County Development Squad 3 FC United of Manchester Reserves 2 ( Lancashire League) 29 October 2014
A visit from
the league leaders, can sometimes be a traumatic experience for the host club-
one laden with worry, among other things, about whether your side will get the
expected tonking at the hands of perceived superior opponents.
Last night
saw Lancashire League table toppers FC United of Manchester at Edgeley Park,
but worry was not on the menu for a County team, without a single first team
regular on show- quite the youngest team I can recall turning out this season
in fact! But they performed magnificently, as sometimes only an untried young
side thrown in there and trusted, can!
County lined
up 3/5/2, but faced with an FC attack of real menace in the shape of prime
movers Frank De Vils, Trude Owowabi, and Justin Johnson, who all had pace to
spare, this quickly morphed into 5 at the back, but an effective one...Callum
Cooke, Wesley Benjamin, and Connor Hancock central with Dean Hitchens and
Jordyn Fitton on the flanks providing excellent cover for new keeper Billy
Worthington. Wesley Benjamin in particular had an awesome game, in the old
fashioned stopper mode- cutting moves off at source with a `no frills’
businesslike approach that oozed confidence and spread to those around him.
Further forward the engine room of Kieran Crosthwaite, George Blackwell and
live wire Charlie Russell functioned well, particularly in the first half,
providing ammunition in abundance to the dual strike force of Jordan Rogers and
Mike Hampson who both had impressive games as a consequence sharing the goals, in
a 3-2 County win, between them.
The visitors
went straight onto the attack from the whistle De Vils, Owowabi and Johnson
darting about like Dervishes prompted by Liam Gibson who was managing to get
forward to good effect down the left.
This lasted for
4 minutes or so....interrupted only by Crosthwaites run down the right that was
cut off decisively by an intervention by Nathan Chorlton...... then....in the 5th minute County
hit their opponents brilliantly on the break as a terrific through ball from
Charlie Russell sent Jordan Rogers clear. In a trice Rogers was past his marker
and facing keeper Chris Taylor, the only obstacle to an early County lead. I
have seen these missed ....many times ......so have you......but Rogers put any
doubters to shame with a lovely finish that gave Taylor no chance at all of
saving it. Unexpectedly then.....County had a 1-0 lead......could they hold
onto it though?
Well.....FCUM,
urged on by Gibson, did their best to answer that one in the negative, but Gibson`s
cross from the left found no one in red available so any chance was gone, as it
was again shortly after as Tom Brown
lifted his shot over the bar when better was on offer. There was a lot to do
for County`s defence at this stage as Crosthwaite and Russell leant a hand in
the cause. Another great team effort was unfolding before our eyes with
Benjamin providing the steel, whilst the equally promising Connor Hancock added
unflappable coolness and an eye for a pass, as did Callum Cooke, who I was
somewhat surprised to see given a deep lying roll, and I was impressed to see
him step up to the mark and block the burly Tunde Owowabi as he prepared to
convert a cross from Chas Doyle into a goal.
It still
remained largely FC doing most of the attacking, punctuated by two breaks that
saw Taylor in last gasp dashes from his line to keep Hampson out, but the
visitors finishing was woeful and Worthington only had to stand and watch as
John Pritchard missed a real sitter, laid on by van Gils who had been left in
oodles of space for once!
The first
response to that escape from County came via George Blackwell, but a lively run
by him, was cut short near the box when van Gils tracked back and stole the
ball with a good bit of work. The County reply had not finished however, and following
another attempted raid by FCUM, the blues doubled their advantage. It started
with Callum Cooke whose nicely weighted pass saw Hampson and Rogers in and
amongst it deep in FC territory. In a flash Hampson transferred the ball on to
Rogers, but the first shot from the Stockport number ten was saved by Taylor.
The keeper couldn`t hold it however and Rogers pounced again burying his shot
deep in the net!
This stung
the visitors into further action but van Gils found Benjamin growing in
confidence and just impossible to pass. A free kick did offer the Lancashire
side something of a chance, but Pritchard`s kick was pushed over the bar at the
last second by Billy Worthington!
County kept
their cool meanwhile......hitting on the break, but excellent work by George
Blackwell , and Mike Hampson ended with the latter`s shot beating the keeper
but missing the goal by a yard.
It was back
to defensive work for County after this, with Jordyn Fitton getting a timely
clearance in with red shirts snapping at his heels like hyena`s around a
corpse. He kept his cool as did Benjamin who did enough to ensure that the
dangerous Owowabi`s shot went the right side of the woodwork! Gibson headed
over when well placed, and Benjamin was again on hand to make a decisive clearance
as Justin Johnson cut inside at pace
down the left.
It was a
decent game, and both sides had a go next....Owowabi again for
FCUM.......Rogers for County, but despite all the visitors pressure, it was
County who troubled the scorer next, and it was something of a gift.
But.......I have seen such largess spurned more than once in the past, but
thankfully not on this occasion! The gift came via keeper Taylor who, with the
predatory Mike Hampson looking interested, in the vicinity, contrived to make a
complete hash of an attempted clearance, allowing young Michael to snatch the
ball and dispatch it into the empty net!
3-0....game
over then......er......I think not!
OK....County
did put FCUM under some pressure immediately after the third goal.....Rogers
being foiled by Taylor, who looked no worse for his recent experiences
reinforced by a mass of red shirts called in to defend as Hampson and Rogers in
particular pecked away at FC`s apparent
corpse.
But the presumed cadaver twitched as County won a corner thanks to
Blackwell, but then allowed their opponents to mount a counter attack. It was a
good one too, and County were in disarray as Owowadi prepared to head home in
an untidy melee in front of the County goal. The forward`s attempt to score failed.....but
Gibson was at his shoulder and his header was spot on and it was 3-1, and game
on!
