Stockport County 2 Gainsborough Trinity 0 :( Vanarama National League North) 27 February 2016
County ensured
Jim Gannon’s long awaited return had nothing of the anti-climax about it, with
an excellent 2-0 win against a lively Gainsborough Trinity side at Edgeley Park
today.
It was
County’s first time back on home territory since 16 January, and 2 tremendous
goals for live wire forward John Marsden brought the Hatters a deserved
victory.
It was a victory in the Jim Gannon mould, underwritten by solid defensive work, and in
this respect the County back line had a
real hero in Ian Ormson who saved a penalty ,with the score at 1-0, and pulled off a string of astonishing saves to
thoroughly dish Trinity and secure the win for County!
Ormson- in excellent form ( captured by Andrew Machin ) |
Great stuff then….and
Jim sent an interesting starting line up out on his return to Edgeley Park,
with John Marsden, Richard Brodie and Obi Anoruo forming a three pronged attack
backed up by 7 grafters …Lewis Montrose, Dan Morton, and Karl Ledsham in front
of a back 4 of Connolly, O’Hanlon, Smalley and Roberts…..and Ian Ormson between
the sticks.
They came out to a wall of sound and a blaze of giant flags as the
Cheadle End welcomed them.
The mood changed smack on 3 o’clock as all present united to acclaim former Manager and County hero Eric Webster, with a minute’s applause. It was a sobering moment listening as the applause mixed with chants of ` Eric Webster’s Blue & White Army’.
The mood changed smack on 3 o’clock as all present united to acclaim former Manager and County hero Eric Webster, with a minute’s applause. It was a sobering moment listening as the applause mixed with chants of ` Eric Webster’s Blue & White Army’.
County
started off at pace and within a minute keeper Jonathon Hedge was in action
tipping an effort from John Marsden over the bar.
At the other
end, with Elliott Hodge in his face, Paul Connolly did well with a couple of
clearances, the second of which needed to be, as Hodge pinged a dangerous ball
into the box.
That was an
interesting start, but it got even more so as almost straight from Connolly’s
second clearance, County hit their opponents hard on the break, through Marsden
who latched onto the ball before switching inside and slamming something of a
beauty home from the edge of the box!
Just 6
minutes gone and already County were 1 up…..that was good stuff, and Marsden
quickly underlined his quality by tracking back and robbing Hodge when he
looked on to create problems for the blues.
So far, if
Gainsborough were getting their share of attacking possession, things were not
shaping out too badly at all for County as efforts from Brodie and Marsden
missed out narrowly.
The Trinity keeper spilled the ball at one point under
pressure from Brodie, but despite being severely stretched, the visitors
managed to clear the danger.
Not for long
though, as Brodie put it on again with a neat cross, and Morton ( who had a
midfield role today) wasn’t far away with a
header.
Captain covers........ |
Trinity
weathered the early storm from County without any further upsets, and set about
causing County an issue or two. Hodge( who seemed an irascible little customer)
was the focal point of the attacking at this point for Gainsborough, the
suppliers of ammunition being Liam Davis, Darryn Stamp and Nathan Jarman.
Richard Brogan took a lead role later on, but for now County had Davis to deal
with and happily his shot didn’t trouble Ormson in the County goal.
Hodge kept
at it though……but seemed even more angst ridden having been outpaced by 37 y.o
Gareth Roberts. Roberts earned applause for his efforts….and a free kick,
whilst for Hodge there was only opprobrium and a general feeling in Row R and
around that he might look to smartening his act up a touch behaviourwise!
No
matter…..Hodge was soon joined in the County half by Davis , and when the
irritating number 11 squeezed an iffy free kick from Referee Steve Copeland (
no better than he should be), only Ian Ormson’s alert responses kept County’s lead intact as
the number eight sped goal ward to test the County keeper with a snap shot.
It was a
fairly open contest at this juncture, I must say, with Hedge doing well to keep
Marsden from converting Ledsham’s tasty free kick into the gold of a goal one
minute…….whilst the next I looked on to see first Roberts and then Smalley put their bodies in the way of shots from
Jarman.
Then …..with
25 minutes gone we had the first game changing moment involving Ian Ormson! It
may have been 1-0 to County but an equaliser looked almost upon us as somehow
Darryn Stamp got in behind the blue back line- heading goal ward with only
Ormson in his way! Did I say only? Well I apologise Ian as with
the goal gaping, the County keeper pulled of the bravest of saves beating the
ball out as it came in from Stamp. That was a vital stop and for the first time
today….Ian’s name rang out in SK3 from almost 3000 voices! It would not be the
last!
Stamp was in
the mix again shortly after, climbing all over O’Hanlon to get a header in.
Ormson’s response was another authoritative save…..the referee saw the climb
….and blew accordingly….but Ormson was not to know that!
With 15
minutes left of the half, Trinity were still trying to grab that equaliser,
none more so than Davis, but he was thwarted by good work from Morton. Hodge
kept trying too, but again he was outpaced brilliantly by Roberts, whose reward
was a peevish foul from the visiting number eleven. Brogan did eventually get
the ball in the County net, some time later, but he was yards offside and the
liner flagged it early doors.
