HEDNESFORD TOWN VS STOCKTON TOWN PREVIEW
COMPETITION: Northern Premier League Premier Division – Play-Off Semi-Final
DATE: Tuesday 28th April, 2026
KICK-OFF: 19:45
ENTRY: £13 Adults, £10 Concessions, £5 U16’s-U12’s
GROUND: Keys Park, Keys Park Road, Hednesford, Cannock, WS12 2DZ
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter/X
LIVE COMMENTARY: Anchors Radio (mixlr.com)
It all comes down to this. After 40 games of a rollercoaster of a season, Stockton Town head to Hednesford Town in the playoff semi-final.
Michael Dunwell’s team secured their spot in dramatic fashion with a win at fellow-playoff side Warrington Rylands on Saturday.
Jake Petitjean scored for the Anchors in the first half, but the mood was flattened when Sam Muyengwa equalised in the 68th minute, pushing Stockton to sixth in the live standings.
But after Petitjean was tripped inside the box, Kevin Hayes made no mistake from the spot in the 80th minute to lift the Anchors into that final position.
THE OPPOSITION
Hednesford will enter the game disappointed after missing out on the league title to Hebburn Town on the final day.
In their first season back in the NPL, Kelvin Davis’ side have done an extremely good job, finishing on 77 points, just two points behind the Hornets after four wins in their last five games.
Akheem Rose leads the side in goals with 13 to his name, but he is just ahead of winger Omari Sterling-James, who has set the league alight since joining midway through the season. The Saint Kitts and Nevis international has found the target on nine occasions, and adds a spark that seemed to be the final piece to Davis’ puzzle.
So much talent flows through the Staffordshire-side, with midfielder Liam Kinsella recently joining from Cheltenham Town after a career exclusively in the EFL.
The Pitmen have only lost once at Keys Park all year long, the positive to that is it was Stockton who took all three points back in October, when Josh Scott’s late winner stunned the hosts.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The two sides have met twice this season, with both sides picking up away victories:
28 Oct 2025 – Hednesford Town 1-2 Stockton Town – Northern Premier League Premier Division
17 Jan 2026 – Stockton Town 1-2 Hednesford Town – Northern Premier League Premier Division
FORM GUIDE
Hednesford Town (2nd): W W W W D
Last match: Hednesford Town 3-3 Ashton United
Stockton Town (5th): L L D D W
Last match: Warrington Rylands 1-2 Stockton Town
PRE-MATCH QUOTES
Anchors’ gaffer Michael Dunwell looked ahead to the test after Saturday’s delight at Warrington Rylands:
“We’ve been in this league for two years, and we’ve made the playoffs twice. There’s some teams who have been in here for decades and never made the playoffs, so you’ve got to just enjoy these days. This is why you play football.
“We’ve kept the season going for another few days, can we keep it going that little bit longer.”
