Shildon AFC’s bid to add to their trophy haul for the season was scuppered by Easington Colliery in Birtley on Easter Monday.
The mid-table Division One side upset the odds to claim a 3-1 win in the League Cup final, leaving Shildon to content themselves with the Durham Challenge Cup.
And with lowly Penrith claiming the Railwaymen’s scalp with a 1-2 victory at Dean Street on Saturday, the gap between Shildon and champions, Redcar extended to six points on the the final day of the league season.
However, the season is far from over for Shildon and the side must now dust themselves down and prepare for the league playoffs.
Having played the County Cup final on the pristine Stadium of Light surface, Shildon and opponents Easington faced an altogether bumpier challenge at Birtley’s Arrowmark Home Improvements Stadium, and it was the Colliers who adapted the quickest, taking the lead though a Dylan Elliott strike from the edge of the box in the 23rd minute.
An equaliser from Jon Weirs ten minutes later looked to put Shildon back on the ascendancy, but the Railwaymen couldn’t find their way to a second and instead it was the Colliers who claimed the silverware with two late Kevin Pearn goals in 82 and 90+2 minutes.
And so Shildon will now need to pick themselves back up after narrowly failing to record an historically memorable season.
However, with promotion the goal from day one, that target remains entirely within the club’s grasp and potentially just two winning games away.
Shildon will host Blyth Town in the playoff semi-finals at 3pm on Saturday with the winner taking on either Boro Rangers or Newcastle Blue Star in the final on Friday 2 May at the venue of the side finishing highest in the league table.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