I lost count
of the good defensive work that followed from County in the period to half
time....Blackwell...Fitton.....Russell...Benjamin all did a good job, and one
such example involving Benjamin, who had just blocked Owowabi, resulted in a
break by Rogers that took a brilliant bit of defending by goal scorer Gibson to
deny the County striker. That was the first half over ....the second 45 minutes
awaited us ,and the prospect was eagerly anticipated.
A decent
effort by van Gils opened the second half- it missed out, but as a token of
intent from the visitors it was suitably chilling, and Billy Worthington had to
pull off a good save to deny Owowadi as he and Pritchard threatened!
Jordan Young
was now on for Dean Hitchen as County prepared for a concerted rearguard action
to keep FCUM out. To be sure there was a lot for the blues to do in this
respect and County were grateful for the offside flag more than once in the
next 10 minutes or so that passed with blue backs largely pressed up against the
wall, but that said the closest the visitors came to a second goal in this
period was via a shot from Brown, and this thudded into Billy Worthington`s
chest reassuringly, so it stayed 3-1.
The visitors
kept the pressure on, but County, with Benjamin and Hancock growing ever more
confident, were standing up to the test really well, but on the hour the almost
inevitable happened and FCUM scored. A run by Brown won his side a free kick
just outside the box. Brown took it lifting it into the cool night air towards
the far corner of the net. It took a deflection en route off one or other of
the County wall, and thereafter looped in an alarming ark into the net!
Now it
really was game on at 3-2, with the league leaders on full revs and giving it
some, and with 30 minutes or more remaining to play!
Thankfully
however the FCUM finishing remained way short of their approach play and twice
Johnson missed the target when well placed. County in contrast had fewer
chances arguably, but always looked more likely to.......with Hampson and
Rogers around. But it was neither of these
two who featured next it was George Blackwell and his shot crashed into
a post with Taylor nowhere after Young and Hampson had prized the FCUM defence
open nicely.
County were
shipping free kicks with growing regularity now which was increasing the
pressure, and it was good to see Worthington on his toes stopping the rot as
Owowadi threatened.
A Russell
shot signalled that County were by no means a spent force attacking wise, but
as another raid developed an awful `tackle’ on Rogers laid him out.
It was a
clear foul and one perpetrated right under the refs nose, but with he and the
near side liner unconcerned, the ball was transferred up the park by FCUM and a
break was on. Surely the ref would call them back......as Rogers was still
down.....but no.....the counter attack was very much on- the danger being
eventually averted when Cooke headed clear from a corner! That was a truly
appalling example of refereeing......ANOTHER appalling example, and the
potential seriousness of the incident was underlined when goal scorer Rogers
was promptly replaced by Will Hartley.
A further
period of defensive angst would surely now beckon, but instead Taylor almost
gave away another gift – unnerved no doubt seeing the white`s of Mike Hampson`s
eyes not far away! Mainly though time passed with County defending as Benjamin
got in mighty tackle after mighty tackle...joined by Fitton who headed out
under pressure, and Young who put his body on the line to hold FCUM up.
Into the
last 6 or 7 minutes we went with no strikers on board the County boat , as the
busy Hampson was replaced by Connor Thompson, and it was good to see Billy
Worthington in position to keep a Ryan Saxon strike out with only 5 minutes
left to play.
To their
credit, County kept looking for an opportunity to relieve the pressure and put
some on FCUM, Cooke and Hancock doing particularly well at one point combining
with Will Hartley to push the visitors back. The resulting throw brought Cooke
to the fore and his cross teed Thompson up nicely only for him to be denied by
Gibson at his most determined. Russell had a decent run.....Thompson an even
better one, only to be denied by the same linesman who had gazed myopically at
the assault on Rogers not 20 minutes earlier!
Yes......County
were taking the game to their opponents rather well and Gibson did brilliantly
to stop Young as he ran onto a neat pass by Thompson. County weren`t done after
this either, and Taylor did extremely well to stop a Thompson shot, smack on 90
minutes, with his legs!
Late action involving Will Hartley & Jordan Young. |
This was
heart warming stuff, and again a fourth County goal looked on as a Blackwell
run ended with Taylor clawing another shot, this time from Young, out.
A Cooke
tackle did enough to keep van Gils at bay, as a blast of the referee`s whistle
told us that that was it and that the points were County`s.
That was a
really good game and a credit to both teams, and County should be well pleased with
their performance!
Next
week`s Cup game at Warrington
being cancelled ( not good news for Chris Sharp) ,the next Development Squad
game now will be the League Cup match v Curzon Ashton next Wednesday at E.P. k.o 7.45!
County line
up:
Billy
Worthington, Dean Hitchens( Jordan Young 50),Jordan Fitton, Callum Cooke,
Wesley Benjamin, Connor Hancock, Kieron Crosthwaite, Charlie Russell, Michael
Hampson ( Connor Thompson 82), Jordan Rogers ( Will Hartley 72), George
Blackwell.
Substitute
not used:
Daniel
Havern.
FC United of
Manchester Reserves.
Chris
Taylor, Charlie Doyle ( Jason Fowles 83), Liam Gibson, Mike Brewster, Nick
Truglove( Ryan Saxon 27), Nathan Chorlton, Frank van Gils, Tom Brown , Tunde
Owowabi( Sam Sumerbee 66), John Pritchard, Justin Johnson.
Substitutes
not used:
Leo Magnone,
Gareth Moore.
Ian Brown
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