Port Vale 1 Stockport County 0 ( EFL Trophy Group C) Tuesday 30 August 2022

 

 

 

 

 

County took on League 1 Port Vale in their first Group C match in the EFL Trophy last night losing out 1-0 to a goal from Chris Hussey.

If the result was disappointing, as the score-line perhaps suggests the blues were by no means out played or out-classed, quite the opposite although we did rather tee up the chances  for our hosts in the first half that if Vale had been even half way alert we would have rued.

Both sides were much changed from Saturday and amongst the interesting faces in County`s starting line up was a most welcome first outing for Akil Wright and I was not unimpressed by what I saw- he made some crucial interventions- his tackles clean and effective and his back passes reassuringly absent of any suicide note element!

That said however harking back to the second paragraph those Vale chances did come from somewhere and that troubled centre of our defence needs putting right, but I am surmising that Lewis and Palmer will return for Saturday`s game which should sort that issue.

The blues did get forward themselves though and County`s attacking, particularly with CJ and my M.O.M Kitching involved looked the more threatening. Sadly, the neat moves and tricky play was not accompanied by lethality where the finishing is concerned but maybe I should give the opposition credit for that and Lady Luck some acknowledgment too?

Notionally with Chris Hussey`s goal for Vale coming just beyond the hour mark County had time to right matters but despite 7 minutes added time and a welter of CJ/ Kitching inspired assaults on the home citadel it was not to be.

………………………………..

 

A thunderous wall of supportive sound reverberated from behind Hinchliffe`s goal as he made an early confident clearance, and Johnson followed up with one of his own.

 

 

 

 

 

This loud support was to continue match long, but the 6^th minute saw the big County following relieved to see Mc Dermott shoot wide after latching onto a loose ball from Hippolyte just outside the box.

Hippolyte provided welcome counterpoint at the other end on 10 minutes, and Evans who I again thought did pretty well at times, followed up quickly, but despite the bluster County were eventually bullied out of possession where it counts, and any chance was gone.

I found myself wondering what Quigley might do for us in this situation, but his name was not on the team-sheet so the magic of Bolton and beyond remains a memory that refuses to fade!

No matter, Hippolyte was trying a bit and no doubt disappointed to see his shot come back out off a defender from Wootton`s knock down on 12 minutes, and unlucky perhaps to watch another effort headed clear from Hinchliffe`s long ball a minute later.

Eventually, with the pressure on Vale mounting they elected for 2 men on Hippolyte which looked to be working until a small `indiscretion` from a home defender gifted County a free kick. Wootton got up for Hippolyte`s kick, Vale keeper Aidan Stone holding onto Johnson`s header ultimately to end County`s gallop. I wondered if a pot at goal from the free kick might have served us better, but the moment had passed.

It was at this point that Hussey emerged as a potential threat for the League One side, but he was matched nicely by Horsfall whose prompt reaction ended the number 16`s run.

A foul on Evans as County replied, gave the County following grounds for optimism but Horsfall`s header from the kick bounced wide of goal to keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

Good work by Kitching beyond the back post thwarted the efforts of McDermott to add a finish to the free kick a blatant dive by the same player had won.

Suddenly we were finding that despite County`s best efforts they were allowing the home forwards to feed on tempting morsels of possession and one such fell at Robinson`s feet 25 minutes in. He looked set and better as he cut inside by-passing County`s attempts to dispossess him enroute. A goal looked a certainty when the shot materialised but it stayed 0-0 courtesy of Hinchliffe who made a mighty save with his legs!

Vale kept pressing now, buoyed by a supply of free kicks from Sebastian Stocksbridge and his liners. Thankfully Mc Dermott`s radar was offline his shot sending the ball flying up and over the away end.

Was that the end of the pressure from Vale?

Nah….not a bit of it, as another loose bit of play by County allowed Odubeko a run on goal. This looked Vale`s best chance yet as the forward was smack in front of the blue goal, but again another neat bit of reaction keeping allied to years of A1 experience between the sticks, saw Hinchliffe somehow make the required save to thwart the lanky striker.

Eventually County replied, going close, and again they attacked as Croasdale won the ball neatly sending Evans clear. He was fouled as he reached the edge of the box, so we had a free kick in a central position and arguably scoreable, but Hippolyte shunned a shot on goal lifting the ball in Wootton`s direction- the chance was gone.

Almost immediately County were hit on the break – Odubeko played clear and looking good to score, but he pulled a poor effort way wide!

The 37^th minute saw a decent block by Horsfall stop Robinson`s darting run in its tracks, but it was irritating to see both CJ and Wootton fouled in rapid order as the blues shaped up to reply, and even more irritating to see County`s free kick peter out with the returned Southam -Hales down the right flank.

The rest of the half saw County back defending-Tom Pett`s shot on 44 minutes drifting wide.

Hinchliffe added a decent save to the mix a minute later to deny Hussey after Wright had blocked Odubeko`s push for goal moments earlier.

