Altrincham FC 1 Stockport County 1 ( Vanarama National League)26 December 2020

 

 

( All images in this issue supplied by hedgegrower)

 

 

If anyone was wondering whether County`s current crop of players still had it in them to face down the naysayers and fully commit to helping  Manager James Gannon as he strives to get the Club back where they belong, they would have got their answer this afternoon at windswept Moss Lane, where , shorn of prime movers Palmer and Rooney they battled back after going 1 down earlyish to take a point in a 1-1 draw.

That said, there must have been an air of relief about , in the home camp, after the final blast of Referee Gareth Rhodes` whistle, as County had pummelled Alty for long periods , particularly in the second half and were well worthy of taking all the points in my view.

 Alty under pressure

 

 

 

 

That they did not was frustrating, and doubly so as, whilst more than shading the play before the break, they shed a goal from a breakaway  midway through the half,  following a County corner, allowing Yusifu Ceesay-Ceesay to score against the run of play.

In my view those in blue today gave us their answer to the question mooted earlier, resoundingly in the affirmative!

There were plenty of candidates for M.O.M ……Kitching driving County forward relentlessly, particularly after the break, and Williams , Kitching`s partner down the left,  had his best game yet in County colours, and might have made and scored a couple himself with a modicum more luck!

I thought it was a creditable team effort today though. I am tempted to add Hogan and Keano to the credits , and boy did they deserve a mention,  oozing calm and assurance at the back, but then I might have mentioned the others in blue all of whom put in a decent shift!

We just need to remember to keep the back door shut, when we are attacking , particularly at set pieces and leave more than just Minihan in our half at corners , as we did on occasions today.

I nit pick, in my thirst for 3 points.

Back to 3 o`clock then and I must say it was great to be inside a stadium watching County play again.

After being promised ( Met Office),that we would be deluged with rain ( starting circa 3 o`clock) it was mildly pleasing to note no hint of wetness in the air. There was no sign of Storm Bella either , which the Met Office forecasts morphed into promising us nearer to kick off time, so it was game on in reasonably decent weather conditions.

Before kick off, Altrincham made a tasteful  acknowledgement of those of their number who had passed away in 2020. A respectfully  done `Rollcall of Honour` being followed by a minute`s applause from those present!

 

Tastefully Done by Altrincham FC.

 

 

 

 

The game opened with County pressing in numbers- Minihan and Thomas pushing the home back line back down the right. The pressure this produced laid on a free kick for County, but Alty`s back line looked keen to repulse all that came their way- and on this occasion they did- Alistair Smith thwarting CJ with some annoyingly good work after Minihan had threaded a neat cross CJ`s way.

 Minihan v Ceesay !

 

 

 

Back came the blues, Reid winning a corner, but when CJ chested the ball down in contemplation of leathering the pill goal ward, a `peep` of Mr Rhodes` whistle halted the County charge on the dubious premise of ` handball`.

 

 CJ on the charge !

 

 

 

Hmmm….but I had no time to linger longer on that last action, as Alty disconcertingly hit us on the break. County got back conceding a corner, and this was wasted by our hosts, but it was an early warning none the less.

Again County went back on the attack, only for Reid to shoot wide.

 

 Reid on the ball.

 

 

 

Harrison Holgate then did well to stop Williams on the charge down the left following brilliant approach play from CJ.

Williams was already looking to be a handful, and Minihan was getting forward well too, but the fourteenth minute saw him drag his shot wide when well place.

On it went …Thomas blocked …..a Williams shot deflected for a corner ( I was fast losing count of how many flag kicks we had won!), but the home back line , marshalled well by Hannigan and Smith again were able to clear their lines.

 Thomas shot blocked .

 

 

 

 

 

The next 5 minutes saw County have to look lively as their opponents seemed to decide to up the ante a touch- Hogan doing well to stop Ceesay`s run from deep, and Maynard doing likewise to stop Connor Hampson`s charge into the blue box.

You just might by this stage be able to imagine that County needed to be a tad careful, but Kitching quickly disposed of negative thoughts like that, another leggy run up the park by him setting up the umpteenth corner of what was now becoming a coolish afternoon.

 

 Great balance from Kitching.

 

 

 

 

 As the corner came over, it was blocked by Hampson and in a trice the ball was with Hancock deep in the wrong half of the field! Thankfully he pulled his shot wide with Hinchliffe exposed, but it was a definite chance…a let off…we had again been warned!

 

 Croasdale- worked hard !

 

 

We kept attacking though Croasdale winning yet another corner, only to see Smith drill the pill up the park from it. Alty were in our half again, and things went from bad to worse when ex Hatter Matty Kosylo found Ceesay with his pass and he did the rest giving Hinchliffe no chance at all of stopping his shot.

 

If that was a shock, more of the same almost followed in short order as Ceesay was again in behind the County defence, and it took a brilliant last ditcher by Hinchliffe on Ceesay to stop the rot for the blues and keep it at 0-1.

Ceesay was looking a threat, and a free kick fed his lust for goals shortly after, until Hogan intervened and kept County afloat.

County gradually worked their way back in charge- Thomas`s flick on deserving more than it received from the blues latest corner.

 

 Alty under the cosh again.

