Stockport County 1 Swindon Town 1 ( Football League 2) Saturday 27 August 2022

I still cannot quite believe this score-line!

County pretty much shared the honours in a somewhat underwhelming first half , but seemed to lose their way thereafter as Swindon took over going 1-0 up and looking to cruise home with County down to 10 courtesy of Madden`s ill-discipline.

Then suddenly the blues, found their mojo at least for 3 or4 minutes – gaining a point that for the better part of the game looked an unlikely dream, as Sarcevic added lethal finish to Palmer`s headed assist.

County had somehow salvaged something from the match , but whilst they deserve max credit for the ballsy last few minutes, the guy to my right in R54 summed it up reminding us that `Even Dick Turpin wore a mask` and it sure did feel like a massive escape for DC`s men, but hopefully one that will be the catalyst for better things.

That however needs us to take stock of why we are struggling. We know there is a difference in standard twixt our current league and the one we have just vacated and whilst it is no shame to lose to good teams, and I thought that Scott Lindsey`s team were definitely that today, our discipline is atrocious, and it must be in our list of priorities somewhere for us to seek to address this issue and maintain a full staff of 11 on the pitch at all times!

Today`s red card looked one every day of the week and the issue needs sorting and quickly if we are to start to make any headway at all in League 2.

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Back to 3 o`clock and a decent crowd of over 8000 were inside the stadium, with a sizable following from Wiltshire populating the Railway End and the end block of the Pop Side.

Madden was in the keeper`s face early but this flattered to deceive as far as the County captain was concerned as thereafter, until his late rush of blood he was largely not a major contributor to things County.

We were 3 minutes in now and already it was evident that Jonny Williams would be behind almost everything that came County`s way from the visitors- he was quick to mark our cards- Lewis having to foul him to stop him around this point.

At this juncture Swindon were not showing great zest going forward, apart that is from Williams, thus their free kick was cleared with no difficulty by County.

County started looking for an opening after that last action with Brown and Crankshaw probing the Town left flank whilst Lewis held an affective watching brief on matters defensive (with Palmer) earning deserved applause for an outstanding bit of work to cut Williams off.

That was 8 minutes gone, another 2 and County hit their opponents swiftly down the left where Crankshaw looked good running at the Swindon back line, and more so as he cut inside, but then he spoiled it by scuffing his shot tamely wide.

Crankshaw was back again on the right next and there was a cry of “ handball” from the County crowd as Crankshaw`s cross came over but the referee wasn`t having it and the ball was hurried clear by the men in white shirts.

This gave County something to do at the back and Hippolyte did well to clear the danger created by Williams. But the ball came back at us, and it was a relief to see County gain a free kick and some respite when Tom Clayton clattered Cranks under Referee Scott Allison`s nose.

The free kick put County onto the front foot, and it began to look interesting as a peach of a diagonal ball from Lewis sent Hippolyte on a run. A neat cross followed but despite 2 blue shirts threatening the keeper he won out pushing the ball out for a corner, that saw Camps drag a poor effort wide.

It was good to see Lewis mixing quality defending with interestingly incisive passes, and a neat combo twixt him and Sarcevic on 19 minutes won a corner, but again County could make nothing of this!

The 20th minute saw Hippolyte spoil some good work from him with a misplaced pass that sent Saidou Khan racing clear- thankfully he shot wide but we had been warned!

But Khan quickly recovered his equilibrium ending a searching run with a neat ball that sent Jacob Wakeling in on goal. It certainly looked a chance and then it didn`t as Kitching stopped the rot for County with the timeliest of tackles.

Kitching was centre stage again within minutes conceding a corner as Reed`s long ball to Darcy had County in difficulties.

County defended the kick well.

It was good to see Collar back in the starting line up but he looked to be short of full match fitness his shot on 28 minutes nesting in Brynn`s arms too comfortably for County`s comfort. It will be good to see Will start again soon , hopefully alongside Croasdale with whom he has done his best work but will DC give them a run?

The 29th saw the action switch ends and Darcy was not that far away with a snap shot.

Then play switched again with Hippolyte`s shot on the turn clearing the bar from Palmer`s knock down.

Back came Swindon through Williams – a heady mix followed. Firstly I thought he was offside….then he would have it that handball had taken place in the box from Lewis I think who ushered the pill out of the danger zone via a corner. This saw a bizarre punch / catch routine from Jaros that ended County`s angst.

Swindon were beginning to find their feet now with half time approaching and Palmer did well to keep Wakeling from a neat pass by Darcy, enabling Kitching to clear.

Good work next by Hippolyte and Crankshaw was not well served by the latter`s poor finish, and this brought a reply from Town as Williams sent Darcy on a run. He looked a danger, but Lewis cut him off conceding a throw. This was not defended that well by the blues so much so that Tyrese Shade was probing deep in County`s last third. It looked a definite chance but Shade`s shot fizzed inches wide of the far post.

Madden was denied by Brynn`s neat reactions with 5 minutes left but the last real chance of the half fell to the visitors.

