Stockport County 4 Grimsby Town 0 ( FA Trophy Round 3) Saturday 18 December 2021

 

 

 

(All words by hedgegrower, images provided by hedgegrower & Andrew Machin )

County overcame a rather tepid challenge from rival promotion chasers Grimsby Town today at Edgeley Park to progress to Round 4 of the FA Trophy with a largely untroubled 4-0 win.

They looked lively and interested doing it too, the goals ( 2 for Collar, and one each for Croasdale and Palmer) a fitting reward for a display that went a long way towards erasing thoughts of last Saturday blip at Plainmoor  from our minds.

 

 2 for Collar !

 

 

There were a few changes this time around with Hogan, Fryers, Minihan and CJ starting in place of  Southam-Hales, Keane, Kitching and Crankhaw, and  whilst Town did not put the new line up to too much in the way of stress, DC will have got a good shufty at one or two he might have wanted a look at- Fryers for instance, he came in and I frankly cannot remember any alarms of any note down the left flank. I am not sure what he offers other than being good cover, but no doubt DC has the situation weighed up. CJ got a full 90 odd minutes proving his fitness for sure, and we again saw Collar show us how much he has come on in the few short weeks that Challinor has been at the helm- scoring two neat goals and nicking the M.O.M award as well.

 

 Collar- top performer ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

Add a good showing from Hogan and our manager will be well pleased with his options moving forward.

 Hogan- back and looking refreshed !

 

 

 

 

 

I have not mentioned Madden, Palmer or Rydel, and I should have done as they again put in amazing shifts giving the blues just the platform they needed to sort what might have been a tricky assignment.

 Good shift from Madden again.

 

.....and from Rydel too ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

At 3.01 County had their first corner but this only served to give visiting keeper Max Crocombe valuable catching practise.

 

 Crocombe`s  !

 

 

 

Two minutes on from this and the ball flew narrowly wide off CJ`s head, and another couple we might have seen County get an opening goal had not Seb Revan come to the Mariner`s rescue  cutting out a loose ball that was heading Sarcevic`s way!

 Sarcevic -consistently good !

 

 One of Sarcevic from Andrew Machin.

 

 

 

It was building nicely…Madden going close next, and Minihan forcing a corner off Revan. Scannell and John- Lewis linked up to run this clear only for the former to wreck the break with a foul.

The first real Grimsby raid came 10 minute in, and County might have been worried when the visitors won a corner, but they weren`t  and cleared their lines with little difficulty.

Then we encountered the twin terrors of indecision and confusion as, with CJ showing interest, Alex Hunt contrived to gift possession to Croasdale and the predatory Will Collar whose unfussy finish punished the visitors lack of precision to the full- County were 1-0 up!

 This is all old hedgie got of that one !!!

                                               But Andrew Machin captured these:-

 

The next 10 minutes proved to be something of a procession, and it was heading in Crocombe`s direction. Madden went closest for the blues in this period having to settle for a corner which saw Fryers, Palmer and Sarcevic wanting it, but the Grimsby keeper claiming it!

 

 Crocombe `s again !

 Andrew Machin`s view....

 

 

 

Crocombe was there again just 3 minutes later, doing well to foil Madden whose precision brooked no argument.

 

 Madden on the ball ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

The pressure was steadily building from County, and if Madden was behind much of it, so was Sarcevic, and I still found myself needlessly willing him to score the goal his general play merits.

 

 That goal`s on the way ....no doubt Antoni!

 

 

 

 

No matter, County kept pressing with Collar, Minihan and Madden in the van. Both Madden and CJ went close with half time in sniffing distance, but it stayed 1-0….and then it didn`t…… as the Croasdale/ Collar link up worked wonders again, the former applying the finish this time.

 

 2-0 via Croasdale !

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was the first half wrapped up, and 2-0 will have done County nicely thank you!

