Dover Athletic 2 Stockport County 5 ( Vanarama National League) Saturday 30 October 2021

 

 

( All words and images by hedgegrower)

 

After all the drama and naval gazing of the past week, County had the job of maybe giving their supporters an overdue lift at the Crabble this afternoon.

Dave Conlon was in charge of lifting the County team licking them into some kind of shape and allowing them to play, and he made a good fist of the task stewarding them to a 5-2 win .

 

 Dave Conlon`s bench

 

 

 

OK it was against the National League`s basement club, but notwithstanding that obvious point, we`ll surely take scoring 5 away from home, and claiming 3 points will we not, no matter who the opposition is?

The performance was not perfect by any means, but there was more evidence that we wanted to attack on show today than is usually the case, and it was encouraging to see County foraging for a goal deep into added time – their fifth coming a minute from the end.

Another plus point and probably not un-related to that willingness to attack, was that the 5 goals were shared twixt 5 players- shades of  how JG`s teams used to go about it!

Not perfect then…..room for improvement…. but a massively good start after a truly traumatic week!

Back at 3 o`clock Dave Conlon had rung the changes bringing Keane, Pye, Rydel and Quigley in for Palmer ( injured), Kitching, Whitfield and the suspended Southam- Hales.

County had what looked like a back 3 of Keane, Hogan and Pye which was interesting , particularly as Dave had given Pye the run out that his top showing at Weymouth merited but did not get from the previous manager.

County opened brightly with Crankshaw going close early on, but Dover looked unimpressed as Cosgrave and Drais took the game to the pink shirted blues.

 

 Close from Crankshaw

 

 

 

Madden looked lively though- blocked on a run one moment by Collinge, then forcing a save from keeper Adam Parkes that had Quigley interested.

 Quigley- interested !

 

 

 

 

 

The early minutes however were not turning out to be the turkey shoot some expected and it was a relief to see Reda Jackson`s header fly wide from a corner after Tiensia`s shot had been deflected over the bar.

 Sarcevic- good form !

 

 

 

Surprisingly perhaps…County had a game on their hands, and it was good to see that the encouraging form of new man Antoni Sarcevic was continuing as he forced a corner with some excellent attacking play. County had multiple attempts at putting this away but without success.

 Pressure from County....

 

 

 

 

Then Quigley tasted angst for the first time today, darting clear only to be flagged offside by the stand side liner.

On 20 minutes a poor corner by Rooney ushered in a break by the home side, and for a moment it looked iffy as Williamson rounded on goal, but his shot thudded into Ross`s chest much to the disappointment of the locals, before being cleared.

 Just 2 minutes later County had the lead thanks to Quigley on the end of Sarcevic`s ball into the box.

 

 

 

 

 Goal coming.....

 .....it arrives ! 

 ......and how they liked it !

County re-doubled their efforts after that success, Crankshaw seeing his cross, aimed at Quigley, put behind by Twumasi. Sarcevic was involved again from the kick, but it stayed 1-0.

 

 Quigley thwarted !

 

 

 

That said Dave Conlon`s side wanted another goal, none more than Crankshaw who in concert with Keane forced Athletic back on their heels again.

 

 Keano & Crankshaw link up !

 

 

 

 

 

A good 4 to 5 minutes of County pressure ended with it still 1-0, and that was to change abruptly next as Williamson went to ground in the box under no particular pressure from anyone in pink. No matter….Dan Lamport the Referee thought otherwise and pointed to the spot, Williamson making short work of making it 1-1 with the penalty!

 

 1-1

 

 

 

 

This heralded a period of pressure from Dover and Ross did well at one point to deny Johnson.

In truth I was getting a tad irritated by Mr Lamport who was awarding  far more free kicks to the home side than any of the play I could see on the park merited- one on 41 minutes had me searching in vain for the BP tablets as a foul on a County defender morphed incomprehensibly into a bounce up that favoured Dover.

No matter…it stayed 1-1 after the little panto, and consolation was but 60 seconds away as Sarcevic ushered Rooney`s corner into Madden`s path and he smashed a beauty home from close in!

 

 Madden makes it 2-1 !

 

 

Would the flood gates now open in the few minutes remaining of the half?

