DURHAM FA ‘FRANK PATTISON’ CHALLENGE CUP
FINAL
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Coming soon . . . .
Attendance: 1,523
Season: 2025-26
2025/26 Northern League Division 1
2 vs 0 
Horden C.W. vs Shildon
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Shildon battled both the elements and a stubborn Horden side to take all three points in a scrappy, wind‑ravaged contest on the coast.
The Railwaymen started with real purpose, settling far quicker in the gale‑force conditions and carving out early chances. Their pressure told on 13 minutes when Andrei Ardelaen pounced to fire Shildon into a deserved lead.
Shildon kept their foot down and doubled the advantage five minutes before the break, Billy Greulich‑Smith finishing smartly to make it 0–2. But Horden struck back on the stroke of half‑time, Jason Blackburn reducing the deficit and giving the hosts a lifeline.
Any nerves were eased shortly after the restart. On 53 minutes, Leighton Harris restored Shildon’s two‑goal cushion with a composed finish to put the visitors firmly back in control.
Horden refused to fold and set up a tense final spell when David Doughty pulled another back on 78 minutes. But despite the swirling wind and late pressure, Shildon saw the game out, securing a hard‑earned 2–3 victory and another valuable three points.
Attendance: 294
2 vs 3 Shildon vs West Auckland Town
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
1 vs 1 
Crook Town vs Shildon
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Shildon Edge Crook in Storm‑Lashed Clash
Shildon battled through atrocious conditions to claim a hard‑earned three points in an entertaining derby at the Millfield.
The visitors controlled much of the first half without carving out a clear opening, while Crook came closest on the half‑hour when Harrison Bond produced a sharp save to keep the scores level. Shildon eventually made the breakthrough on 37 minutes, Joe Posthill calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot after a handball in the area.
Crook levelled in bizarre fashion just before the interval. Finlay Rose found space and fired past Bond, but confusion followed as the ball appeared to pass through the side netting. After a brief inspection, the referee discovered a hole and awarded the goal.
Shildon restored their lead five minutes into the second half, a corner delivery causing chaos before being bundled over the line — with a defender possibly applying the final touch. The visitors had further chances to put the game to bed but ultimately saw out the contest with relative comfort.
A superb crowd of 717 braved the gales to witness a lively, hard‑fought encounter.
Attendance: 717
A CROOK PERSPECTIVE (Written by Lewis Forbister)
1 vs 2 Shildon vs Marske United
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Shildon Run Riot: Captain Weirs Stars as Marske Are Swept Aside 6–0
Shildon turned on the style once again as they swept aside struggling Marske United, boosting their goal difference with a ruthless six‑goal showing.
The hosts dominated from the first whistle, controlling possession and pinning Marske back, though clear chances were initially hard to come by. That changed on 33 minutes when captain Jon Weirs broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion, rifling a 25‑yard strike into the top corner.
Weirs doubled his tally seven minutes later, gliding past two defenders before calmly slotting into the bottom corner to give Shildon a commanding half‑time lead.
The pressure didn’t ease after the restart. Ten minutes into the second half, Luke Spalding burst into the box and tucked a low effort into the corner to make it three. Moments later, on 59 minutes, Ben Reay added a fourth—turning sharply, beating two defenders, and firing beyond the helpless keeper.
Reay was involved again on 80 minutes when he was bundled over in the area, leaving the referee with an easy decision. From the spot, Adam Lennox sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to extend the advantage.
The final word—and Shildon’s 100th league goal of the season—came in stoppage time. A moment of calamity from the Marske keeper, who charged out and completely missed his clearance, allowed Weirs to stroll through and complete his hat‑trick by rolling the ball into an empty net.
At the other end, Harrison Bond produced a couple of tidy late saves to preserve a well‑earned clean sheet as Shildon wrapped up an emphatic 6–0 victory.
Attendance: 332
6 vs 0 
Shildon vs Easington Colliery
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
4 vs 0 
Newcastle Benfield vs Shildon
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Visitors Dig Deep for Deserved Win
Shildon left Tyneside with a valuable three points after a disciplined, energetic display at a ground that has so often proved unforgiving for visiting sides.
The Railwaymen flew out of the blocks and should have been ahead inside the opening minute. Andrei Ardelaen rose well to meet a cross, only for home goalkeeper Preston Leech to tip his header over the bar. Moments later Ardelaen rattled the bar, and Billy Greulich‑Smith was denied by Leech again as Shildon carved through a shaky Benfield back line.
Despite wave after wave of early pressure, the breakthrough didn’t arrive until the 39th minute. Luke Spalding burst down the right and picked out Joe Posthill, who took a touch and rifled a superb strike into the top corner.
The second half proved a more balanced affair, with Newcastle Benfield seeing more of the ball but struggling to fashion any real chances. Shildon, meanwhile, continued to look the more dangerous side on the break, only to find Leech in inspired form as he repeatedly kept the scoreline respectable.
In the end, Posthill’s first‑half finish was enough to seal a hard‑earned 1–0 victory.
Attendance: 125
0 vs 1 Shildon vs Penrith
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Railwaymen Roll On with Dominant Home Win
Shildon tightened their grip on the league’s upper reaches with a composed 3–1 victory over Penrith.
The hosts flew out of the blocks and needed only six minutes to break through. Joe Posthill’s low cross skidded untouched across the box, finding Luke Spalding arriving at the far post to lash a rising finish into the roof of the net. It set the tone for a first half Shildon controlled almost entirely, carving out a string of chances without finding the second goal their play deserved.
The pressure finally told just after the hour. Posthill, a constant menace down the flank, delivered another pinpoint cross, and Billy Greulich‑Smith climbed highest to guide a firm header beyond the keeper for 2–0.
Three minutes later the game looked done. Posthill, already creator‑in‑chief, turned scorer with a superb strike into the top corner to give Shildon a commanding three‑goal cushion and leave Penrith reeling.
To their credit, the visitors refused to fold. Connor Hammel pulled one back from the penalty spot on 78 minutes, but it proved no more than consolation as Shildon calmly saw out the closing stages.
A comfortable, controlled performance — and three fully deserved points for the Railwaymen.
Attendance: 290
3 vs 1 
Shildon vs Newcastle Blue Star
MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY (edited by Michael Wilson)
Shildon Survive Late Scare to Edge Five‑Goal Thriller at Dean Street
Shildon clawed their way to a hard‑earned 3–2 victory after surviving an early shock and a tense finale in a pulsating afternoon at Dean Street.
Newcastle Blue Star landed the first blow inside three minutes, Daniel Lanning racing through and firing beyond Harrison Bond to stun the home crowd. The early setback jolted Shildon into life, and they steadily took control of the contest. Their pressure finally told on 29 minutes when Luke Spalding drifted inside and wrong‑footed Dan Lister with a crisp strike from distance.
Five minutes later the turnaround was complete. Spalding turned provider, slipping in Billy Greulich‑Smith, who unleashed a superb finish to put Shildon 2–1 ahead. The Railwaymen pushed for more before the break, but the interval arrived with their lead unchanged.
Shildon came out for the second half with the same intent and were rewarded when Leighton Harris was brought down in the box. Lister brilliantly tipped Ciaran Banks’ penalty onto the post, but the midfielder reacted quickest to lash the rebound into the roof of the net for 3–1.
From there, Shildon looked comfortable and carved out several chances to kill the game, only to be punished for their wastefulness when Lanning struck again on 77 minutes to set up a nervy finish. The tension only grew when Joe Posthill was sent to the sin bin, leaving the hosts to see out the closing stages with ten men.
They held firm, though, securing a valuable three points.
Attendance: 292
3 vs 2 