Salford City 2 Stockport County 1 ( Vanarama National League- North) 15 August 2017
I still
cannot believe that County came away with precisely nowt from their encounter
with media darlings Salford City at Moor Lane last night.
The
newspapers and other media will record that the game ended 2-1 to Salford, but
apart from the first thirty minutes of the game when County’s injury hit/
re-shuffled defence was still bedding in, County looked by far the better of
the two teams.
County were
without defensive kingpin Michael Clarke, who had sustained an injury following
Saturday’s game, and although the new defensive line up( sometimes 4….Minihan, Cowan,
Smalley and Duxbury….sometimes 3 with Minihan spinning clear and getting up the
park) did well, by the time they had
ironed out the understandable wrinkles , Salford had snatched a 2 goal lead
which ultimately would prove decisive.
County under pressure. |
After the
second ( a really fortunate effort that took the cruellest of deflections to
take it out of Hinchliffe’s reach) County gave Salford rice in real quantity,
and it took a whole series of desperate tackles on Salford’s part, to keep them
out at times.
Eventually they just couldn’t and the half closed with Hampson
claiming the best goal of the game with a real corker from inside the box.
Unfortunately
that’s where the scoring ended, and whilst County continued to press ,and in
doing so looked the more composed and organised of the two teams, Salford…….
marshalled coolly by Scott Burton, held on to leave with all the points.
Might we
have done better? Well…..there were certainly areas where improvement was needed.
The corners and free kicks were not good at all, particularly the latter which
on occasions last night tended to be overly focused on invention rather than
penetration. By way of contrast, City’s opener came from a free kick which
usefully might not have been conceded, and perhaps the largest negative from
County’s game was that despite looking at times well capable of doing
something, they never really worked the Salford keeper at all, particularly in
the second half when shots were missing the target by some distance not
infrequently.
So…..that’s
the `balance’ out of the way, and donning my blue spectacles ,I opine that
being without 2 key central defenders
was not entirely irrelevant to County’s demise on this occasion- indeed
Clarke’s absence was crucially central to the issue, and whilst County’s
makeshift back line worked really hard, Clarke’s cool defensive nous was
greatly missed.
Preliminaries ! |
The game got
underway with County attacking the goal behind which the enormous County
following were gathered, giving terrific….loud support to their team
throughout.
Some of that County support! |
County came
under immediate pressure as Jake Beesley and Ibou Touray probed in lively
fashion down the flanks. The left wing seemed the flank of choice for Salford’s
earliest attacks and Cowan clearly had his work cut out for him faced by
Touray, but the winger by no means won all the battles.
Cowan -cool on the ball. |
Cowan’s
first work of note came just a minute or so in, and from the opposite flank,
from where Beesley pinged over a decent cross. Richie Allen was on the end of this,
but so was Cowan and his header eased the County angst.
Smalley clears. |
County
replied through Stephenson, who looked full of running and distinctly lively in
the first half...........
Stephenson lively..... |
.......but Darren was promptly upended by the City captain Liam Hogan,
ushering in the first of a veritable mountain of free kicks awarded to the
blues by Mr Martin Woods the referee. Hampson and Warburton conferred over the
kick, but the overly tricksy routine that followed the few words, saw Salford
un-troubled and able to clear their lines, which was a real disappointment.
Warburton / Hampson confer.... |
Salford came
back at County next, and Hinchliffe did well to make the save from Anthony
Dudley after Mike Phenix had worked the opening for the home side.
Barely four
minutes had gone, and already it was developing into a really feisty affair(
although, credit to both sides, it never boiled over into something
unacceptable).
Winter announces himself ! |
Ex Hatter Carl Piergianni was in his usual combative mode and a
game long tussle twixt him and Jason Oswell saw the duo almost sharing kits –
locked together like conjoined twins.
Piergianni & Oswell- just good friends ! |
On the whole the exotically coiffured
Piergianni probably won the battle, but over the season watch Jason….he will
win more of these than he will lose!
