1 vs 1 
Recap
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Boro Rangers 1–1 Shildon: Ten-Man Shildon Battle to Earn Hard-Fought Point
Shildon AFC dug deep to secure a valuable point on the road in a gritty 1–1 draw against Boro Rangers, in a match dominated by swirling winds and high drama.
The visitors thought they had taken an early lead when Billy Greulich-Smith found the net, only for the referee to rule out the effort for a foul on the goalkeeper. That decision proved costly as Boro Rangers broke the deadlock midway through the first half. Matty Wheeler did well to tip a dangerous free-kick onto the crossbar, but the hosts’ centre-forward reacted quickest to the rebound, slotting home from close range.
Shildon’s task became even tougher just before the break when veteran defender Gary Brown was shown a second yellow card in the 43rd minute, reducing the visitors to ten men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage and the challenge of playing into the wind, Shildon produced a spirited second-half display. Their persistence paid off in the 85th minute when Adam Lennox calmly side-footed past the keeper to level the scores and spark jubilant celebrations among the travelling support.
However, the drama didn’t end there. Moments later, Lennox was shown a straight red card for ungentlemanly conduct, leaving Shildon to see out the final minutes with just nine men.
In the end, it was a gutsy performance and a well-earned point for Shildon at one of the league’s toughest away grounds.
Attendance: 114
Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 9, 2025 | 3:00 pm | ENL1 | 2025-26 |
Results
| Club | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boro Rangers | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Shildon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Boro Rangers
| Position | Captain | Goals | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Shildon
| # | Player | Position | Captain | Goals | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Wheeler | Goalkeeper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Ashton Houlahan | Midfielder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Ciaran Banks | Defender | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Sam Hodgson | Midfielder | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Max Allen | Defender | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Gary Brown | Defender | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Benjamin Reay 15 | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Jon Weirs | Midfielder | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Andrei Ardelean 16 | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Billy Greulich-Smith | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Luke Spalding 12 | Midfielder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Leighton Harris 11 | Midfielder | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Dan Smith | Midfielder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Nathan Greenwood 7 | Forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Adam Lennox 9 | Forward | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Sam Taylor | Goalkeeper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 2 |