Wrexham 2 Stockport County 0 ( FA Trophy -Semi Final) Saturday 2 April 2022

County slumped to a rare defeat at the hands of promotion rivals Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground today as their chance of another Wembley showpiece final disappeared in a welter of Welsh attacking in added time.

The 2-0 winning margin probably flattered Phil Parkinson`s side but overall, they had the sharper play and more incisive passing when it mattered late on as County struggled to make anything of Ollie Palmer and particularly Paul Mullin who netted two superb goals for Wrexham.

Chances were very much at a premium throughout a tensely fought and keenly contested game, but put simply, County, urged on by another superb showing from the Blue Army, did not make theirs count when they presented themselves- Wrexham did, and in the end deserved the win this brought them in front of their record FA Trophy crowd of well over 8000.

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Back at ridiculous o`clock ( 12.30) it was apparent that DC had chosen to make a change to County`s mid-field engine room bringing Cannon in for Croasdale, and I was by no means entirely happy that this was at all a wise move, but if it was a blooper by DC it would be just about his first one at County!


Andy Cannon- on for Croasdale.

Buoyed no doubt by the wave of sound coming from the away end, County went onto the attack straight off- Crankshaw`s early energy winning the blues a corner that saw Hogan`s header fly wide.


Hogan heads wide.


A closer shot of that from Andrew Machin.

It remained mainly County for 4 or 5 minutes, the pressure upping considerably as the Wrexham Palmer earned a lecture from the Referee for a foul on Johnson. This ushered in another chance but Quigley`s diving header from the free kick again went wide.


Quigley heads past post.


and Andrew Machin`s shot of that action.

Eventually our hosts responded through Mullin but Hinchliffe kept his goal bound effort out with a good save.


Good stop by Hinchliffe ( Andrew Machin )

Crankshaw continued to probe down the right for County, but DC`s men were forced back onto the defensive by a series of long throws.


Energetic stuff from Crankshaw

In reply Collar won a corner for County, but they were unable to make it count Luke Young being able to clear the ball with a weighty swing of the foot.


Collar misses out with header.


and Andrew Machin`s view of that action.

Collar featured again shortly after- Dibble dealing comfortably with his header after Kitching had darted clear for County.


Wide again from Quigley.

It went on….Wrexham going close one moment….County the next as Quigley shot wide after Kitching had stolen possession deep in home territory.


Just one goal - and a torrent of `em will follow from Quiggers !


Kitching lively ( Andrew Machin )

Roared on by their fans, Wrexham came back at County winning a corner but the blues cleared that with some ease. We were into the last 15 minutes of the half, and County had their opponents penned back on their heels.

Attack after County attack came and went in this period but without them applying the necessary finish-Madden and Crankshaw working their socks off to win a corner at one point only to see it wasted.

At times the Wrexham back line looked in a bit of a tizz, escaping unscathed from mini-series of miscues at the back.

This was frustrating, but Hinchliffe cheered us up with another decent save as his dive saw him push a Mullin` shot around a post. I say it cheered us up, but there was not much merriment about, or there shouldn`t have been as Hogan had spilled possession to set Mullin up.

We cleared the corner nicely enough, but we needed to tighten up for sure!


No pen for Madden !

That said, surely County would make one of their moves count- take one of their chances! Certainly, Madden was going about it the right way- but his shot came out off a defender with County fans screaming for `handball` and a penalty that never came their way.


Thru` ball just too strong for Sarcevic ( Andrew Machin )

Madden was on the ball again not long after but his through ball outpaced Sarcevic at the sharp end.


Crankshaw up for it !

Shots rained in on Dibble`s goal in what remained of the half- Sarcevic increasingly influential pushing Wrexham back, but when what was probably County`s best chance of the game came his way midst this welter of attacking- Sarcevic lifted his effort over the bar with the goal gaping.


Chance created .....


........and gone !


and Andrew Machin`s shot of Sarcevic`s miss....

I was still recovering from that trauma when another materialised following some more brilliance from Madden . His pass sent Quigley away and his shot was true but so was Dibble`s response and he pushed it round the post with an outstretched leg!


The legs have it- Dibbles`s !

The corner saw Dibbs keep the ball out again…just…and that was the first half put to bed!

County should have nicked at least one from the chances they created in that half, would they do better after the break?

