Stockport County 2 AFC Fylde 3 ( FA Trophy Semi- Final - 2nd Leg) 23 March 2019
Despite a valiant effort, against
National Premier high flyers AFC Fylde, Stockport County lost their FA Trophy
Semi Final 2-3 in a pulsating tie today that swung one way then the other in a
topsy turvy last 5 minutes or so that had nerve ends frayed to bursting point
in another bumper Edgeley Park crowd of over 6000.
It really was a good match, and a
decent showing by County who held a 1-0 lead at half time, via a superb strike
from Nyal Bell that will strain to be equalled in what remains of the season.
That lead could….maybe should have been 2-0 , but the referee ruled out Ash
Palmer`s header 33 minutes in. Had that been allowed( and I would have, if you
are in any doubt!) things would have panned out a whole lot differently in my
view .
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| Bell & company ( Andrew Machin ) |
As it was…struggling to make
Hinchliffe work despite enjoying much possession, the hugely bankrolled
Lancastrians had to rely on a penalty,
at the 66 minute mark, to dint what had been an impregnable blue fortress in
front of free scoring Danny Rowe and his lieutenants, up until that point .
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| Keane- part of that fortress ! ( Andrew Machin ) |
After that it settled down a bit
before a welter of late goals did for most nervous systems in the vicinity.
First Croasdale nicked one for Fylde….then Palmer equalised for the blues,
before Reid ended County`s brave battle with just a minute of normal time left.
JG went with the same starting 11
that did service so well at Fylde, and in less than a minute the large EP crowd
were on their feet roaring loudly as Thomas won a corner as County surged onto
the attack.
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| early cross by Thomas ( Andrew Machin ) |
Serial scorer Danny Rowe was pressed
into early service hoofing the ball up the park to quell the blues first
assault. Fylde had only left Alex Reid in County`s half whilst the pressure was
on, but he did enough upon receiving the ball, to ensure numbers could get to
him and this resulted in Dave Challinor`s side unravelling their neat passing
game as yellow/ black shirts started to play the ball around .
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| Fylde under pressure. |
It was neat and tidy stuff from the
visitors, the type of work that has seen them head the scoring charts in the
National Premier, but County were doing OK in response and the pressure was
eventually ended by Stephenson who had joined Duxbury in defensive duties deep
on the left.
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| Dazzer runs it clear ! |
This sent County back …deep into the
Fylde half ( which irritatingly was with the Cheadle End to their backs), and
Ryan Croasdale was thankful to concede as corner with Stephenson and Duxbury
hitting their opponents on the break.
This time Reid was back and able to hook the ball clear, but the pressure would not go away
from County and keeper Jay Lynch did well to end the Fylde angst by holding
onto Duxbury`s goal bound header!
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| Lynch holds Duxbury header . |
Having weathered the early storms from
County , Fylde continued to play the controlled football that has taken them
into the promotion positions in the National Premier- only Salford have scored
more goals than Fylde ( and they have played 2 more games than their fellow
Lancastrians), but the neat football ended with Rowe lifting his shot high and
wide ,with 12 minutes gone.
Fylde have the second best defensive
record also , in the league above County, and they needed some of those
defensive skills next as Thomas took the game to them. Unfortunately Adam`s
cross did not match his approach play and it stayed 0-0.
Fylde then came back at County, and
Palmer did well , conceding a corner under pressure, which Osborne hacked into
touch.
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| Palmer coping with Fylde pressure. |
County were under the cosh a touch now…and then they weren`t …..as
Duxbury relieved it with a coruscating run that promised much. It did….but there were no takers for Scott`s final
ball , and that was that!
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| Break by Duxbury |
The play switched again with Fylde
then on the offensive, but without finding room and a chance to get a shot off,
and County in reply were keeping their powder dry awaiting their opportunity ,
and it arrived and Stephenson duly relieved the pressure and ran the ball
clear. Bell took possession , but wide left and he looked for all intents and
purposes too far out to trouble Lynch. In fact….was a shot really on……he was
after all facing away from goal some 30 yards or so out!
Well cometh the moment…cometh the
man, and Bell cut inside…turned and unleashed an unstoppable rocket of a shot
at Lynch that would have rendered him a severe damage had he got anything on
it. He didn`t and the ball smacked into the back of the net to set the old
place ablaze with excitement!
