back league defeats but have started to pick up form with three straight victories.
They have been impressive results too with a 1-0 win at Cleethorpes Town, a 4-0 thrashing of Ossett United and a 3-1 win at a Belper Town side who had made a strong start.
Summer signing Adam Haw has made a good start with three goals thus far. Adam Priestley has also found the net with a brace against Ossett. Loan signing Frankie Sinfield also got off the mark last Saturday in the win at Belper.
Pontefract’s best run in the FA Trophy came in 2019-20 when they reached the Second Qualifying Round and lost 4-1 to Workington.
VIEW FROM THE OPPOSITION
Speaking after the win at Belper, Manager Craig Rouse looked ahead to Stockton:
“Stockton are a really good side and there’s no coincidence that they were in the Play-Off two years on the spin. They have got really good individual players and they are a side that will be expected to be up there again.
“On their surface they are side who get you isolated in wide areas and they have got good people there. You have to be compact and take your chances. We did well up there last season and we we will be looking to go up full of confidence. We couldn’t be going in better form.”
PRE-MATCH QUOTESÂ
Looking ahead to the game, Manager Michael Dunwell said:
“It’s another tough game. Pontefract are not one of our favourite teams to play against. I think we haven’t won in three against them.
“They are direct and are different to who we played today (Warrington Rylands) but we are at home and our home form has been good. We should have a few back like Mikey Roberts and Peter Bulmer and it will give us the opportunity to rest a few and rotate.”
