Stokesley stat attack

NORTHALLERTON TOWN face Stokesley SC at the Calvert Stadium tomorrow evening and here we look at all the stats ahead of the match.

Last season -

Having been relegated from Division One without a single league victory the previous season, 2012-13 was a season of consolidation for Stokesley and they finished 15th in Division Two - winning 12, drawing 8 and losing 22.

Town, meanwhile, finished 6th in Division Two with 23 wins, 8 draws and 11 defeats.

Previous meetings -

Town have only met Stokesley on 4 previous occasions in the league.

In 2009-10 season, Stokesley won the Division Two title and along the way beat Town twice - 4-0 at the Calvert Stadium and 5-1 at Broughton Road.

Last season, it was Town's turn to complete the double, winning 2-0 away and 4-1 at home.

The two clubs have also met twice in the cup in recent years.

In 2010-11, Stokesley won 4-3 an the Calvert Stadium in the 1st round of the FA Vase, while in 2011-12, Town gained revenge with a 2-1 victory at Broughton Road in the Brooks Mileson League Cup.

Current form -

Stokesley arrive at the Calvert Stadium on the back of 2 good wins - 3-1 over Thornaby on Bank Holiday Monday and a 1-0 success at Heaton Stannington last Saturday - the hosts first defeat of the season. They currently sit 10th in the league with 3 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats so far.

Town, meanwhile, have won their last 3 matches - beating Esh Winning twice (6-0 at home and 5-1 away) and winning 2-1 at Darlington RA. Town sit 5th in the league with 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat.

Players to watch -

Stokesley top scorers this season are Gary Redman and Connor Hood who have both scored 3 times so far. The match will also see the return to the Calvert stadium of former Town midfield man Alex Caisley, who will no doubt have a point to prove.

Town's top scorers are Jamie Clarke and Danny McClachlan with 4 each, while Darren Kokes and Grant Hickman have both scored 3. However, the star performer so far has probably been Jason Brazauskas.

Summary -

With both teams arriving in good form it looks set to be a very tight match. Stokesley have a good young side who appear to be improving all the time and will be expecting to push up the table.

Meanwhile, Town's new-look side have began to gel and will be amongst the favourites for promotion.

Prediction -

History suggests there will be goals but I can see this being a very close match with Town just coming out on top 2-1.