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| Bell- about to cut inside.... |
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| and that`s all hedgie saw of the shot....1/0 ! |
I do not think anyone expected Fylde
to now fold…..and they didn`t…..applying themselves again to the neat passing
patterns of the first 25 minutes. It paid off…they nicked a free kick , nice
and central and on the edge of the box. Their fans got a tad excited as Rowe
sized the kick up, finding the woodwork with it, but the blues soon had the
waggons in a circle again, as shot followed shot. Philliskirk went to ground in the box midst a
melee, in spectacular style, without
attracting interest from the usually awful Sebastian Stockbridge the referee.
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| Follow up to the Fylde free kick..... |
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| this did not go in ...honest..( Andrew Machin ) |
Based on old Seb`s past form when it
comes to us, that rather surprised me- it seemed to buoy County as well and
Fylde had their work cut out for a time afterwards with Stephenson combining
with Osborne and Duxbury to look for a second goal.
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| Osborne- busy ! |
The County impetus showed no sign of
relenting either….Minihan managing to keep an ambitious cross field pass in
play to then force a series of throws
that inched the blues ever nearer the Fylde goal.
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| Bell, close with header ( Andrew Machin ) |
Then we got a corner as
Bell`s header was deflected wide…then another , and when Walker pinged the ball
back into the danger zone, we thought we had a second goal too, as Palmer rose
imperiously to head home, and set off home hysterics once again.
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| 2-0...err not...says Seb ! |
And Andrew Machin`s view of that.....
Have I mentioned Sebastian at all?
Well…..he had other ideas and gave us a beautifully executed mime that told us
( I think) that Ash had climbed on his man ( or he could have been signalling the latest Stock Exchange Info), as he ruled the goal out!
To describe that as disappointing,
just will not do…we wanted that…needed it even….
I took consolation in the fact that ,
after a lot of Fylde possession, County were looking a better proposition now,
encapsulated nicely by Bell`s shot, with 10 minutes of the half left , that
fizzed into the keeper`s arms like a veritable howitzer shell.
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| Howitzer coming from Bell ( Andrew Machin ) |
Nick Naughton did curl one wide not
long after for Fylde, and again County were penalised with another scorable
free kick . It was a prime candidate for the equaliser , and no mistake, but
after a conference to rival Yalta…… any Geneva or Strasbourg summit, Rowe then
sent his kick into the County wall much to the County crowd`s mirth.
County`s patient approach and thoughtful
defending was paying off, but whilst this kept Hinchliffe largely out of the
firing line, there was no exclusivity about this and he had to make a brilliant
one handed diving save to keep Haughton`s sweetly delivered shot out, with half
time nearing!
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| Ben`s brilliant save , brilliantly captured by Andrew Machin! |
County cleared the corner and almost
got a decent break as Bell scooted clear from deep, but he was dished via Neill
Byrne`s excellent work in seeing the danger off.
Massively good defending from County ,faced with ever more determined
forward play by the usualy free scoring visitors continued to restrict the shooting
opportunities for Rowe and his team mates, and the teams went in for the break
with the score still 1-0 to County.
Some crowd picks, starting with a few from hedgie;-
And some from Andrew Machin:-
County were on the back foot when
play resumed, and Palmer did well to deny Rowe and co who were quickly into
their neat passing routine again. Croasdale did work a neat opening , just 4
minutes into the half, but Philliskirk could not muster a shot and any chance
was gone.
Rowe was working hard though and to
the by-line , just a minute later, but more excellent work by Palmer shut him
out, and a foul on Duxbury as he was about to dart clear sorted the raid
completely.
Reid did hit the target , on 52
minutes, but could not faze Hinchliffe at all- the County keeper standing tall
to make the save.
Not long after this JG replaced Bell
with Mulhern, but it was Fylde doing the attacking…..Rowe and Francis- Angol
straining a gut to force County into mistakes, but Thomas and Minihan were not
having any of it , the duo defending like their lives depended upon it!
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| Andrew Machin sees Minihan in attacking mode... |
Hardy joined in, his silky skills
setting Philliskirk up for a shot that might have tested Hinchliffe…but didn`t!
With the hour mark approaching, it
was heartening to see Minihan turn deep defence into attack, his urging run
ending with Osborne`s header climbing over the bar from close in.
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| Over the bar from Osborne. |
The hour mark saw Warburton on for
Stephenson, which sent Osborne wide left behind a two pronged front line of
Matty and Frank.
