STOCKTON TOWN V ALNWICK TOWN

Northern League Division II

The planned visit to see Darlington is abandoned with no parking available for miles (the sunny day having drawn crowds to nearby South Park) so instead it is off down the A66 (and down the non-league pyramid) to see if Stockton Town can clinch promotion from Northern League Division Two. It means arriving a few minutes after kick off, but there is plenty of parking on site at the Sixth Form College and only £3 concession entry (plus £1 for a programme); as a bonus there has been no early score.

Arriving pitch-side I am just in time to see Stockton’s Max Craggs knock in the first goal. The home team seem in control and ten minutes later a good run down the left by full back James Ward ends with a precise pass inside to Kallum Hannah who comfortably slots the ball home.

Two nil after twenty minutes looks ominous for Alnwick but they respond well. Samuel Perez-Guffenrez shows trickery up front and also competitiveness as he robs a defender, races clear and squares to centre forward Joshua Hay. Stockton keeper Liam Jordan is quick off his line and manages to block the shot. Alnwick continue to pose threats from set pieces and five minutes from half time Tony Brown lines up a free kick outside the box. He hits the ball up and over the wall, and though keeper Jordan seems to get in line he can’t prevent the shot dipping into the net.

After an enjoyable half there is time to review the ground and facilities on this my first visit. The centre piece is the new 3G pitch (which has played pretty well) surrounded by the tall green fence, ubiquitous around such modern community venues. There are two small steel stands, one seated and one terraced for standing. In today’s sunshine most of the decent crowd are standing pitch-side, as was I for the first half, though this did mean putting up with the faint rubbery smell emitted by the pitch, either due to its newness or the heat of the sun.

For the start of the second half I try the seats in the stand, the better to manage my rather tasty chicken and mushroom pie. I am barely through the crust before Craggs places a free kick perfectly into the corner of the net to make it 3-1. Pie finished, I move out of the stand and away from a small group of very young fans with extremely penetrating voices and a small range of chants to join the more mature fans congregating at the end now under siege by Stockton.

Eventually the damn is broken as Kevin Hayes, nippy on the left wing, creates space for himself running right to left before firing back across the keeper for a good goal. Four minutes later a Stockton corner finds substitute Alan Cossavella unmarked in the box and he clips a first time shot into the net. Alnwick are now on the ropes and immediately almost concede again when Sonni Coleman gets a chance to join the goalscorers, but keeper Luc Clasper blocks well.

The coup de grace comes in the last minute when Joe Wheatley sets up Hayes who scores his second and Stockton’s sixth of the afternoon. Stockton are promoted and should do alright in the higher division, clearly a club on the up.