Closer to
half time we had the distraction of a medium sized fracas breaking out near the
dugouts. I have little doubt that Montrose was fouled, and that the perp was dear old Hodge, but the extravagant
multiple roll the County number 4 treated us to was immensely missable as a
spectacle. County got the free kick…..Hodge the booking, but mysteriously so
did Anoruo- I presume for verbals!?
Nothing came
of the free kick and the half ended with Ormson in action making a good catch
to deny Brogan at the death!
The re-start
saw both teams probe the other without success. This went on for 5 or 6 minutes
with neither defence looking unduly perturbed. Then Mr Copeland took a hand
penalising O’Hanlon for a perceived `lean’ but with the County man’s hands and
arms pointing out behind him at the time- I found this ridiculous…as did the
County captain! Brogan twice went close
after this….first with the kick that he whipped over at pace ,and when
this went for a corner he tried his luck skirting the by-line, but his attempts
to walk the ball home were undone by
Ormson’s alert responses.
It went
immediately long from Ormson, and Anoruo , the recipient, was unlucky to see
his effort on the turn go just wide.
Back came
Trinity in reply with Jarman to the by-line past 3 County defenders in a trice.
County escaped with a corner from this angst ridden situation, and Montrose
cleared this, so it stayed 1-0.
It was a
decent game now…County were perhaps working themselves the better chances(
Brodie’s shot on the turn lifting just over the bar on 56 minutes), but it must
be acknowledged that ,urged on by Davis, Jarman and Brogan, Trinity were
playing some rather neat stuff too!
For
County….Marsden still looked the man most likely to…..his path to goal blocked
by Jon D’Laryea after good work from Connolly just before the hour….and another
effort from him deflected wide after he had burst clear at speed.
Not long
after, Jim rang the changes bringing young George West on for Obi Anoruo.
This was a
typically bold move from Jim, but within 3 minutes of the change, the County
cause was in danger of being undermined and it was Mr Copeland in the van!
Trinity were attacking and Brogan had just lifted another high and hopeful one
into the box where O’Hanlon prepared to meet it. I think it was Jarman who was
stationed immediately in front of O’Hanlon, but the referee was the only man in
SK3 I wager to see anything amiss as the County captain headed the pill clear. It
was a penalty none the less and Simon Russell stepped up in double quick time
to take it. Enter Ian Ormson with another game changer…..and as Russell fired
the kick to the keepers left, so Ormson flung himself in precisely the correct
direction to not only push the ball out, but to safety as well…..a really top
class save, and again the place fairly shook to the rafters as Ian’s name rang
out loud and long!
County came
under the cosh for a time after this with Jarman letting one rip but seeing it
clear the bar by a foot or so. County needed cool heads and whilst the
defending was generally good, some of the clearances were less so, only serving
to put the pressure on again.
Odejayi was
on for Brodie with 15 minutes left, and he went close early on from a rather
fortuitous free kick won by Morton. Marsden was taking the free kicks now and
he had a decent line in them as well…they had power and direction.
Indeed….Marsden is not short in the power and direction department, and with
just over 10 minutes left, he gave us a demonstration of same! County were attacking…….Trinity defending well
enough ….but the visitors were not able to fashion a clearance and thus relieve
the pressure. So….the pressure stayed on, building in intensity as Odejayi’s
flick on reached Marsden, and going into overdrive as he lashed a ferocious
drive home from the edge of the box.
It was a shot of remarkable power, one
which Hedge actually managed to get a hand to, but it was only going one way-
into the net and the ground erupted with joy at the thought of the 2-0 lead
that County now held.
George West
was now linking up quite nicely with Odejayi, which was really pleasing to see,
as County faced the last 5 minutes with Joyce on for Morton.
County
looked to be wanting a third goal, which was good to see, and Odejayi just
might have got one had Dominic Roma not held him down as he went for the ball.
The result was Odejayi’s header flashed inches wide, and the angst was only
increased when the referee indicated a goal kick!
Credit to
Trinity…they were still plugging away….trying right into the ninetieth minute,
which saw Ormson pull off his best save of the night to keep an effort from
Jarman out, after Smalley and O’Hanlon had been called on to make last gasp
headers.
That really
was a stunning save, and Ormson wasn’t done …he produced another terrific
diving save as a series of corners threatened County’s peace of mind.
Jarman was
top man for Trinity as the game neared its end. County came back at them though
in the games dying embers….Odejayi sending West darting clear at one point. He
was one on one with the keeper, but nerves overcame him I guess and he stabbed
his shot wide.
Having seen this lad in the reserves I can say that in my view
there is plenty to come from him, and Jim’s just the man to bring it out!
There was
massive applause at the announcement that Ian Ormson had won the M.O.M award.
Fittingly I
suppose, Marsden’s was the last word of the game…..his shot deep into added
time, drifted wide , but it spoke volumes for his and his teams work ethic.
Long may it
continue.
See you all
Tuesday then!
Stockport
County line up:
Ormson,
Connolly, O’Hanlon, Smalley, Roberts, Montrose, Morton( Joyce 84), Ledsham, Marsden,
Anoruo( West 65), Brodie( Odejayi 74).
Subs not
used:
D Smith,
Menagh.
Gainsborough
Trinity line up:
Hedge, Roma,
Lacey, Brogan, D’Laryea, Picton, Russell, Davis( Newsham 74), Stamp, Jarman,
Hodge( Yates 84).
Subs not
used:
Quinn,
Budtz, Binns.
Attendance:
2990
Ian Brown
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