BROOKS MILESON MEMORIAL LEAGUE CUP

QUARTER FINAL

FULL TIME:  SHILDON AFC 1 – 1 WEST AUCKLAND TOWN FC

SHILDON WIN 5-4 ON PENALTIES

MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY _{(edited by Michael Wilson)}

Harris Delivers Decisive Spot‑Kick as Shildon Win Dramatic Cup Tie

Shildon booked their place in yet another semi‑final after a tense 1-1 draw with West Auckland was settled by a nerve‑shredding 5-4 penalty shootout at Dean Street.

This was a cup tie played with full commitment from both sides. The first half offered plenty of endeavour but little in the way of clear chances, until the 37th minute when West struck. Jaedon Faulkner burst through the Shildon back line and finished smartly to give the visitors the advantage.

Shildon came out after the break with purpose and were rewarded on 58 minutes. Ben Reay was hauled down in the box, and Adam Lennox stepped up to bury the resulting penalty and level the contest. From there, the game opened up, with both teams carving out opportunities to win it. The best fell deep into stoppage time, when Finley O’Gorman rose to meet a cross but headed over with the goal at his mercy.

With the sides still locked at 1-1, the tie moved to penalties. West seized the early momentum when Lennox struck the post with Shildon’s first kick. But the shootout swung dramatically as goalkeeper Harrison Bond produced two superb saves to deny Cobi Jones and O’Gorman. That handed substitute Leighton Harris the chance to seal it. He kept his composure, and although the keeper got a hand to his effort, the ball found the net to spark Shildon celebrations.

A hard-fought contest, a dramatic finish, and another semi-final awaits the Railwaymen

ATTENDANCE:  202

Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup – Third Round

MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY _{(edited by Michael Wilson)}

Dominant Railwaymen Cruise Into Quarter-Finals

Shildon marched into the League Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 4–0 victory over Easington at Dean Street, a performance built on intensity, pressure, and ruthless punishment of defensive errors.

The hosts needed just four minutes to seize control. Easington goalkeeper James Hopkinson gifted possession straight to Luke Spalding, who strode into the box and calmly slotted home the opener. From there, Shildon dictated the tempo, hemming the visitors in for long spells.

Their persistence was rewarded on the stroke of half-time. A sweeping move ended with Andrei Ardelaen reacting quickest inside the six-yard box, tapping in to double the advantage and give Shildon a firm grip on the tie.

The second half brought more of the same. On 65 minutes, Ben Reay pounced on another defensive lapse, lifting a composed chip over Hopkinson for 3–0. The pick of the goals arrived twelve minutes later: Joe Posthill capped a flowing move by rifling a superb strike into the top corner.

Easington’s night worsened when Dane Eltringham received a second yellow card on 80 minutes, reducing the visitors to ten men. Shildon, already in full control, saw out the closing stages with ease — goalkeeper Harrison Bond finishing the match without a meaningful save to make.

A professional, emphatic 4–0 win, and a place in the last eight secured.

Attendance: 122

MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY _{(edited by Michael Wilson)}

Shildon Edge Seven‑Goal Thriller as Spalding Strikes Late

Shildon served up another breathless seven‑goal spectacle at Dean Street as they edged past FC Hartlepool in a pulsating Brooks Mileson Northern League Cup second‑round tie.

The hosts flew out of the blocks, dominating possession and forcing visiting goalkeeper Harry Carr into a string of sharp early stops. Their pressure finally told on 18 minutes when Adam Lennox produced a moment of real quality, acrobatically guiding an overhead kick into the net to give Shildon a deserved lead.

Lennox struck again just three minutes after the restart, doubling the advantage and seemingly putting Shildon in full control. But Hartlepool refused to fold. Mickey McGee ignited the comeback with a stunning 25‑yard drive on 65 minutes, arrowing the ball into the corner to make it 2–1.

Four minutes later, the visitors were level. Harrison Bond parried a long‑range effort, only for Jake Scott to react quickest and stab home the rebound.

Shildon steadied themselves and reclaimed the lead on 74 minutes when Ben Reay rose above the defence to nod in a pinpoint Ciaran Banks cross. Yet the drama was far from over. With six minutes left, Bond spilled a high ball under pressure, gifting Nathan Bayes the simplest of finishes to haul Hartlepool back to 3–3.

Just as thoughts turned to penalties, Shildon surged forward once more. Luke Spalding delivered the decisive blow, sweeping home the winner to settle another Dean Street classic.

A cup tie packed with twists, quality, and no shortage of nerves — and Shildon march on by the narrowest of margins.

Attendance: 102

ATTENDANCE:  96