AFC Fylde 1 Stockport County 0 ( FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round) 26 September 2015
What a
week…..with the news that dear old Sepp Blatter was helping Swiss Plod with
their inquiries it was threatening to turn into a real belter until ace
miserableist Morrissey chipped in with his first novel. Thankfully I was fore
warned….” An unpolished turd” offered one source…..” the stale excrement of
Morrissey’s imagination”…..whilst the Grauniads
Michael Hann advised “ do not read this book , do not sully yourself
with it however tempting it seems”...and I was tempted….but only briefly and
opted instead to seek something else to
cheer me on my way this weekend.
And so to
Saturday …….the Fylde coast, and a possibly muck and nettles clash twixt
Stockport County and hosts AFC Fylde in the FA Cup!
County had
inflicted Fylde’s only home defeat on them a few weeks earlier in the league,
but since then Dave Challinor’s team had climbed to second in the table, and
the County team was now shorn of a clutch of crucial players who performed
above and beyond last time around. So…..if there was a favourite at 3 o’clock
it would have to be Fylde, but I was looking for some of that old time
Stockport County Spirit to show and our lads to
do the biz again!
That would
have been great to see, but it is doubtful whether it would have swung things
for County as it turned out, as despite having pretty near 100% of the second
half possession and....
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| A County corner...... |
forcing no less than 17 corners........
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| ....another........ |
they still couldn`t come
away with even a replay from this affair.
 |
| ....and another ! |
Its true of
course that our tormentor from `Hyde Mk 1’ ….Jonathan Hunt…contrived to rule out what
looked a perfectly good goal to me, for what he tried to convince us was
`handball’. I await the video evidence before saying anything further.
 |
| Mr Hunt in action( by Andrew Machin) |
Mr Hunt, as
I have stated before, has form when it comes to us, and he certainly tipped the
balance away from ourselves with Fylde on the rack late on, but much of the
damage had already been done earlier when a lack-lustre first 45 minutes had
seen County surrender possession just once too often, allowing their hosts to
take the lead via an opportunist effort from Matt Hughes. NY`s personnel
changes after the break, had a definite impact ,but not enough to tip the
balance back County’s way, and to make matters worse I am given to understand
that verbals after the game had concluded between Abs Baggie and Hunt resulted
in the hair triggered official red carding the County substitute, making that 5
reds in not very many more games.
Having
experienced great trauma on the Flyer that unaccountably took us to Fylde via
Lancaster ( we still got there for 2.30)I could have done without further angst
but there it was….Mr Hunt had been installed by the suits as the man in charge,
and within 30 seconds Fylde had a free kick when Danny Lloyd went to ground
just outside the box. Montrose( who worked hard throughout) and Odejayi saw the
kick cleared, but angst there was aplenty none the less.
County
plugged away in response, Matthew Hamilton( in for his debut) and Jake Kirby
both seeing efforts miss out in the next 3 or 4 minutes.
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| County attack........ |
Lloyd looked
to be Fylde’s best option at this point, and his promptings made for a lively
approach from the Lancastrians, whilst County offered solidity at the back in
reply, but I was looking for some spark in the last third in addition, but
instead, despite winning a free kick, they did no more than give keeper Matt
Urwin some routine catching practice.
Thankfully,
at least for now, Fylde were no better, and when Mr Hunt obliged them again ex
Hatter Richie Baker disappointed home specs with a shot that drifted slowly
wide.
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| Baker's shot drifts wide....... |
Twice after
this Garvin got in the mix …first seeing a shot charged down, and then failing
to apply a finish after getting in behind the home defence.
For me…it
still seemed the case that both teams lacked penetration, and this fact was
emphasised further with Sam Finley
failing to force the ball home from close
in after good work by Hughes, who was thwarted himself not long after by
Thorniley as he threatened on the break. O`Hanlon made a decent clearance to
prevent another Lloyd cross from doing damage, but for some minutes the
spotlight was on the home goalmouth where a run by Kirby gained County a
corner. One…two….three kicks followed in rapid succession, but without throwing
up anyone in turquoise blue to apply that elusive finish.
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| 1 of 17 County corners.... |
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| Its close.....but......... |
The cosh continued to
descend on Fylde for a while after this, and County were decidedly unlucky to
see their next move end unproductively. It was started by Roberts, whose cross
was kept alive by Hamilton. Enter Garvin with a terrific shot that headed for
the far corner of the net. Goal……but no….as the keeper flung himself to his
left to push the ball out- a terrific save……and Fylde had escaped, when Ellison
lifted his final effort over the bar!
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| A chase for Roberts with Charles in tow...... |
Hughes and
Lloyd continued to offer notional options to Fylde, but still I felt that
County might just do something to put us at our ease, but
alas…instead…
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| Hazeldine on the charge. |
.....Hazeldine lost possession deep into home territory, and in a
trice County were in arrears as, with umpteen others in blue standing off, the
ball arrived with Hughes who rounded Hurst to give Fylde the lead.
Within a
minute 0-1, might have become 0-2 as
again no one took responsibility allowing Dion Charles a free shot ,which thankfully he lifted a
yard over the bar.