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Well, there was no immediate indication of this happening when play resumed, indeed County were indebted to Ash Palmer, for a terrific saving tackle on his Welsh namesake as he prepared to open the scoring following a defensive lapse by the blues!


Johnson fires just wide !

That action just might inspire County, but Johnson`s shot a couple of minutes later flew wide, as did a similar effort from Cannon.


Shot on way from Cannon ( Andrew Machin )

If Wrexham were under pressure, they were well in control of their faculties….. find touch when necessary…..concede corners when worse threatened……and they had patience too…waiting for a County raid to break down and then strike which the excellent Mullin did next being foiled by another belter from Hinchliffe between the sticks for the blues.


Madden keeps plugging away !

Still County piled it on, but without applying the requisite finish – Wrexham concentrating on doing the basics well in response -their long throws still causing County issues.


Wrexham under pressure....

We were beyond the hour mark now- Croasdale and CJ were now on for Cannon and Quigley, and a foul on Ash Palmer by Ollie of the same name had put our hosts potentially under the cosh via the free kick, but the kick came to nothing, and worse……County dished one up on a plate to Wrexham……to Mullin, and the opener looked about to spoil our afternoon!


Half an hour for Croasdale ( Andrew Machin )

It was a moments aberration on Johnson`s part I guess, but a lulu of a back pass to no-one that sent the eager Mullin on his way with only Hinchliffe twixt him and glory.

I winced in anticipation of what was about to happen , but surely not as much as Mullin did after the action as his shot totally missed the target keeping it at 0-0!


Unbelievably this one did not go in !

That was a massive let off and County looked to capitalise on their good fortune only to see Dibble`s outstretched leg again keep the Welsh side afloat, as CJ`s effort sped goal ward!

County were noticeably conceding rather a lot of free kicks now- handball by Johnson upping the angst factor……Hogan ditto with some indifferent defensive work- County kept the kicks out well enough, but……………

Into the last 15 minutes we went now with Wrexham substitute Dan Jarvis firing wide when well set – he had only been on the park a few minutes and that factor probably saved County`s bacon.

Wrexham breaks were beginning to be more frequent - Ollie Palmer a real handful down the left , and County were still conceding free kicks- Sarcevic adding more angst with 5 minutes of normal time remaining.


Sarcevic on the ball.

Sarcevic looked to make amends with a lively late run that took him to the by-line, but this petered out with a wave of the far side liner`s flag eventually!

It was genuinely end to end now….County attacking….their next raid broken up by Jordan Davies , who looked on after passing to Reece Hall-Johnson seeing Hinchliffe pull off another fine save to deny the Wrexham defender.

Fine save by Hinchliffe ( Andrew Machin )

That was 90 minutes up….brain in panic mode now….is it straight to pens….extra time?

And it only took a minute to make these thoughts largely superfluous- as Mullin netted a gem….beating the seemingly unbeatable Hinchliffe with a superb strike from way out wide- a real cracker… set up by a superb tackle by ex Hatter Liam McAlinden -it was 1-0 to Wrexham .

County rallied of course, but almost inevitably paid the price for having a go as Mullins scored another belter as the Wrexham number 10 promptly lobbed Hinchliffe before running round him to net his second and make the win safe for his team!

Mullin makes it 2-0, Andrew Machin sees it!

Disappointment abounded on the Flyer as we returned after the game, but no one I spoke with really wished to take anything from Wrexham who, in a tight game, took their chances-hedgegrower wishes them success in the final and hopes that they accompany us back up to the FL ( via the play offs)

See you at Edgeley Park next Saturday for Southend United visit, and of course the` Danny Bergara Day`!

Wrexham AFC line up:-

Dibble, Hall-Johnson, Mc Fadzean ( Mc Alinden 73), Hayden, Tozer, Davies, Young, Mullin, J Jones (Jarvis 73), Cleworth, Palmer.

Subs not used: Camp, Brisley, French, Ponticelli, Angus.

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Hogan, Palmer, Johnson ( Duffus 92), Crankshaw, Cannon ( Croasdale 62), Collar, Sarcevic, Kitching, Madden, Quigley ( C Jennings 62).

Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Minihan, Keane, Hippolyte.

Attendance :8703( 1211)

hedgegrower

Additional Gallery starting with crowd shots from hedgegrower:-