Stockport County 2 Tranmere Rovers 0 ( Football League 2) Saturday 28 October 2023

County maintained their grip on top place in League 2 with a convincing 2-0 victory against Tranmere Rovers at Edgeley Park today and completed their amazing 11 wins in 11 record run in doing so.

The blues were seldom pressured by a disappointing Rovers eleven that was reduced to ten just after half time when Harvey Saunders` wild tackling saw him take an early bath.

County`s goals came one in each half - a typical early strike 5 minutes in from Tanto and a superb second from County`s stand out M.O.M Antoni Sarcevic 10 minutes beyond half time.

Something of a routine win against a poor side, expected maybe?

But they all count and it is by no means unknown that throughout our history in similar situations we have oft times flunked it. Not today though and there were no fresh injuries that I could see as DC used his substitutes judiciously to give minutes on for those needing them and hard-earned rest for others who played Tuesday and have kept the current unbeaten run going.

We just needed some icing on this welcome footballing cake, and it was provided by second placed Notts County who were beaten 2-0 at home by Wrexham , thereby increasing County`s lead at the top to 5 points.

Deep joy!

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A crowd of pushing 10000 was inside EP for the kick off, but they had to wait until the fourth minute for the first strike on goal and it came from former Hatter Connor Jennings for Tranmere finishing up with the shot flying a yard wide.

· If Rovers were at all angst ridden by that last action their cup raneth ( just invented that word I think) over with mortification next as County swiftly replied to CJ`s effort with the liveliest of breaks that ended with Bailey sending a pass of exquisite precision into Tanto`s path- he does not miss those and he didn`t beating keeper Luke Mc Gee with an emphatic finish.

Five minutes in and we led 1-0 was a rout on?

Possibly, possibly not and we were relieved, just a minute later to see Akil Wright sort the first of several keen interventions to keep Rovers away from the danger zone.

On it went – Pye`s pass putting Wootton in, only for his shot to be covered securely by McGee.

Early movers for Rovers looked to be Saunders and Pike who was getting wide and shaping to get crosses in, but I was hard pressed really to find anyone in black who stood out.

The upshot was that County were doing most of the attacking - Wootton seeing a shot blocked on 12 minutes and the subsequent corner punched out under pressure by the Rovers keeper at his near post.

Southam-Hales was well in the mix at this point doing good work going forward- Tanto was in there also but thwarted by Jordan Turnbull on 14 minutes.

If County were looking good value for their lead, we did rather need a second goal to steady our nerves ( well mine anyway!) but Wootton was centimetres away from getting to a Southam- Hales cross after having started the move spreading play out wide.

Cue a break by Paul Lewis for Tranmere and another bit of neat positivity from Akil Wright who nullified an otherwise tasty break by the Rovers man.

We were passed the half`s halfway point by a bit now, and still no second County goal- plenty of good football but mostly played at a relaxed pace.

That said, Southam- Hales can count himself to be unlucky to have been flagged offside cutting inside onto an intuitive ball by Sarcevic.

And so it went on, in the same vein with County pushing on with it still 1-0- their best work around this time coming from Bailey whose effort was deflected into the keeper`s hands just before the 30 minute mark.

Then Wootton took a hand getting on the end of a probing ball into the box by Pye, but keeper Mc Gee`s dive saw him keep the effort out and the score at 1-0

It was way overdue for a Tranmere response but when Lewis obliged by scampering clear his progress was halted by another top-quality saving tackle from Wright.

That was good, the next action not so as a poor finish by the otherwise excellent Odin Bailey messed up a promising County raid, with just 7 minutes remaining until half time.

It then got more than a touch hectic as Collar and Bailey combined to force a corner that saw a Croasdale effort charged down in front of goal.

Still County pressed though but having won a corner, and with Wootton waiting patiently in front goal for something akin to what was handed him on Tuesday from a similar situation, Bailey and Sarcevic , chose the short corner option as against Crewe but then the return to Bailey saw him lump it beyond Wootton , the move ending depressingly flatly.

We were very nearly done with the first half now- Rob Apter had failed to test Hinchliffe with a poor effort when clear, Lewis had been carded for Tranmere by Referee Chris Pollard for a crunching tackle on Bailey and Wootton had been penalised for a perceived foul when on the end of Pye`s latest ball over the Rovers back line.

We were into added time when Southam-Hales had his equilibrium and just about everything else shaken and stirred by a poor foul by Harvey Saunders who received a yellow card for same.

That was the last significant action of the first half which ended with County still leading 1-0 and looking comfortable.

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Half Time Entertainment today goes back to the 80`s to remember Tears for Fears

https://youtu.be/u1ZvPSpLxCg?si=0uo5tqA593GpuKXA

https://youtu.be/aGCdLKXNF3w?si=OHDylj2vaqjSsTIv

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County attacked from the start after the break and, 2 minutes in, were pressing down the right via Southam-Hales when Saunders for the second time in 3 minutes opted to take the County wide man out in an outrageous fashion -his swinging boot connecting with Macauley stopping his run and dispatching him in a dishevelled heap on the floor. .

