Stockport County 2 Maidenhead United 2 - Vanarama National League( Saturday 17 April 2021)
Words by hedgegrower, images by hedgegrower & Andrew Machin.
County succeeded in making it 10 games unbeaten today via a 2-2 draw with Maidenhead United at sun baked Edgeley Park, but the 3 they desired, to keep their promotion push on track , were never more than a 50/50 chance throughout an end to end game that saw Alan Devonshire`s side play to his script immaculately from start to finish .
It was a decent game in which either team might have won it with the Berkshire side showing a real desire to do more than just sit back. There was no let up in their work rate all game long, but their discipline went AWOL as the game went on, ushering in a chance for County to capitalise, via a plethora of free kicks, but they never did.
As usual Macauley Southam- Hales cannot be faulted for a 90 odd minute cracker of a game that saw him take yet another M.O.M award. James Jennings was in good nick too, and I was terrifically impressed again with Elliott Newby`s contribution when he came on for Walker just beyond the hour mark.
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| Newby -excellent ! |
He was excellent and must be pressing for a start. Madden was busy for 90 minutes, and nicked one, as did Cardwell, but our free kicks, do need a look at for sure!
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| 2 shots from Andrew Machin of Cards and Reid celebrating his goal. |
The game opened with Maidenhead on the attack as the sun blazed down on an almost deserted Edgeley Park, at a time when most people would be tackling their midday meal.
These early minutes saw James Comley to the fore for the Magpies , and as the game progressed he Danilo Orsi and Dan Sparkes provided some disconcerting thrust for the visitors deep into County`s half, but the second minute saw United`s number 8 pass when a shot was on, and the first notional chance was gone.
Comley was in the van of almost 5 minutes solid pressure from the visitors, only halted by some diligent work at the back from County , and a foul on Cardwell as a break materialised. Madden was almost in from the free kick , but it stayed 0-0.
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| Madden almost ! |
Things perked up next as the ninth minute saw a neat 1….2 between Reid and Cardwell end with the latter`s effort fizzing inches wide.
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| Close from Cardwell. |
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| Reid down the left ( Andrew Machin ) |
County kept the momentum going now through fine link up play twixt Madden and Southam -Hales, but Palmer`s header was cleared from the resultant corner.
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| Palmer`s header ( Andrew Machin ) |
This was encouraging, and when Manny Parry hauled Cardwell down just outside the box 14 minutes in, we had another notional chance, but this faded as Rooney did not test keeper Ashby-Hammond with his kick that flew harmlessly wide.
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| Cardwell and company..... | |
The keeper then made rather more of holding onto a cross cum shot from Walker, before it was time again for County to do some defending as a break by Comley ended disappointingly for Magpies with Sam Barratt`s header missing out.
Palmer then got himself booked for a tasty number on Orsi, and the free kick that followed gave us momentary anxiety that vanished as quickly as it had arrived via Madden who swept up immaculately under pressure.
But the ball came back into the blue half not long after , and we were perhaps fortunate to settle for a corner as Upward`s snap shot took a deflection. Corner……….throw followed and more pressure, all sorted first off by more defensive efficiency from Madden, and then a foul by Magpie captain Alan Massey, who joined Ash in referee Robert Massey-Ellis`s book.
The consequence was a free kick not that far out for County, and another notional chance, but this again went begging as Rooney again failed to cause the keeper any anxiety.
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| Rooney v Wells.( Andrew Machin ) |
We were half way through the half now, and it was an interesting encounter and all the better for not being a shoo in as some games have been previously, we would see how County respond to being realistically tested!
Did I say `tested` ? Well we were with knobs on 26 minutes in and Hinchliffe did wonders to tip a dipping effort from Upward over the bar! Corner then, and another test, as Sparkes picked out Parry with his kick and he buried the ball deep into the netting behind Hinchliffe`s back- the Magpies had the lead!
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| Parry gives Magpies the lead ! |
They had definite designs on doubling it as well, only to be disappointed as a Sparkes drive cleared the bar. They had ideas also and were not shy to seek to test the blues with these, but Mr Massey- Ellis , who I thought had an excellent game( sits down for a minute and gets a quick grip on his senses!) called their quick free kick routine back much to the visitors utter chagrin!
Eventually County weathered the storm and hit back, but another blue free kick was repulsed by a comfortable save by the keeper.
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| comfy for keeper. |
County kept at it though, and they got their reward with just 7 minutes remaining of the half as some brilliant work by Walker and Reid down the left set Cardwell up nicely to slot the equaliser home from close in. Maidenhead fancied offside for that one, but they were wrong, and the nearby liner told them so!
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| Cardwell equalises ! |
The action was by no means over for the first half with that, but the nearest thing to a further goal came at the County end where Hinchliffe held onto a shot from George Wells with time running out.
The teams went in at the break with honours even at 1-1 and that was probably just about right!
