League: ENL1

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West Allotment Celtic vs Shildon

MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)

West Allotment Celtic FC 1–5 Shildon AFC: Ruthless Shildon Hit Five to Go Top

Shildon AFC stormed to the summit of the league—at least temporarily—with a commanding 5–1 away win over West Allotment Celtic, extending their unbeaten start to the season in emphatic fashion.

The visitors signalled their intent from the off, with Andrei Ardelaen finding the net inside the opening minute, only to be denied by an offside flag. Despite the early pressure, it was the hosts who struck first, capitalising on a misplaced pass across the box from Gary Brown. Their striker pounced and fired past Matty Wheeler to give Celtic the lead.

Shildon responded swiftly. A defensive mix-up saw a chasing home defender inadvertently slot the ball past his own goalkeeper to level the scores. Just before the interval, Shildon seized control as Ciaran Banks delivered a pinpoint free-kick to the far post, where Gary Brown made amends by heading home to make it 2–1.

The second half was a showcase of attacking flair and discipline from the visitors. Luke Spalding, who earned man of the match honours, netted twice with clinical finishes to put the game beyond reach. The final flourish came in spectacular fashion— Ciaran Banks spotting the keeper off his line and audaciously chipping him from the halfway mark to seal a five-star performance.

With this result, Shildon sit atop the table ahead of Tuesday’s fixtures and turn their attention to Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Birtley, brimming with confidence and momentum.

Attendance: 104

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Boro Rangers vs Shildon

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

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