Now some crowd shots starting with a couple from hedgegrower:-

 

 And a whole number from Andrew Machin :-

 

 

 

 

 

Grimsby opened the second half on the attack, winning a corner, but this only allowed Palmer to show us he was still about!

Then we were treated to handbags as Towler put CJ on the deck with the crudest of assaults. It was way out of order, but Referee Scott Oldham ( who I thought had a decent game)felt that a yellow was sufficient punishment, but not before Grimsby`s captain Lennell John- Lewis had invoked Yalta III  boring us with his attempts to out debate Mr Oldham. 

 

 handbags !

 and a close view of that from Andrew Machin.

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile County had a free kick, and oh how I hoped we would wreak a terrible retribution on the miscreant debaters. Rydel and Sarcevic certainly gave the impression that this was on their minds as they contemplated the ball. Sarcevic eventually took the kick …..Rydel the corner that followed, and twice in rapid order County almost  nicked a third through first Collar and then CJ.

 

 Grimsby under pressure !

 

 

 

 

 

To give their supporters who had travelled in decent numbers some succour, Grimsby needed to get on the front foot and put the blues under the cosh, but when they did John-Lewis rather overdid this -Palmer taking an elbow in the face that saw the Town captain shown a red card. There was a brief whiff of ladies fashion accessories again following that action, and a hint of Yalta 111 again , but eventually J-L walked to a suitable chorus of abuse from the Cheadle End.

 

 205 real supporters ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

County, with numerical superiority, should win this with something to spare shouldn`t they? But it is never quite as simple as that is it? The hard work still has to be done….the basics, and I was encouraged as Madden`s deft flick on sent CJ clear, only for Crocombe to smother the shot when it came.

 Madden and company .....

 

 

 

 

 

County attacked fairly relentlessly after that last action- Rydel seeing his shot on the break deflected for a corner.

 Rydel- on the ball as usual !

 

 

 

 

I think I have mentioned in previous reports how set pieces have improved under DC `s managership, and we got another prime example of this next as Rydel pinged another beauty smack onto Palmer`s head, and it was 3-0 as a header of Fryattesque power crashed into the back of the net with Crocombe well beaten.

 3-0 via the head of Palmer !

 

 And Andrew Machin`s view of Palmer`s cracking headed goal !

 

 

 

 

 

County continued to press, and with Crankshaw on for Croasdale that pressure would only get stronger.

 Croasdale- under the radar mostly, but some essential stuff from him consistently!

 

 

 

 

Not long after that last action we saw DC replace the excellent Rydel with Walker and again there was no appreciable lessening of pressure from County, and this got its reward again with just over 20 minutes left of the match. 

 Walker on........

 

 

 

 

  

CJ started it…his shot being deflected for a corner. 

 Shot from CJ ( Andrew Machin )

 

 

 

 

 

I shuddered….no Rydel….would we funk the flag kick? No we emphatically would not as Tom Walker`s kick, though blocked initially…ran clear to Collar who leathered another belter home, low and hard, from just outside the box!

 4-0 as Collar`s 2nd leaves Crocombe helpless !

 

  Andrew Machin`s view of the fourth County goal.

 

 

 

Collar was still running at Grimsby deep into 3 minutes added time, - the corner he won was cleared, but it mattered not, County had done the biz and given a decent FAT3 crowd a committed display to warm them on the coldest of December afternoons!

Alty next up at Edgeley Park on Boxing Day.

See you here for that then!

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Minihan, Hogan, Palmer, Fryers, Collar, Croasdale ( Crankshaw 65), Sarcevic, C Jennings, Madden, Rydel ( Walker 70).

Subs not used: Ross, Keane, Kitching, Barclay, Reid.

 

Grimsby Town line up:-

Crocombe, Sears, Longe- King, Revan, Scannell  ( Wright 67), Bell ( Grant 73), John-Lewis, Hunt, Fox, Crookes, Towler.

Subs not used: McKeown, Braithwaite.

 

Attendance :2735( 205)

 

hedgegrower