Back to the
action, and County shipped a free kick, which was pinged in at pace from the
right. It was a decent kick, but there did not seem to be any undue danger as
the ball dipped on its way to the box, and there was a fair distance twixt the
receiver ( the excellent Michael Nottingham) and goal , when the deftest of
powerful diving headers from the City number 5 made it 1-0 to our hosts- the
ball flying , out of Hinchliffe’s grasp into the net!
What a total
bummer that was!
Oswell and
Piergianni battled relentlessly after the goal, Oswell being joined by
Warburton, Minihan and Stephenson , but
there looked no way through Nottingham
and company, and the next important action came at the County end where
Hinchliffe had to look lively , saving a
shot from Phenix as County struggled to defend a corner.
Just over 12
minutes had gone by now, and we needed a reply from County…something to warm
keeper Crocombe’s fingers perhaps, but again Nottingham plied his trade with
distinction, heading Warburton’s effort out as I winced pitch side.
Warburton presses... |
Both sides
went close next- Touray for Salford after Winter had lost possession, and
Stephenson for the blues. Stephenson was particularly unlucky not to get
through, or any redress when he didn’t as Hogan had fouled him in the box. Mr
Woods thought differently, so no penalty….no equaliser!
Stephenson on ball- tackle pending. |
Again we saw
Hinchliffe called into action, his latest save,18 minutes in, keeping Phenix
out.
County
replied again, but when Warburton latched onto Stephenson’s pass, he was
brought down, only for the referee to wave play on! It is such rubbish moments
which make viewing a match through the comforting haze of a skin full of
alcohol an essential prerequisite for retaining one’s sanity, but as I was in
no such a state, I could only wince once more!
That
said…this was a fair old game we were watching and Salford again went close,
this time via Beesley’s shot that whistled across goal after Allen had set the
move up.
Foul...... |
Another foul
on Warburton brought another free kick, but not one that greatly troubled
Crocombe. But the free kicks to County started to mount up…Piergianni fouling
Oswell this time setting a flurry of County attacking up, not helped by another
of those tricky kicks from Hampson/ Warburton.
Hampson & Warburtons free kick. |
Notwithstanding that last
comment, County had their opponents confined to their last third, and both
Minihan and Stephenson had efforts kept out.
In Minihan’s case a corner
resulted…then another as Jimmy Ball’s effort hit Nottingham and went behind.
This was really encouraging, but we then needed Minihan’s final volley to hit
the net whereas it thudded into the boards
inches wide to end City’s obvious pain.
Salford under pressure. |
That was
disappointing, but more ensued in rapid order as Salford attacked down the
left. Again there seemed minimal danger as Dudley ambled slowly into the box,
bypassing a tackle here …a block there. Even when he shot nothing looked
on…..and then it did as the ball took a wicked deflection beating Hinchliffe’s
attempts to keep it out, thus doubling the home side’s advantage!
County were
stung by this and attacked Salford with a purpose in the next 15 minutes or so,
the immediate attacking seeing a string of corners gnaw at the hosts (and my)
nerves. Ball almost nicked one during
this spell and but for Crocombe agility would have, the keeper diving to tip
the ball over the bar at the very last gasp.
Crocombe under pressure. |
Ball was
then felled unceremoniously, as the temperature continued to climb with
Piergianni and Oswell’s ongoing battle still raging unremittingly.
This was
fascinating stuff, but the disappointment factor was still high, with Warburton
inches away with an effort that
had the keeper diving frantically to attempt to keep it out.
Oswell
headed over for County, and the long period of blue pressure was briefly halted
when Touray forced another save from Hinchliffe, but with half time nearing
County at last gave us a goal and it was a belter!