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| Osborne on the ball |
Warburton and Mulhern quickly looked
on the same wave length, and Matty was unlucky to see Lynch save his shot,
after Osborne had burst clear from deep.
It went on…Warburton to Osborne…..Lynch
saving the shot- County looked just possibly on to nick one !
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| Warb`s shot coming ( Andrew Machin ) |
But….Fylde were still a force to
reckon with , and I felt happy to see Rowe`s shot blocked, but not quite so to
notice that the visitors had themselves a corner.
The pressure was on again… and when
Hardy went to ground the ref pointed to the spot- Fylde had a penalty…
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| Seb gets ready to point to the spot.( Andrew Machin ) |
.....................and their
fans had already started celebrating before Rowe did the deed and despatched
the spot kick beyond Hinchliffe`s dive into the net.
Credit to County…..that was very
disappointing…but they kept at it, and a foul on Frank ( an impromptu shirt exchange
) offered up a chance as Walker`s kick almost sneaked in- Lynch just managing
to tip the ball over the bar at the very last gasp!
One corner…two…followed , but
Palmer`s header carried the bar to end the Fylde angst.
We were into the last 15 minutes now
and Fylde were still pressing- Palmer and Minihan doing well under pressure,
with Turnbull now on for Thomas, who had taken a knock a little earlier.
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| Minihan did well . |
Play was swinging one way…then the
other….a free kick by Osborne cleared after a foul by Birch on Duxbury had
stopped a tasty County break….and a spectacular dive by Reid impressed the
referee to award Fylde a free kick and get Stott a booking. County defended the kick only to be penalised
again – but they sorted that too ,so was all well?
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| Birch fells Dux ( Andrew Machin ) |
Well….I thought so…..but not the
liner to my right who had his flag up stopping Mulhern in his tracks as
Warburton sent him surging clear!
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| Frank and company ( Andrew Machin ) |
Then I thought so momentarily again
next as a loose ball gifted County a run at the visitors back line, but they
could not capitalise on the good fortune- Mulhern`s shot climbing high over the
bar.
That was the 85th minute…the
86th saw a break from deep by Fylde end with Croasdale scoring with
assurance from 10 yards or so out.
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| 1-2 ( Andrew Machin ) |
That was a shock, and the visiting
specs were already singing ` we can see you sneaking out` when nothing of the
kind was happening. They were to possibly , if temporarily, rue their cheek, as
Hinchliffe`s long one went from Mulhern to Warburton – Philiskirk just able to concede
a corner with much worse in prospect.
Then….the old place lit up again, as
the corner picked out Palmer( my M.O.M) at the back post and he duly obliged by
heading home- I am sure old Seb was tempted…….but he didn`t and the goal stood…it
was 2-2 and there were just 2 minutes left!
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| 2-2 ( Andrew Machin) |
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| Sam likes it ! ( Andrew Machin ) |
So…extra time beckoned….and then it
didn`t as Reid applied the finish to some frantic Fylde attacking by slamming
the ball home from the edge of the box.
Bugger……almost smack on 90 minutes….it
was 2-3!
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| 2-3....bugger..... ( Andrew Machin ) |
Five added minutes were called and
much of the 5 saw County piling forward in search of that elusive equaliser- it
just would not come- a late Walker free kick probably the closest from County,
but saved by Lynch.
The visiting specs…having enjoyed
their chairman`s largess…now enjoyed their moment of glory, which was fair enough .
For County, it is the more mundane
reality of league games and that push for promotion, which remains so definitely
on!
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| Sam.....still smiling ! ( Andrew Machin ) |
See you all at Edgeley Park on
Tuesday then, for the next leg of that one!
Oh….. and finally….. the blog has a
nomination in the Best Non League Blog /Non League Content Provider section of
Football Blogging Awards. If you would consider casting a vote in the blogs
favour, which you can do via the link below, that would be greatly appreciated…..
Stockport County line up:-
Hinchliffe, Minihan, Palmer, Stott,
Duxbury, Keane, Walker, Thomas ( Turnbull 81), Bell ( Mulhern 53), Osborne,
Stephenson( Warburton 60).
Subs not used ; Ormson, Cowan.
AFC Fylde line up:-
Lynch, Francis- Angol, Byrne,
Tunnicliffe, Hardy, Croasdale, Rowe, Philliskirk, Birch ( Odusina 93), Haughton
( Crawford 44), Reid.
Subs not used : Griffiths, Sang, Brewitt.
Attendance ; 6064
hedgegrower
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