Walsall 2 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 2 ) Saturday 12 August 2023
County seemed to have left the stardust at Hillsborough on Tuesday as a depressingly limp performance today saw them sink to a 2-1 defeat at the Bescot against a distinctly ordinary Walsall side.
For 20 odd minutes we were lulled into thinking it was going to be an altogether better ending today as County, with Barry in the van of most things of interest, mounted attack after attack on the home goal.
It looked to be just a matter of time before the blues hit paydirt- instead, 25 minutes in, it all went haywire as Danny Johnson put away the simplest of chances as Walsall hit us on the break.
A second goal for the Saddlers with just over 10 minutes left seemed to finish matters. County did nick one back deep into added time but Rydel`s goal had a chimera quality about it tempting me to think we had a chance at the death which we unfortunately didn`t.
In the end taking the lion`s share of possession did not amount to as much as a hill of beans when there was nothing at the sharp end to round things off. Walsall meanwhile struggled for long spells to do more than contain County but continuing to concentrate on doing the basics was enough to see them home.
The display from the blues was very disappointing.
Dave Challinor included Ethan Pye and Cody Johnson in the starting lineup and the pair responded well both still centre stage doing good work into added time- CJ doing particularly well bearing in mind he was booked after just 6 minutes, his involvement and passing remained - otherwise to notch. You may point to an error apiece by these two and I do mention same below, but overall they were sound. Additionally I saw Louis Barry as another meriting praise but that’s` about it.
Losing 2-1 away is not the end of the world, but the next couple of matches take on even greater importance now – our response to those challenges crucial in determining how the rest of our season pans out!
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County went on the offensive early, the ball flying twixt Touray and Madden before Barry netted but the effort was ruled out- what for I am not that sure.
Pressure on the Saddlers continued with CJ just one of a clutch of blue shirted players involved in forcing Walsall back .
Walsall did look to get forward, but when they did County`s cover held up although they did have to work hard and doing so CJ stretched into a blocking tackle a touch unwisely to be the first ( of many) County names into Referee Miles`s book.
County kept looking for an opening goal and Sarcevic`s input at this point was interesting combining one minute with Powell to push Walsall back, then linking with Barry next and this looked a dangerous bit of work with Barry inside the home box, but he slipped, and the chance was gone.
Back to Sarcevic and his next involvement brought Southam- Hales and Powell into play again winning a corner- it looked on for better for County as Touray cut inside beyond his marker from this only for keeper Owen Evans to spoil the moment by pushing the shot around a post.
We hit the 20-minute mark next and despite the absence of the all-important goal I was not overly alarmed but slightly optimistic when Powell went one on one with Evans –but the keeper finished with the ball and Powell in an untidy bundle on the Bescot turf.
Powell wanted a penalty, but he had already yo-yoed up and down from the vertical to the horizontal several times before this and the ref was suitably unimpressed as a consequence- there was no penalty!
County kept the momentum going with Barry in the van of the action, putting Evans in something of a tizz at one point-Madden having a shot charged down at another before Evans, equilibrium restored, did for CJ and Touray`s short corner routine ending the Walsall angst with a calm stop.
Then the question dawned on me next “ how many times in our history have we proved that the greatest danger TO US invariably comes from corners or free kicks we have taken?”
And so it was again as Evans` save from the corner saw the Saddlers sweep forward , or Freddie Draper did and he nicked possession off Pye before crossing with immaculate precision to where Danny Johnson had the simplest of tasks to slot the ball home beyond Hinchliffe`s dive!
That was not good and things did not get much better as Barry blazed over the top when well set a few minutes later.
And they might just have got even worse as a rare error by CJ saw Danny Johnson shoot wide after Horsfall had been forced into a vital last ditcher to prevent Draper from scoring himself.
We were into the last 10 minutes of the half now and Walsall were growing in confidence epitomised by Hutchinson`s run that saw Sarcevic left in his wake as he forced a corner off Southam -Hales. McEntee headed this wide, but it was close.
County did try to reply but without ever looking sufficiently penetrative in so doing- Madden looked probably our best bet at this point but when Stirk laid him out as he broke clear we wasted the free kick to keep it at 0-1.
