Stockport County 0 Yeovil Town 3 ( Vanarama National League) Saturday 11 September 2021

 

This was truly awful.

We had a bucket collection at half time for the excellent charity Mentell` but just what this County display did to the mental health of over 5000 Stockport citizens present I hesitate to ask, although it is fairly safe to say the several hundred who travelled up from Somerset would  have been pretty chipper following a decent display by their team.

 

The above two crowd shots from Andrew Machin.

News of 2 new signings offered a modicum of hope that maybe matters would improve pitch- side today, but alas that was not the way it turned out.

  Reid for Collar and Hogan for Keane were County`s only changes from the game at Boreham Wood, and whilst I could envisage that the manager would want Hogan back, I could not help but be somewhat disappointed that it was at the expense of Keane who has been showing up pretty well of late.

 

 Hogan back.

 

 

 

Alex Reid`s inclusion pleased me but the game saw him starved of the kind of service he needs ( think Bennett …..and then change the subject quickly) being subbed unsurprisingly for Kenan Dunnwald- Turan whose sole contribution was a lulu of a miss , of which more later.

Southam-Hales was an obvious M.O.M , but County surrendered midfield again being continually caught on the hop by intelligent counters from Darren Sarll`s side.

 Southam-Hales  an obvious M.O.M

 

 

 

 

We needed more than just Southam- Hales` boundless energy down the right- Whitfield down the left might have been a thought, but he was operating wide right for much of the time particularly in the first half.

 

 Rare sortie down left by Whitfield ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

The game opened with County attacking and Southam -Hales a whisker away from contact with incoming at the back post.

 

 Close from Southam- Hales

 

 

 

A corner was the outcome and the excellent Max Hunt dealt with that particularly well for Town.

To their credit County kept pressing, but it all very nearly went pear shaped as the Glovers struck rapidly on the break, and the blues were fortunate to escape with a corner being their sole punishment.

Whitfield and Southam-Hales pushed the visitors back next but again Hunt and company had the situation sussed and saw any danger off.

 Want the ball anyone? ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

 

At this point Jordan Barnett forced himself centre stage. He was wide left actually, but not too wide to give Hinchliffe a swift tester from almost under the Pop Side roof.

 Barnett v Hinchliffe ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

 

Back came County through Southam-Hales, but any enthusiasm at this was quickly dampened when he promptly fouled Barnett as he cut inside – a point not missed by dear old Scott Jackson.

 

 But Mr J missed this one! ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

The free kick saw Town back on the front foot and they looked decidedly purposeful as the ball pinged in low from the right. Sonny Blu Lo- Everton was on the end of it and made a thorough wakes of the job of beating Hinchliffe….which he didn`t!

This was the prelude to more attacking from Yeovil, who were being cheered on loudly by a decent gathering at the away end of the Pop Side. Quigley was only just kept out at one point as County had a series of corners to negotiate. Yeovil went close….and Ben was a busy lad….but it stayed 0-0.

That was 24 minutes in, another 2 and County were caught out big time. It was another decent bit of attacking play-` to feet` passing and not a hint of `sideways/ back` about it. County tried to defend the situation, but it was an uphill battle as Lo-Everton picked out Wakefield with a peach of a ball and the neatest of finishes from him saw County 1 down and the away end singing louder than ever!

 0-1 ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

 

 Mirrored at the away end.

 

 

 

I was still reeling from that last action when another calamity threatened with Tom Knowles cutting through the County cover like a fox in a chicken run. It looked iffy and then it didn`t as Croasdale relieved the situation with a fine last gasper.

Cue a response from County and it came via Madden, but he did not reach the box, being cut off by more good work from Hunt.

 

 Madden v Hunt

 

 

 

It was mainly Yeovil though still, Palmer doing well to head one of a clutch of corners clear just after the half hour mark.

 Palmer heads out

 

 

 

That said, Reid was almost on the end of a Walker tempter ( Tom had come on for Raikhy earlier).

 Reid close.

 

 Raikhy off ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

Walker was doing OK at this point, his shot ricocheting over the bar off Gorman, but when the flag kick pinged over Hunt did just enough to ensure Palmer`s interest in same did not last!

 

 Palmer combative ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

That was about it for a fairly humdrum first 45 minutes, we certainly needed better after the break.