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| Kirby presses forward.... |
We needed
County to tighten up a tad, and……to be fair……. more County attacking did follow in the last 15 minutes of the half ,
Garvin again going closest with a shot that whistled a foot wide of the angle
of bar and post with Urwin rooted to the
spot, but it all lacked a certain conviction, and I was not unhappy to hear the
referee’s whistle signal half time!
The re-start
saw Gonzales on for Hazeldine, and the ex Clitheroe striker was soon getting
stuck in, and some good work from him ended with Odejayi winning a corner with
a neat effort. It was not remotely marginal at all …it was a corner and the
orange/ yellow liner to our left saw it so and signalled it, only to cravenly
bottle it when Mr Hunt came to Fylde`s aid awarding a ludicrous goal kick.
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| County attack through Gonzales & Odejayi. |
This
incensed the County following, but we bit our lips and gasped instead as
Gonzales worked his way into a shooting position only to overdo the finesse in
the box…chance gone!
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| Gonzales puts pressure on ( by Andrew Machin) |
A minute on
from this, and we gasped again this time in indignation as the referee stopped
a County raid with Gonzales clean through…..for……???????
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| Gonzales again...( by Andrew Machin) |
Gonzales was
offering us hope, and Fylde were showing every sign of not being able to handle
him, but having done all the hard work, on 53 minutes, he elected to walk the
ball into the net – result….Tom Hannigan was able to hack the ball clear.
County were
getting forward in numbers now, and Fylde were looking shaky in response, but
much of County’s good work was being undermined by the decisions being made by
the officials, which at times beggared belief!
 |
| Evans on the ball.... |
Just after
the hour ….Evans skinned his man down the right, ignoring a foul on him in the
process, only to be stopped in his tracks as he sped into the box unattended.
Not for a County free kick( which would have been correct but maddening)but one
to Fylde. It was becoming ridiculous now.
Hurst….midst
all the County attacking, ….did have one shot to stop…from Finley, but that was
a rare moment of respite for Fylde, as we awaited the next blue assault on
Urwin’s goal…..Odejayi……Gonzales, and Gonzales again put pressure squarely on
the home defence- Urwin and his co-defenders doing small miracles to deny them,
the very best of these being another top notch diving save to keep O’Hanlon’s
header out.
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| Late pressure from County. |
On it went
with Evans bursting into the box past 3 men setting Gonzales up with a chance.
Sidestepping Hannigan nicely the County number 12 looked on to score but
instead saw his shot somehow deflected for another corner….then another….but no
goal…….
 | |
| Urwin again. |
Montrose and
Gonzales were combining to good effect at this point, and with Baggie on and
contributing also, things looked on the up, but the finish in the last third
still kept misfiring- Gonzales oh so close to reaching Baggie’s cross!
A rash of
fouls from Fylde , one a `foot up…studs showing’ jobby from Rowe, came next and
it was annoying and more to see the referee content himself with a County free
kick and no more. Ledsham had seen instant red for rather less…….far be it from
me to point to partiality….but………
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| Late late push from County( 2 shots from Andrew Machin) |
Still County
piled it on..but to no avail…corners came…..went…..goals didn’t…..and then one
did…at least we all thought it did when Evans went full stretch to head home a
cross to the back post by Kirby. That was great….and then it wasn`t ,as Mr Hunt
was seen brandishing a card waving it in Evans direction indicating that the
`goal ‘ had been ruled out. `Handball’ we are told, but…as I said earlier…let
me see the video please!
No
matter….the one way traffic continued with Urwin and then Hannigan making break
neck last ditch saves to keep their team in it! It was so typical of the FA
Cup…and so….so…. painful to watch!
On it went
with Evans fouled in the box on the end of another run. Penalty?...I thought
so…..Mr Hunt thought a corner, and Casper Hughes headed this to safety!
County continued
to press right up to the final whistle.
Game
over…..game lost…FA Cup interest put to bed for another 12 months..but it
wasn`t an end to the angst, and I am not talking about the exciting return
journey on the Flyer ( via the Forest of Dean?....no…no..I jest) but the
apparent exchange after the final whistle twixt Abs Baggie and the referee.
Apparently
words were exchanged…..and Baggie’s were of the unprintable kind( allegedly)
thus he was shown a red card.
All very sad
as we contemplate a return to another unhappy hunting ground when we play the
less than saintly Gainsborough Trinity next Saturday.
I`ll be
there….I hope you will be too!
AFC Fylde
line up:
Urwin, C
Hughes, Whittle, Baker, Hannigan, Barnes, Charles, Finley, Blinkhorn( Collins
74), Hughes( Wilson 85), Lloyd( Rowe 74).
Subs not
used:
Hinchliffe,
Holmes, Sumner, Versallo.
Stockport
County line up:
Hurst,
Ellison, Roberts, Thorniley, O’Hanlon, Hamilton( Baggie 67), Garvin( Evans 53),
Montrose, Odejayi, Hazeldine( Gonzales 45), Kirby.
Subs not
used:
Ormson,
Connolly, Morton.
Attendance:
651
Ian Brown( with thanks to Andrew Machin for support with the photos)
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