Like pools punters in former times, Shildon AFC chase the treble chance, reports Mike Amos.
Victorious in Tuesday evening’s Durham Challenge Cup final at the Sunderland’s magnificent Stadium of Light, they now look to the Northern League Cup final on Easter Monday but mostly to the league play-offs.
After last season’s play-off heartbreak, none around Dean Street doubts that promotion would represent the real jackpot.
Though last Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Birtley Town left the Railwaymen with a mathematical chance of overhauling leaders Redcar Town on goal difference, manager Chris Hughes conceded that the title – and the sole automatic promotion place – was Redcar’s.
Adam Lennox hit two second half goals, Ben Reay adding a third in the 90th minute.
Since being in 14th place at the start of November – and out of both FA Vase and FA Cup – the team’s form has been remarkable, just one defeat in 25 games despite the lengthy injury absence of several players, including strikers Andrei Ardelean and Billy Greulich-Smith.
Victory in the final league game of the season, at home to Penrith on Saturday, would leave the club on 91 points – the same total as last season – but stir unwanted memories of 2023-24, when they lost in the play-offs.
Second place again assures them of home advantage in the play-off semi-final on April 26, facing Newcastle Blue Star, Boro Rangers or Blyth Town, depending on this weekend’s results. The play-off final is on Friday May 2.
Hundreds of Shildon fans headed to Wearside for Tuesday’s game, a vocal majority among the 1,421 crowd.
Whickham, their opponents, were 55 points below the Railwaymen in the league and could still be relegated this weekend.
As with Sunderland’s Championship games, teams emerged to the strains of Prokoviev, the adopted chant about all living at the top of Eldon Bank strangely subdued, though none left in doubt that they were Shildon till they died.
Shildon dominated from start to finish, though it took Reay’s 20th minute opener to make things feel as comfortable as the well-padded seats on which the faithful had quickly made themselves at home. Goalkeeper Andrew Jennison, truth to tell, could have spent much of the match up there, too.
Several free kicks in dangerous positions needed a Declan Rice, though Arsenal’s need may have been greater. Whickham whispered, threatened little.
Former Sunderland junior Nathan Greenwood’s accustomed goal made it two in the 54th minute, the forward then replaced by Oliver Green in the 90th minute – Green scoring with his first touch and, to the night’s biggest cheer, making it 4-0 barely a minute later.
John Weirs was named Shildon’s man of the match as Prokoviev gave way to Rocking All Over The World.
The cup winning team was Jennison, Day (Allen), Errington, Price, Banks Harris (Spalding), Vincent, Wears, Greenwood (Green), Reay (Houlahan), Lennox.
Team manager Chris Hughes told Wilf Tray on Shildon TV that he was chuffed to bits, praised the travelling support, admitted that everything had gone right on the night but insisted that cups were merely a bonus.
Promotion, he insisted, was the key aim.
“The fans were incredible” Chris added. “There must have been 600 or 700 but it sounded like more. I just hope some of them come back on Saturday. I don’t know if I would use the term ‘successful’ yet but we’ve come a long way since the beginning of November. I’d have taken second place and two cup finals and I appreciate the club’s support.”
John Weirs admitted that the result was seldom in doubt after the opening goal. “We controlled what we had to do and the players really appreciate the support we got.”
It was Shildon’s fourth Durham Challenge Cup win in the last 11 years and the seventh overall. The first, as Shildon Athletic, was back in 1907-08.
The final of the Northern League Cup, named in memory of long-time league sponsor Brooks Mileson, is against Easington Colliery at Birtley Town’s ground, 3pm kick-off.
The seats might not be as comfortable, the acoustics as awesome, but since the East Coast main line runs right alongside the ground, the Railwaymen may make themselves at home.
By May 2, with luck, they really will feel like they’ve won the pools.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