It was terrific to see Barney Daniels at Edgeley Park being entertained by the Club, and honoured by SCAN with his specially produced certificate, which was presented to him by Adrian Caville the Secretary of Help the Hatters.

 

 

 

 

It was also good to see the excellent Damon Carroll pre match .  Damon had just ridden to Macc and back x 10 in support of Mentell.

 

 

 

 

It was also good to make the acquaintance, however briefly of Anna and Craig from Mentell ! 

 

 

 

 

 

And some from Andrew Machin :-

 

 

 

 

The second half started with new signing Fryer on for Barclay .................

Fryer on for Barclay ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

and with County attacking and maybe thoughts of a revival stirring in 5000 heads!

 

 County close early.....

 

 

Whitfield and Southam- Hales were to the fore first, then Southam -Hales again and , at last Yeovil were under some pressure, almost conceding an own goal at one point. 

 Southam- Hales pushes Town back ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

Grant Smith in Yeovil`s goal was under pressure a fair bit in the 5 or 6 minutes that followed, but despite winning a clutch of corners County did not find a way passed him!

Indeed, from hinting at a recovery County promptly imploded conceding a corner when much worse threatened!

 

 Town under pressure

 

 

 

Over this came, cue all kinds of mayhem, amongst these a rush of blood moment from Palmer who hauled a Town forward down. From the Cheadle End it looked a clear enough penalty, and Mr Jackson sent Palmer off for good measure.

 

 The above two from Andrew Machin.

 

 

 

 

Quigley duly spanked the spot kick home to make it 0-2 in Yeovil`s favour.

County were under siege now….Quigley clear on the end of Barnett`s diagonal ball…..but flagged offside…..Staunton almost onto Wakefield`s back post teezer.

Then Barnett sped in behind the remnants of the County cover only to drill his shot across goal and out!

County did reply via Whitfield, but when Smith`s dive cut the cross cum shot out, Walker lifted his follow up effort high into the Cheadle End, but Walker made amends almost immediately with some nippy defending with Hinchliffe under threat.

 Over the top from TW !

 

 

The manager then brought new man Dunnwald- Turan on for Reid, and within 5 minutes of this we might ( in a parallel universe maybe) have pulled one back, but…..no….the new man did the difficult bit of establishing a decent position to apply the required finish only for the resultant effort to fly hopelessly wide!

 

 Bad miss !

But he looked good in the build up:-

Dunnwald-Turan ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

The sense of shock this last disappointment induced was still in the air when Luke Wilkinson beavered his way into the County last third. Chance it certainly was, but he fluffed it his shot failing to cause Hinchliffe any problems at all.

With just over 10 minutes left County did make something of an effort through Madden, but Yeovil`s cover held firm, the Yeovil cake iced by Smith`s hugely confident catch from the resultant corner.

 

 Confident catch by Smith

 

 

 

Whitfield drilled a shot wide from Walker`s pass not long after, but it again lapsed into a period of attacking by the Glovers that saw Wakefield to the fore again sending Quigley surging clear – the liner`s offside flag coming to County`s aid.

There was no escape next however as a loose ball at the back from County following good work by Barnett, ended with substitute Adi Yussuf sending the away end home happy with a third Yeovil goal.

The drift towards the exit gates had started earlier but was now gaining momentum to the accompaniment of chants and songs of discontent!

In what remained of the game Smith and Hunt did enough to see off the best that County could come up with in response.

 Madden blocked.

 

 

 

Three added minutes came and went with no addition to the score, which was a mercy I suppose.

That said it is awful to witness displays like this bearing in mind the team that James Gannon had fashioned and had guided to fourth place with games in hand on those above them last season particularly after all the investment on and off the park!

I have tried to be positive, but you have to call it as you see it.

Oh…..and Adam Thomas added another brace of goals for Curzon Ashton`s away win today.........and Bennett scored twice for Sutton- well done both!

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Hogan, Palmer, Barclay( Fryers 45), Southam -Hales, Croasdale, Raikhy( Walker 32), Whitfield, Rooney, Madden,Reid ( Dunnwald- Turan 66).

Subs not used: Ross, Collar.

 

Yeovil Town line up:-

Smith, Barnett, Hunt, Wilkinson,Gorman, Quigley, Knowles ( Bradley 75), Lo- Everton ( Yussuf 81), Wakefield ( Stephens 92), Moss, Staunton.   

Subs not used : Evans, Williams.

Attendance: 5231

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