Stockport County 2 Barrow 3 ( Football League 2) Saturday 30 July 2022

 

 

County`s much heralded return to the Football League came a cropper in today`s opening game of the season against Barrow who took the points in a high-octane encounter at Edgeley Park .

Not sure how you describe this one….` Game of two halves`…..well ..yes… Barrow comfortably won the first 45 whereas County maintained an almost constant siege of the visitors goal in the second, but there`s more to it than that . For a start County did not just lose the first half they were buried in a welter of defensive blunders- 3 nil hardly flattered Peter Wild`s side who could have had one or two more against an error prone blue back line.

“And where was the midfield” I hear you ask and with justification as last season our midfield was the engine room and cutting edge for County, today shorn of Croasdale, it was unable to make an impression in a 45-minute period where Barrow did not have to pull out too many stops to capitalise on this.

After the break it changed, as did County`s personnel, and the blue`s renewed energy saw them claw back a couple of goals to get the 10000 crowd on the edge of their seats.

But an equaliser just would not come.

We thought it had when Canavan handled in the box, but after awarding the penalty Mr Yates ( a very average custodian of the whistle) after an interminable delay then changed his mind thus saving the day for the visitors.

We have been here before of course, so it would pay us not to draw too many rash conclusions on the situation too soon, but I for one will look for a more progressive approach  to the players who got us back to where we are, especially Croasdale who was key to our success last season alongside Collar.

We will see just how that particular cookie crumbles, meanwhile there were some success stories out there today- for starters Southam- Hales played another blinder ( with just one small blemish of which more later), and Madden took the M.O.M , but I was particularly impressed by James Brown who looked the part the moment he came on after the break- passing to feet….loads of energy going forward , and hardly wasted a ball.

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Back at 3 o`clock a colossal roar greeted the teams from 10000 throats.

It took the abject Mr Yates less than a minute to give us a clue as to how today would go and the quick answer was “ not at all well!” as Tyrell Warren gave a small master class in ball handling as he surged into the County box. It looked a clear infringement…a County free kick…but no….Mr Yates allowed play to continue and Warren to get a shot on goal. Hinchliffe saved it nicely, but we had been warned.

County replied but the corner was cleared without undue alarm.

Lewis then brought Rydel into the game only for Southam- Hales to lift his shot over the bar from the subsequent cross.

An air-kick from Sarcevic ended County`s attacking from another corner 5 minutes in, and the response from Barrow was quick and deadly, as with the blues back line in doze mode Ben Whitfield nicked the ball before slipping it deftly on to Josh Gordon who clipped a neat shot into the far left of Hinchliffe`s goal. County were 1 down!

County responded putting decent pressure on the visitors, but it ended with Wootton hooking his shot wide.

Then the fourteenth minute rather encapsulated much of what would follow in the first half, as a poor challenge on Whitfield by Camps gave away an unnecessary free kick, ushering in much angst for County as Gordon went right through Southam-Hales right under Mr Yates nose. It was the poorest of challenges and well warranted a card but instead Gordon got a wee chat with Mr Yates and County got a free kick that they did not capitalise on.

It was another 6 minutes before any further action of note occurred and it was X Certificate stuff from County`s defence which shipped another goal as a result as the otherwise dependable Southam- Hales gifted possession to Whitfield who beat Hinchliffe with the sweetest of finishes- County were 2 down!

This was not supposed to happen, but it began to look as though it might just get worse as Camps ( who I have praised highly at Altrincham  last Saturday)again managed to put his side under pressure with another uncalled for foul when little or no threat was on view. This soon changed from the free kick and Horsfall did well to keep George Ray`s header out. But County struggled to work the ball clear and were fortunate to see Gordon waste a clear chance by planting his far post header wide when just inches from goal following a cross by Waters.

Barrow were not immune to `indiscretions` themselves and we needed County to capitalise on these, but Sarcevic wasted one on 25 minutes, Rydel doing better 4 minutes later only for keeper Paul Farman to keep the kick out and smother the follow up.

The Danny Stand liner then gave us his `starter for ten` seeming to have fully dozed off as Gordon received the ball when several feet clear of anyone in blue. “ Offside,dear liner” I think was the cry from many around me, and eventually the flag went up and it stayed 0-2.

Not for long however, as another absolute shambles at the back saw Barrow add a third goal courtesy of Kitching who under no pressure whatsoever passed the ball straight to Waters whose firm strike gave Hinchliffe no chance at all!

This was simply dreadful, and Lewis escaped adding another calamity to the mix on 38 minutes by great good fortune.

County tried to respond in what remained of the half but to no reward, and it was depressing to see Camps lose possession thus revving up the angst factor for DC`s side as half time neared- Hinchliffe doing well to punch clear under pressure.    

Eventually Southam- Hales relieved the pressure and County won a late corner, but Farman dealt with that confidently to send Barrow in still 3-0 up at the break.   