No crowd shots unfortunately, but some of a few of the folks that help Liam keep the pitch in decent nick;-
Here`s Andrew Machin , delighted to be back.....
And here`s one of the only flag to survive the lockdown rigours ...the Union Flag ( happy to say that the Club have kindly agreed to meet the cost of replacements for our flags - brilliant!)
And Andrew got the Managers too:-
Maidenhead opened the second half on the front foot, and it was 5 or 6 minutes before pressure was relieved by a foul on Reid. A Rooney / Madden cooperation with the free kick promised much, but Reid`s route to goal was cut off by decisive action from Parry.
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| Reid on the ball. |
Back came the visitors only for Barratt`s shot to rise over the bar, answered promptly by runs from Reid and Southam -Hales but to no avail, the visitors defence held firm.
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| Andrew Machin catches Southam- Hales...nobody else could ! |
That said, the Magpies discipline was now slipping somewhat and they were shipping a shed load of free kicks and a clutch of bookings as a result, but could County capitalise on this?
Perhaps we would find out as Newby was now on for Walker, and he was quickly in the mix, his first action setting Reid up for a half chance that was snuffed out again by Parry.
Newby was not daunted, producing some dazzling play near the left corner flag, only to watch as Rooney`s resultant shot sped wide.
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| Newby magic ! |
It was anyone`s game really, I would not have been surprised if Alan Devonshire`s side had nicked this one…they certainly wanted it…..but equally with Southam -Hales and now Newby on song for the blues you would not rule out a County win either , with 20 minutes left!
But the game continued to swing end to end with Hinchliffe in action making a good stop to keep Orsi out, and Madden unlucky at the other end being blocked on the end of more good work by Newby.
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| Madden close. |
The pressure was on Maidenhead now, so much so that Wells sliced the ball anywhere under the cosh from Newby, the visitors agony ending temporarily with Cardwell`s header flying wide from Croasdale`s cross.
It was beginning to look like County might just nick the lead, but instead Rooney`s shot flew wide after excellent work in the build up from Southam – Hales.
With about 15 minutes left Minihan came on for Reid, but a double switch by County`s opponents trumped the County personnel change by some way as Orsi made it 1-2 in the Magpies favour, slamming the ball home as the blues struggled to clear their lines.
That might have been a hammer blow, it wasn`t in actuality, but it did not immediately look all that great as, with a pass outside to James Jennings on and looking the way to go, Rooney instead went wide right.
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| JJ the man down the left ! |
This move broke down, but not for long as Newby and Southam -Hales won a neat corner, that was quickly followed by another and then an equalising goal as Madden ushered the ball home from a crowd of players in front of the Maidenhead goal. It was 2-2 , and all to play for!
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| Madden goal pending. |
Maidenhead knew this too, and Minihan had to work extra hard to keep them out on the break with 8 minutes left.
County came back at their opponents quickly, Newby and Cardwell doing excellent work to win another corner. Southam- Hales` flag kicks had been decent all day, but Massey managed to head this latest effort out from under the bar, before stepping up again to block Jennings on the end of a Rooney ball.
It was desperate stuff at times, but at both ends and it was gratifying to see the ball deflected for a corner from Orsi`s shot after Kelly had set a decent chance up. County defended the kick well and it stayed 2-2.
County came under more pressure in the last 15 minutes than they probably reasonably expected, and Parry went close as Wells pinged a fizzing bomb of a cross to him at the back post. County blocked that well, and Madden looked to have been neatly `leaned on` by Parry as the County number 34 sped clear on the break. It looked worth a shout, but the referee wasn`t having it!
With added time nearing I was getting more willing to think a County goal just might materialise, but when Jennings sent Newby clear, he was felled by his marker and Rooney`s free kick was held comfortably by the keeper.
Added time was much the same as both sides had a go- Southam – Hales flogging himself to a frazzle for County at one end, and Hogan excelling late on at the other to keep Kelly at bay as he burst into the box with the goal gaping!
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| Hogan - vital intervention ! |
Eventually it was game over, points shared, and lots to ponder including whether to bring Bennett back from his scoring spree at Pool- it`s a `yes, do it` for me – a must do damage limitation move!
Borehamwood away next, a tough game at their`s, but by no means an impossible task.
I almost wrote ` see you there then` as so many times in the past, but I won`t will I.
Hang on in there County fans, see you all soon anyway!
IO County!
Stockport County line up:
Hinchliffe, Southam -Hales, J Jennings, Hogan, Palmer, Croasdale, Rooney, Walker ( Newby 66), Madden , Cardwell, Reid ( Minihan 74).
Subs not used:
Fitzsimmons, Collar, Williams.
Maidenhead United line up:-
Ashby-Hammond, Wells, Parry, Clerima, Comley ( Shackleford 75), Orsi ( Wiltshire 92), Sparkes ( Kelly 75), Ince, Upward, Massey, Barratt.
Subs not used ; Twumasi, Egan.
Attendance_ N/A
hedgegrower
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