Into added time Wright did well again as another terrific block by him stopped what looked to be a dangerous run by Charsley, the half ending with a response from County…..a corner that briefly discomforted the home defence, but the teams went in at the break with it still 0-0.

………………………….

 

The game became a veritable wasteland of misplaced passes ( by both teams) when play resumed after the break – Vale back feeding on some helpful free kicks and some loose play from County but unable to put two consecutive passes together to make them count- Kitching the blues only attacking option in response -Hussey was  one at the sharp end for our hosts but he was stopped brilliantly by Wright on 57 minutes after darting clear.

County rang the changes next swapping Lewis, Collar and Madden for Wootton, Hippolyte and Wright and within a couple of minutes the pressure these changes helped bring about saw Evans combine with Madden whose shot came out off the woodwork to everyone`s obvious chagrin in the away end.

But the angst suddenly got worse as Vale took the lead. It did not look that bad at first as Lewis did well to block Massey`s shot, but a vigorous swing of Lady Luck`s favourite fashion item saw the ball run unkindly for DC`s men finishing up with Hussey who made no mistake firing a neat finish beyond Hinchliffe into the net.

Back came County almost immediately, but CJ `s urgent shot narrowly missed out.

CJ clearly fancied a goal, and we thought his work had won a free kick in a very scorable position when he was mugged just outside the box, but Mr Stocksbridge chose to ignore the foul instead opting to buy offside at the far side liner`s bidding.

Some good work was emanating from CJ as he tried to bring Southam-Hales belatedly into the game, then Evans was sent clear by CJ`s neat pass, the ex-Torquay man`s shot luckily deflected for a corner by someone in a white shirt. Kitching then sent Evans clear again moments later his cross finding no one in blue able to apply a finish.

 

 A sadly iffy image taken by phone doesn`t capture the moment properly!

 

 

 

But CJ`s best work came in tandem with Kitching  and some real magic from the duo deserved better than the corner it gained- County`s forward push suddenly melting away so much so that it took a fine challenge by Evans to stop Pett breaking up the park for Vale.

Evans` good work kept County on the attack and although Dan Jones` swing of the leg lacked finesse , as a panic measure it worked perfectly for Vale keeping a veritable rocket from Kitching out. It was a corner of course and County did look like they just might nick one back but despite Lewis getting in keeper Stone `s face nicely his eventual shot cleared the bar.

We were just 15 minutes from time now and Crankshaw and Camps were now on for Evans and Croasdale, but it was Kitching who almost nicked that equaliser after linking up with Madden to produce perhaps his best work of the night. I have had my doubts about Kitching recently but he really does have special stuff in his locker if he could just be prompted to produce it and in this game he showed us where he is best employed, namely in the other teams half!

Kitching`s shot with 5 minutes left flew over the bar, then Johnson`s effort bounced tantalisingly wide after a free kick for a foul on Southam- Hales had fed him.

County were trying more than somewhat indeed I found myself scribbling the legend ` battering them` largely courtesy of the CJ/ Kitching input.

It continued …Kitching`s cross not picked up after he was sent clear by CJ`s flick on.

Somehow Mr S had found 7 minutes added time from somewhere which maybe gave County more of a chance to take the game to penalties, but I looked left to see Crankshaw`s shot come out off Connor Hall, who was on hand to wildly hack Cranks` follow up off the line seconds later.

It was clearly not going to go in for County, was it?

But at the other end Vale faired no better as substitute Small couldn`t beat Hinchliffe from a distance my late Gran could have scored from and she has been gone for around 70 years.

The action was mostly at the Vale end however where the keeper just managed to keep CJ from Crankshaw`s lofted cross.

There was more from Crankshaw, who I would like to see given a run of starts, but his late curler hit a defender on the line going out for a corner which Stone gobbled gratefully.

That was pretty much it, County have 2 more games in this group, and both are at home, so we will see what comes of those, but the priority is obviously the league so see you at Edgeley Park on Saturday for the visit of Wimbledon, and maybe again on Sunday for an excellent Supporters Cooperative promotion the Stockport Hatters Half Marathon which starts at 9.30 outside the stadium.

 

Port Vale line up:-

Stone, Cass, Jones, Forrester, Hussey, Massey (Small 71) , Charsley ( Walker 71/ Hall 86), Odubeko, Pett, Robinson,  McDermott ( Plant 86).

 

Subs not used: Stevens, Benning, Agyakwa.

 

Stockport County line up:- Hinchliffe, Southam-Hales, Horsfall ( Lewis 57), R Johnson, Kitching, Wright, Croasdale ( Camps 82), Evans ( Crankshaw 82), Hippolyte ( Collar 57), Wootton ( Madden 57), C Jennings.

Subs not used: Jaros, Palmer.

 

Attendance 1980 ( 464)

 

hedgegrower

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

  

.