 

 

Well, County did their best to ensure that happened especially Crankshaw who captured Sarcevic`s incisive ball charging for goal. It all happened at break-neck speed and a third County goal looked on,   but we had figured without young Parkes and his brave save disappointed Ollie and 150 County fans who had made the trip.

 Terrific save by Parkes !

 

 

 

 

 

Parkes then made a forgettable flap at the corner……Twumasi blocked another Crankshaw run , before Madden was denied a corner by Mr Lamport.

 

 Dangerous run from Crankshaw !

 

 

 

 

End of the half ? Not a bit of it…I looked up to see the ball crash into the woodwork from Sarcevic deep in added time. Quigley then thought he had scored, and I agreed with him, but Mr L in concert with the main stand liner saw the goal cancelled……don’t ask !

 Offside ?

 

 

 

 

 

That ended the first half, now here``s a few crowd shots :-

 

 

 

 

.............. I was expecting us to perhaps turn it on in the second, but it was Dover on the front foot as Arthur beat Pye only to drag his shot wide.

The home side kept it up through substitute Gregory but one too many step-overs ruined a promising run by him.

The home specs were just digesting that disappointment when full consolation arrived in the form of a free kick that landed at Arthur`s feet  - he made no mistake sending a beautiful shot way beyond Ross into the net- almost unbelievably it was 2-2 !

Back came County through Sarcevic, but Parkes just managed to keep his strike out, scrambling the ball around the post at the last gasp- catching the corner for good measure thereafter

 

 Parkes shines again !

 

 

 

 

Chances were coming thick and fast now we just needed one to be put away…..Rooney`s lob missed out by inches….Tiensia did wonders to stop a break by Quigley with an inch perfect defensive tackle.

 

 Just !!!!!

 

 

 

 

It was still not entirely all County though and both Ross and Pye were called on to make timely last gaspers as Dover continued to play above their status at times.

We just needed that goal….and then it came and Madden started it , Rooney thought he had finished it but his shot hit a defender and headed towards Crankshaw whose decisive strike made it 3-2.

 Started by Madden.......

 

....... Finished by Crankshaw

 

It went on with County attacking and Parkes doing well to push Quigley`s shot for a corner. Hogan met this at the back post only for Parkes to hold onto his header.

 Hogan 1- Parkes saves.

 

 

Pye and Rydel gave Parkes more work next but it took another corner 5 minutes later to ease the County anxiety and this time when Hogan met it beyond the back post the keeper could do nothing with his header…it was 4-2 !

Hogan again and this time its 4-2 !

 

 

 

 

Parkes was a busy lad now and Quigley stung his fingers on 76 minutes.

 

 The Quigley sting !

 

 

 

 

More County attacking followed- Sarcevic going close with another shot with 10 minutes left……… Madden blazing over the bar 5 minutes later…..Whitfield ( on for Crankshaw) forced a corner with a pacy run, and Quigley saw a header narrowly miss out.

 

 Whitfield not on long...but......

 

 

 

It looked like maybe a fifth goal would not come County’s way, and then it did and again Madden started it. Quigley just couldn`t force it home, but Whitfield could and did ending his 20 minutes on the park with a neat/ neat finish.

 

 Neat finish from Whitfield !

 

 

 

 

It was 5-2 and not long after game over !

The circumstances we have endured and are  enduring of late dictate that ….nit picking apart, and I refuse to indulge in that ( for once I hear you exclaim unkindly !)…. need another kind of response.  Instead let`s accept the 5 goals and 3 welcome points as a signal of what might be possible at Bolton, where we have an unbeaten record to defend next Saturday!

See you all there!

Dover Athletic line up:-

Parkes, Johnson ( Gregory 45), Williamson, Cosgrave, Twumasi, Ransom, Tiensia, Arthur ( De Costa 82), Collinge, Hanson, Drais ( Bentley 68).

Subs not used : Bexon, Wood.

 

Stockport County line up:-

Ross, Keane, Hogan, Pye, Croasdale ( Reid 85), Sarcevic ( Collar 80), Rydel, Rooney, Madden, Quigley, Crankshaw ( Whitfield 70).

Subs not used : Hinchliffe, Kitching.

 

Attendance : 635

 

PS- With Sunday`s game with Bolton in mind , for those taking one of the two coaches Lou has put on from the Fingerpost, please note that the Fingerpost is open from 11 on Sunday so why not nip in afore you go!

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