Altrincham 0 Stockport County 2 ( Pre-Season Fixture) Saturday 23 July 2022

 

 

 

 

 

What a time we live in hey!

Wildfires sweeping habitats asunder worldwide, as the UK melts with the thermometers registering temperatures North of 40 c, and Covid a continuing curse on the nation.

Take heart though, there is hope…..for the first time in 6000 years Wild Bison ( Bison bonasus) are back roaming the fields of Kent ……

 

 image- theguardian.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

….and….yes….yes….Stockport County  are back seeking to progress in their first season in the Football League for too long.

For now though, it is the continuation of pre-season business as the blues took on near neighbours Altrincham at their place today, and DC`s starting  eleven reflected the transfer activity that has kept us alert since our latest championship triumph!

The back line had Horsfall and Lewis at its centre with Johnson and Southam-Hales pushing on wide on the flanks, thus a notional 4 became 3 at times and even a two ( Horsfall and Lewis both of whom performed well).

Of the other new faces Wootton worked hard to establish useful links with Madden in particular, and Lemonheigh-Evans ( hereafter Evans) gave us lively options down the left at times, but I was most impressed by Camps who looked a class apart – a real gem.

Of the familiar faces Southam- Hales stood out, his searing pace a constant danger particularly in the first half and Collar was the pick of the rest( taking a fearful hammering for his pains later in the game).

It was a really good work out for DC`s team thanks to Alty who made a game of it when other teams might have wilted. A 2-0 lead at half time was just about right for County, but anyone expecting a second half rout were disavowed of that vanity as Alty battled hard to limit the damage.

As a result it stayed 2-0 which probably shows that there is still work to be done before we can think we are ready for the best that the EFL can throw at us- but then didn`t we always know that the coming season would not be a series of shoo in`s?

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The game opened in spectacular style with Evans shooting wide following a storming run down the right by Southam-Hales.

Keeper Gould then did well to beat Evans to a through ball, but County emerged with a free kick almost immediately only to see it come back out off the Alty wall.

Back came the blues through Southam -Hales but there were no takers as his cross fizzed menacingly across the goal.

There was real momentum building from County and Collar was unlucky to see his shot cleared off the line by a defender 13 minutes in. The ball was wellied out from this but hammered quickly goalward again by Wootton, the ball hitting an Alty hand en-route.

The Referee pointed to the spot and Madden put the kick away to give County a deserved lead.

Cue a fizzing dipper from Camps but somehow it stayed out!

Things got a little quieter for a time next as County`s opponents worked hard to restrict our movements- they got forward nicely as well through Osborne who made it to the by-line before picking Colclough out with a neat pass- he put it wide, but it was a warning for the blues!

 But County replied with lethal efficiency as a brilliant pitch long run from Southam-Hales thoroughly filleted the home defences. Madden`s shot from this was forced behind, but with deadly consequences as the corner picked out Horsfall who  planted his header beyond Gould into the net.

It was 2-0 and that did not flatter the blues- who kept the pressure on- Wootton heading wide after Madden took Southam-Hales pass before dinking the ball impishly to the ex-Magpie.

This prompted a response from Alty and it came via one of their trialists who wasted more excellent work by Osborne by tamely shooting wide.

Alty were not done either as Osborne teed Hulme up neatly only for the resultant shot to fly wide.

Osborne was having a good outing for Alty but his luck was still out as Lewis earned massive kudos after having been deeply involved in the attacking mix for County just seconds earlier, by tracking back at speed and stopping Ossies gallop with a coolly executed tackle.

That was good- it was less good to see keeper Gould dive to keep a shot by Rydel out with half time nearing, and slightly alarming as well as a relief to see a rare loose ball by Camps go unpunished by the men in red and white.

Camps made quick amends turning a threatening situation that saw Brockbank heading goalward for our hosts, into a relief giving goal kick- a neat way to end the half!

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If we did not quite expect a rout to follow on the re-start, I guess a goal or two more from County would not have been that great a stretch of imagination …would it?

Well, probably not but there were after all 2 teams out there and Alty came out firing on all cylinders on the resumption of play- doing well to defend an early free kick from Rydel.

Byrne who had replaced Gould in goal for Alty, had his hands stung by a Collar shot, but he kept it out….and he kept one from Southam -Hales out also from a Camps pass.

That was good from Byrne, but he had better in his locker as a really terrific save from him denied Collar on the end of yet another prompt from the Welshman wide on the right!

County were trying hard but so were their opponents, and after good work by Camps and Rydel had set up a corner Lewis saw his header from this cleared off the line. It looked as though the third County goal was imminent , especially when Rydel was hauled down just outside the box, but no…..Rydel`s kick was a good one but again Byrne was up to it and somehow clawed the ball out as it headed in.

 Great credit must go to Alty who withstood some decent pressure – Johnson was emerging more forcefully late on which was good as was Collar`s input that continues to please- what did not please was the amount of clog he took in the second half from sundry red/ white shirted players- that took a little of the gloss off  any of the aforementioned credit for me!

No matter County kept looking for another goal…..Evans….Lewis close but not close enough late on, and Alty held out keeping it at 2-0.

Work to do or course, but who would bet against DC doing the necessary.

The visit of Barrow to Edgeley Park beckons, with the added spice of seeing Rooney, Bennett and Whitfield back.

This will be no shoo-in, County will need our support and by watching Harry and the Hatters 83 crew today it will be forthcoming!

See you Saturday!

 

Altrincham line up:-

Gould ( Byrne 45), Roxborough, Mullarky ( Cooper 65), Baines ( Pringle 65), Brockbank, Lundstram,  Osborne ( Trialist 73), Triallist ( Jackson 45), Conn-Clarke ( Dinanga 65) , Colclough, Hulme.

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Southam -Hales, Lewis, Horsfall, R.Johnson,Camps, Collar, Lemonheigh-Evans, Rydel, Madden, Wootton.

 

Attendance: 2119 ( 1056)

 

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