Into added time we went with the memory of a couple of poor corners still in my mind, the half ending with a shot from Barry clearing the bar for County and Hutchinson dragging a shot wide for Walsall.
An untidy 45 minutes was over – could we hope for better in the second 45 ?
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Half time is usually the time for entertainment, and a quick feed so I thought I`d mix the two here.
In the past the catering at the Bescot has been less than wonderful.
Today it was ok my Balti pie did the job required of it ……….
Now the entertainment and I offer up something from my nomination for the next Poet Laureate on the subject of pies….
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And so back to the football and the re-start saw Collar on for Sarcevic for County, and the County substitute was in the action quickly shooting wide from a neat opening move involving Madden and Barry.
That was the 47th minute, the 48th almost took me back to my question earlier about free kicks and corners when one such ( a free kick for a foul on Barry by Williams), almost saw us in danger of leaking a second goal as Walsall stole possession and broke clear a situation put to bed with admirable resolution by Pye`s keen blocking tackle!
County had enjoyed a 10-minute period with a good deal of possession much of it Barry orientated, but that break had sent a shot across their bows and another followed without delay as Hinchliffe recovered from spilling a cross shortly after.
But, with the hour mark nearing the blues could still probably argue that they had had the bulk of the available possession in the game, and the 57th minute saw Collar only kept out by Evans` brave goalkeeping- the resultant corner seeing a couple of late/ late Saddlers blocks before CJ fired over the bar.
The game was swinging from end to end a bit now- Barry to the by-line for the blues then Hutchinson missing the target for Walsall, then Knoyle`s dangerously looping cross was ushered back to Madden from the by-line by Barry. Madden slammed it home, but it was ruled out -I think Barry may have taken the ball out before laying it back.
With 15 minutes (plus added time) to go, Cards were like confetti at a wedding – the upshot being that County had a shed load of free kicks to defend – we did get one ourself ,around this point and promptly wasted it.
With 12 minutes left Tanto was on for Southam- Hales but within a minute Walsall had doubled their lead when McEntee fed substitute Aramide Oteh who made no mistake with his shot- it was 2-0 to Walsall!
Have I said that our set pieces were dire, well they were – typified by Tanto winning a corner with 6 minutes left for Touray to make a wakes of the kick.
Shortly after this, Powell was replaced by Rydel as County now opted to rain high balls into the home box- nothing immediately came of this tactic- Madden seeing one strike fizz out off Foulkes and another fly out by a distance as another corner came to nought.
We were into added time now and Collar had just been upended just outside the box by McEntee, but the free kick was defended well at the back post by the Saddlers as was the subsequent corner that Evans claimed midst a forest of blue shirts.
Finally the pumping of high balls into the box paid off, ironically perhaps in the 97th minute as Madden`s delivery to the far post saw Rydel decisively despatch the chance.
It was 1-2 but also far too late for us to nick the draw.
Boy, County tried but lack of precision saw efforts by Tanto and Madden miss out- the game was lost!
I understand there were some acrimonious moments twixt County players and supporters after the final whistle.
Not having witnessed this I cannot really comment other than to say that when emotions are high it is prudent to say and do the bare minimum and await instead a new day and a clearer head.
Tuesday is such a day, and our game with Bradford City ( no easy fixture) an opportunity for us to put things right.
See you Tuesday then!
Walsall line up :-
Evans , Gordon , Mc Entee, Daniels , Hutchinson ,Foulkes , Draper ( Oteh 62), Williams , Hussey , Stirk ( Riley 88), D Johnson ( Matt 62).
Subs not used: Smith , James- Taylor , Allen , Tierney .
Stockport County line up :-
Hinchliffe , Knoyle , Horsfall , Pye , Touray ,Southam -Hales ( Olaofe 78) , C Johnson, Sarcevic ( Collar 46), Powell ( Rydel 86), Madden , Barry.
Subs not used : Smith , Wright , Byrne , Richardson .
Attendance : 6008 ( 935)
hedgegrower
First off a few shots from hedgegrowers phone.....
......then some from Andrew Machin.....
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