Full marks to Mr Pollard, who I thought had a good game, for totally ignoring the miscreant’s afterthought dive and fall to earth bit. I thought it deserved a red and that is all I saw the referee wave in Saunders direction but he may well have yellowed him also when I was looking away- anyway Saunders took the walk of shame along the Danny Stand touchline and good riddance really!

Would the floodgates now be opened for County?

We would see!

They kept on attacking for sure- Horsfall millimetres away from glory with the deftest of headers from Bailey`s free kick following Saunders` `little bit of trouble`.

That was unlucky.

County needed that second goal to make a win that much more secure but the 52nd minute saw Sarcevic`s shot carry the bar by a bit.

Then, just when we started to wonder……..Tranmere hit us on the break . All County`s team were pressed into service in their own half when suddenly one of them sprung clear. It was Sarcevic and the loose ball was his as he took it beyond halfway.

Two defenders had him apparently well in check but had they? Quite obviously not as despite the distance twixt him and goal the ex-Bolton County star headed for Mc Gee in the far distance.

The betting should have been on the Rovers cover and Mc Gee prevailing, but nobody had told Sarcevic who ran, ran and ran some more ignoring his markers before drawing the keeper to him and slotting a beautiful finish home!

Wow…what a goal! It was 2-0 and looked well set for a few more County goals in what remained of the game.

And it did too, as within 2 minutes the blue hordes were surrounding Mc Gee `s goal pinging shots in- Croasdale curling one in that thudded into the foot of the keeper`s left hand post- a follow up by Sarcevic clattered the bar and another shepherded off the line ( hmm possibly, where were VAR and goal line technology when you need them ?)by Tom Davies the Rovers captain.

We needed just one of those efforts to have gone in, but they hadn`t and notionally 10-man Rovers had a fighter’s chance still and they were not faraway either on the hour – Jennings going close with a shot after O`Connor had sent Lewis darting through with a neat pass.

On it went with County pressing and Bailey unlucky shooting just wide on 61 minutes.

As the game progressed more, Croasdale took a hold in midfield but that third goal continued to elude them despite the mother of all scrambles in the Rovers box as County mounted attack after attack- Pike putting a Southam- Hales cross behind for a corner when far worse threatened. Pike robbed Bailey from that corner but only at the cost of another that saw Sarcevic go close and Jennings almost tee up a County third goal with a near suicide pass to Mc Gee that almost put Wootton in.

County started to ring the personnel changes next- Tanto, Sarcevic, Pye, and Collar giving way to Madden, Camps, Knoyle and Hippolyte.

That seemed a sound move but would surely dish County`s rhythm.

We would see, certainly Hinchliffe then had his first significant call to action for a while next doing excellent work with a diving save to keep Apter`s shot out following a tasty run from him. Hinchliffe gobbled the subsequent corner for an encore.

That was not typical though of how play was panning out and County kept working at getting a third goal albeit in fairly laid back fashion – Southam – Hales well wide with one effort, Hippolyte fairing similarly having linked up with Wootton.

With 15 minutes left we thought we might be about to claim that third goal as Croasdale took aim, latching onto a nice headed pass from Madden, but a thunderous drive from the County captain was somehow kept out by Mc Gee to keep it 2-0.

County kept pressing, slowly and methodically working the ball forward- Madden twice going close as the game went into the last 10 minutes of normal time.

But with just 5 minutes left we got a warning from Rovers as Hinchliffe pulled off a terrific save to deny Luke Norris as he cut inside down the blues right flank- that was going in for sure!

With Pond on for Croasdale we approached 5 minutes added time with County still seeking that third goal- Knoyle missing out with a cross, Bailey lifting a shot over the bar , the last real quality football coming via Wootton and Madden who set up Camps for a shot that deserved better , but McGee denied him with a fine diving save to keep it at 2-0 , and that`s how it was as the final whistle eventually blew.

That was a comfortable win- not County`s finest but well good enough in the prevailing circumstances.

We now go into next Saturday`s interesting FA Cup tie with Worksop Town with a 5-point lead at the head of the table and that`s a good position to be in- end of!

See you at Edgeley Park next Saturday hopefully!

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Southam- Hales , Wright , Horsfall , Pye ( Knoyle 68), Croasdale ( Pond 87) , Collar ( Hippolyte 68) , Sarcevic ( Camps 68) , Bailey , Olaofe ( Madden 68 ) , Wootton .

Subs not used : Smith , Richardson.

Tranmere Rovers line up :-

Mc Gee , O`Connor , Walker , Davies , Turnbull , Dennis ( ( Hawkes 85) L Norris 75 ), Jennings , Saunders , Lewis , Pike ( J Norris 90) , Apter ( Morris 90) .

Subs not used ; Jolley , Murphy , Yarney.

Attendance : 9735 ( 782)

First off some images from hedgegrower`s phone...