Matty Warburton |
County had
resumed offensive duties with Warburton, Duxbury and Minihan all denied by the
packed ranks of Salford defenders , marshalled massively well by
Nottingham. Minihan won a corner and
again went close with an effort, and with Salford unable to clear their lines,
County took full advantage at last, as Hampson lashed a pearler home from
just inside the box!
That was a
fantastic effort and with County attacking with purpose, was I alone in
thinking that an equaliser was the least that they might now achieve? Well in
the few minutes left of the half, no equaliser came…several free kicks , but
nothing more, and the sides went in at the break with County still 1-2 down.
Some of the
edge, so apparent in the first 45, seemed to not be so evident as play
resumed to the continued accompaniment
of loud noise emanating from the away end .
Salford were
the first to the fore but without great success- Touray’s shot on the turn
failing to trouble Hinchliffe.
The reply
from County found Burton emerging as a key figure for City, doing well to
disrupt the County progress and then start a break, usually down the right
where he looked for Phenix.
But County
kept applying pressure and it was disappointing to see Winter lift a shot up
and over the bar, with about 5 minutes of the half gone.
Stephenson awaits incoming corner |
The pressure
continued from County with Stephenson in the van of the action, passing nicely
to Warburton who saw his shot blocked. Warburton and Stephenson continued their
cooperation and Nottingham did well to keep latter from the former’s attempt to
return the complement.
In the
breaks between County attacks, Burton kept irritatingly nicking the ball and
his latest annoyance saw him only just fail to earn Salford a third. Burton’s
pass to Allen, seeing the resultant shot charged down by Minihan, and my
irritation went on and on as Allen again profited from Burton’s work, only
missing out due to Duxbury’s alert response.
Duxbury on the ball. |
A great
block by Hampson stopped a dangerous break by Phenix next, and the County
number 3 followed this by pushing Salford back on their heels with a run down
the left.
A save by
Hinchliffe, following a dubiously obtained free kick, after Beesley had fallen to earth as if dead ( the Warburton
after shave again!), denied our hosts a third goal, the keeper emerging with the ball
to applause from the large County following.
Warburton and company. |
It was still
possible to be optimistic- we just needed County to up the precision at the
sharp end complementing all the cool build up play. We did not see that
however….we did see a huddle between Warburton, Ball, and Hampson over County’s
latest free kick, but this again saw the
ball miss the target and it remained 2-1 to the home side.
George West watched by Nottingham. |
With both
sides using their substitutes now , County kept trying for that
equaliser…Warburton foiled by the keeper’s quick reactions, as was Winter
trying to reach Matty’s deft flick on with just under 10 minutes left.
Harry Brazel. |
As I have
said earlier…we needed more precision when it came to shooting, but what we got
was a series of efforts lifted high over the terrace behind Crocombe’s goal .
Winter had several such efforts , Brazel ( on as a sub for Cowan) had another,
but they were by no means alone in this respect.
For their
part, with County attacking almost relentlessly in the last minutes, Salford were
content to find touch, and when they didn’t those shots from the blues kept on
carrying the bar disappointingly.
A long blast
of Mr Woods whistle eventually told us that the game was over and the points
lost.
That was
disappointing, but I am not allowing myself to get carried away with the angst
of the situation.
We are only
4 games into the season and there is much to play for, and we do have the side
to do it in my view, and most certainly the man for the job in JG, who given
the rub of the green injury wise, I am sure will sort matters.
See you all
at Leamington on Saturday!
Salford City
line up:
Crocombe,
Hogan, Piergianni, Burton, Nottingham, Maynard, Beesley, Allen( Selton 77),
Phenix( McHale 90), Dudley( Redshaw 74), Touray.
Subs not
used: Aghayere, Foulds.
Stockport
County line up:
Hinchliffe,
Cowan( Brazel 81), Hampson, Winter, Duxbury, Smalley, Minihan, Ball, Oswell,
Warburton, Stephenson( West 79).
Subs not
used: Ormson, Walker, Whitty.
Attendance:
2358
hedgegrower
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