 

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When the teams re-appeared for the second half County had made a couple of changes- Hippolyte for Camps and Brown for Lewis.

There seemed more intensity about County`s work than there had been before the break and it got its reward 4 minutes into the half as Sarcevic bundled the ball home after much good work by Madden.

This period was not entirely without a downside as a needless foul by Hippolyte earned him a card and brought County pressure they could have done without. The free kick looked a decent chance for Barrow to nick a fourth goal, but instead Hinchliffe comfortably dealt with Whitfield`s on target effort.

The action swung ends with Farman in action denying Rydel and Sarcevic, but the Danny side liner was in the mix too his flag seeing off a few County raids around this time.

The pressure continued from County- Rydel`s run seeing Wootton bamboozled by the mass ranks of the visitors back line. Brown did well in this period picking Wootton out with his pinpoint cross only for the shot to fly over the bar from the ex-Notts County forward.

Wootton then attracted a hefty foul, that Mr Yates annoyingly chose to ignore. Despite this County forced a corner, but this saw Horsfall`s volley carry the bar with Barrow back in numbers.

On 65 minutes DC brought Crankshaw on for Rydel, who went off to a good round of applause, and Crankshaw did well early sending Kitching clear but Farman`s save kept it at 1-3.

On it went…..3…..4…5 minutes passed and it was noticeable how the ball was invariably in the air to no apparent purpose. No sooner had the guy to my left remarked on this than Brown did the very thing that was required- ending the almost endless   round of pointless headers by bringing the ball down and spraying a near perfect pass wide to Southam-Hales. The result was that the Welshman pinged over a peach of a cross that was expertly put away by Madden.

It was 2-3 now and County looked certainly capable of putting Barrow under the cosh, but could they get an equaliser?

Well, Barrow still had some attacking intent , to perhaps dim County`s ambitions, and Hinchliffe did well on 73 minutes to keep a shot from Waters out.

It was a lively encounter to say the least – Canavan doing well to block Madden for Barrow not long after.

Then we saw Southam- Hales go down under pressure in the box to no avail – Mr Yates looking away again. But he could not deny County a free kick almost immediately after when Brown was felled just outside the box. Sarcevic took the kick only to be denied by an excellent save from Farman.

Time was slowly seeping away with Barrow doing their level best to encourage seepage with a series of none to subtle time-wasting ruses.

Brown again came good around this time stopping a Barrow break at source sending the blues on another raid that saw both Wootton and Southam- Hales unlucky not to snatch the prized equaliser.

Then Barrow did break clear via substitute   Josh Kay, but Hinchliffe was up to the task and made a good save to keep it at 2-3.

Just a minute later we thought the circle had been squared…that County would now equalise for sure as Southam- Hales was clearly upended in the box by Warren. It was an obvious penalty but Mr Yates would not have it giving Barrow a game saving free kick….oh…and Madden got a booking for verbals!

Into 6 minutes added time we went to the accompaniment of Mr Yates` whistle as a rash of yellow cards followed for Barrow`s time wasting.

But we needed an equaliser, and it just would not come.

And then we again thought it would as Crankshaw ended a run with a neat cross that ended with Collar going up with Canavan for the ball. Midst the pressure Canavan had a hand to ball moment and looked skywards in obvious angst as the Referee pointed to the spot. It was a penalty, and it was for about another minute and a half until apparently it wasn`t as suddenly the usually comatose Danny side liner  indicated`offside`.

That was just too ludicrous for words, but that was that ,again Barrow had the free kick and I dare say up was down and day night.

The game eventually re-started and ended but not before Quigley went to ground in the box under pressure from Ray, but whilst I think Quigley is worth a start soon at this level and is  in my view much on a par with Wootton, I do admit freely that he can go down easily.

The Referee was not impressed and there was no penalty, the game ending with Barrow holding onto their 3-2 lead by the slenderest of margins.

Game of 2 halves ?

Well, what if it was?

We really cannot expect much in the way of sympathy after a first half as dire as the one today. Unlucky? Yes….late on for sure, but…( cliché alert )  you make your own luck , so we write this was down to experience…learn from it…and go again………….at Stevenage!

See you there hopefully!

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe ,Lewis ( Brown 45), Horsfall, Kitching,  Southam -Hales ( Quigley 89),  Camps ( Hippolyte 45), Sarcevic, Collar, Rydel ( Crankshaw 65), Madden, Wootton.

Subs not used :-

Jaros, R Johnson, Croasdale.

 

Barrow line up:-

Farman, Mc Celland, Canavan, Waters, Gordon ( Rooney 86), Neal ( White 76), Gotts, Foley, Warren, Ray, Whitfield ( Kay 68).   

 

Subs not used : Lillis, Grayson, Stevens.

 

Attendance 10011

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