 

 

 

 

On it went….Kitching shredding the home defences down the left, and Croasdale only kept off the score sheet by a `worldy` from Alty keeper Tony Thompson, who was on hand with a more routine stop to deny Reid not long after.

 

 Kitching v Kosylo.

 

 

 

Altrincham did eventually push County back, and put them under pressure, but this only lasted about 3…maybe 4 minutes before the home side were on the back foot again. They were caught napping too it seemed, but Holgate earned a booking by sending Reid flying as he threatened to dart clear, and Thomas`s free kick carried the bar and it stayed 0-1.

 

 Pressures on Alty again.

 

 

 

County were not dismayed though, winning another corner ( do not ask !) . I winced to note that, apart from Hinchliffe, there was only Minihan in County`s half of the field as the corner came over. Keano joined the hunt for a goal from this sending his header over the bar thus ending the possibility of a breakaway.

The half ended with County still pressing….Thomas seeing his shot drift wide, and Kitching bringing more brilliance out of Thompson with a typically incisive cross.

 

 Thomas applies the pressure.

 

 

 

The pressure on the home defence from County continued when play resumed- Croasdale , who was particularly industrious today, was unlucky to see his snap shot whizz just wide from a Maynard pass.

Next up, Williams found himself a whisker away from applying a finish to the tastiest of Minihan crosses.

That was the best of the first 5 minutes of the second half, but we very nearly had to contemplate going 2 down, when Maynard lost possession allowing Holgate a run on goal from half way.  It was a real chance for sure…..but in the act of shooting Holgate slipped….chance gone…the ball flew wide!

County responded with a surging run up the park by Hogan . He looked unstoppable until he neared the Alty box where he was promptly fouled. It was a clear foul but Mr Rhodes thought otherwise, and….I do not know about Liam…..but I was in one again!

As Kitching and Williams down the left and Minihan down the right upped the pressure so County`s corner count started mounting again.

 The Williams/ Kitching combo at work !

 

 

 

 

 Free kicks were in the mix too as the previously resourceful and relatively cool home defence was now just a collective nervous twitch. Minihan was felled with the minimum of ceremony by Hannigan , earning the home number 5 a yellow card, but County could not benefit further – Keano going close , but the ball eventually being cleared.

We were beyond the hour mark now and Williams was fast emerging as the key element of County`s attacking matrix, forcing a corner at one point- going close twice in rapid order. 

 

                                             Williams in good nick.

 

 

 

 

There was no one in blue able to get to Jordan`s next effort, a neat cross, and Alty got alarm bells ringing when Ceesay latched onto the ball and headed for a relatively distant Hinchliffe. Distant or not, Ceesay was clear, until the saintly liner to my right upped his flag and came to County`s aid!

 Williams and company....

 

 

 

 

We were into the last 20 minutes now, and Southam – Hales was on for Thomas and looking as impressive as he has usually done as he slots into position in front of Minihan wide right.

County were still wanting that equaliser, and to be fair the ease of their movement and constant high rev factor of their play made me think more than that was a possibility, but Minihan saw his shot deflected for a corner following a link up with Reid!

The corner was cleared, but not the next one won by Williams in concert with Kitching. The mother of all melees followed with me willing CJ`s effort in midst the maelstrom of frantic activity in front of Thompson`s goal for all I was worth, but the ball came out off a defender on the line !!!

 

 So close for County !

 

 

 

Into the last 15 minutes and nothing looked like changing my view that County could win this, but  Maynard put his team under the cosh by giving a free kick away on the edge of the box. It could have…maybe should have been a costly moment for County, but Alty could not capitalise on the situation , the kick flying straight into Hinchliffe`s grateful arms.

The 80^th minute saw the best of Keano before our eyes as he seized the ball deep before unleashing a lovely weighted ball that somehow a clutch of red /white shirted defenders managed to keep out with CJ on it !

 

 Almost...again for County....

 

 

 

Another minute…another corner….Southam- Hales took it, and CJ did the rest with a neat near post header…it was 1-1 !

Shots rained in on the home goal after this , Thompson`s best work in this period being  his latest thwarting of Williams.

A minute left of normal time saw County set the nerve ends a jangling again by conceding another free kick on the edge of the box. Alty wasted this one too, and Minihan was able to ease County worries by tying substitute Jacob Blyth up before clearing the ball.

The siege of the home goal returned again for the 3 minutes of added time- Hogan fouled , and the other sub Dan Mooney was booked for desperately lumping the ball towards Sale….and keeper Thompson for what I assumed was more time wasting .

County were looking well worth a second goal , and Keane to Williams teed one up , but it was only another corner, and from it we went close, but Alty held out and took a share of the points.

 

 Keano.....

 

 

 

Finally, I would just like to thank Altrincham FC for allowing hedgegrower in for todays match. Their Covid Protocol was as stringent as that at EP, effectively administered in a friendly fashion.

Onwards and upwards County !

Altrincham FC line up:-

Thompson, Hampson, Hannigan, Hancock, Ceesay ( Blyth 89), Kosylo ( Mooney 71), Peers, Senior, Smith , Richman, Holgate.

Subs not used ; Hall, Densmore, Roache.

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Minihan, Hogan, Keane, Kitching, Maynard, Croasdale, Thomas ( Southam- Hales 65), Reid, C Jennings, Williams.

Subs not used : Barnes, Stott, Gilmour, Bennett.

 

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