Madden and Kitching had just worked a corner for County that saw Brynn punch clear under pressure. This allowed Williams to run the ball up the park to Khan, and County were distinctly lucky to see his shot curl narrowly wide of Jaros`s far post.

It was still 0-0 when the teams went in for the half time break and no doubt a word or two from their respective managers.

…………………………….

Croasdale was on for Collar when the teams returned for the second half.

Gladwin did well to push County back from the start, but Brown did better for County cutting the danger off neatly.

If Swindon were dangerous in moments in the first half, they seemed to have a business-like ethic in place in the second and it was not great to see them passing the ball about with apparent impunity. In response County just couldn`t clear the danger and mount a threat of their own, thus eventually the ball ran clear to Fraser Blake- Tracy and he lashed it home giving the visitors the lead.

For minutes after this County could hardly get a kick in as Town set about playing the neat passing bit again forcing the blues into fouling them -Khan going down on the edge of the box to earn a free kick. This looked interesting when it reached MacDonald at the back post, but the County defence blocked the forward`s volley to ruin the moment for the large away following.

The attacking continued from Swindon – Jaros doing well to get a touch to a shot by Khan- Palmer clearing the corner that followed.

Not a lot was coming back at the visitors back line from County and we were almost at the hour mark before anything of note occurred and it came via a Sarcevic/ Hippolyte combo that saw Myles` shot drift wide- our distress mitigated by the liner`s flag for offside.

It got interesting again shortly after, as Palmer broke up a potential raid by Swindon. This brought Sarcevic into the reckoning and he got a shot off that came back out off one of Darcy or MacDonald prompting a ginormous cry of “ handball” from the Cheadle End that was ignored by the referee.

County persisted but terrific defending by Clayton for Swindon stopped the rot for them with Madden looking to get onto a cross by Hippolyte.

We then saw a triple substitution by County as Hippolyte, Crankshaw and Camps were replaced by CJ, Wootton and Evans.

Hippolyte left the field to wide acclaim from the County crowd the majority of whom I would wager felt he should still be on the park!

There was a lively introductory 3 or 4 minutes for CJ who was booked 2 minutes after coming on and hauled down by Reed as he broke clear a couple of minutes later. It was yellow`s all round which was arguably as it should be.

The free kick from this last action saw Darcy hook the ball clear for Swindon. Sarcevic`s follow up shot prompted another cry for a penalty- another alleged hand to ball moment by someone in black/white. I did not see it clearly enough and the referee did apparently and waved play on- end of!

This brought us to the 71^st minute and the minutes applause acknowledging the death of Help the Hatters long time member Anne Hall.

It was beautifully observed, and I have to say it was heart-warming to see such a wholehearted response- well done everyone!

Play had continued however but with no addition to the score but Swindon had exchanged Shade and Wakeling for Adeloye and Hutton and this duo did not waste any time getting into the thick of the action Adeloye sending Hutton one on one with Jaros. You would have to have made Hutton favourite and he did get his shot off only to see Jaros keep it out with a fine save- a vital one for County!

We needed County to tighten up but instead they were leaking free kicks with regularity - the latest one after Williams went down just outside the box. If there was an element of the RADA about this one from Williams in the main, I did not think the free kicks were massive injustices. I might have thought that MacDonald had milked the falling down / rolling about bit a touch but there was no doubting the validity of the red card that followed as Madden`s foot made what looked like firm contact with the player`s foot.

Depressingly we were again down to ten albeit with only 10 minutes left to play.

DC brought Ryan Johnson on for Brown 2 minutes later but I must confess I was not overly filled with positive expectation with the game`s dying embers upon us, but I was not for the first time wrong, there was more to come from County!

It came via a free kick that Palmer reached with his head sending the ball on to Sarcevic beyond the back post. There was scope for him to miss but he did not do so firing a veritable rocket into the net past the keeper.


Andrew Machin captures the goal celebration.

County had equalised!!!!

It was almost unbelievable, but we very nearly went ahead straight away but after nipping in behind the Town cover Kitching sent his shot wide of the far post.

Then Brynn saved from Wootton after the best `handball` appeal of the night went unheeded.

There was time for Jaros to clutch a shot from Gladwin to his chest….. for both Gladwin and Reed to have shots blocked for Swindon by the County back line……for Jaros to sort another corner….. for much late Town pressure to end with Khan`s shot clearing the bar by a fair bit and for the referee to earn a rare browny point for ignoring Williams` late and greatly overdone over acting in seeking a free kick.

In the end County held out for a valuable point.

The applause at the end was well deserved for those still on the park.

It was sad to see some individuals get onto the playing surface after the final whistle- if the manager and team have issues to sort, supporters have some to deal with as well – how many warnings do we need before we take it on board thus avoiding any unwanted consequences?

And what of the stewarding? Well, it was slap-dash and amateurish in letting this happen at all.

Stockport County line up:-

Jaros, Brown ( R Johnson 82), Lewis, Palmer, Kitching , Camps ( Evans 62), Collar ( Croasdale 45), Hippolyte ( C Jennings 62), Sarcevic, Crankshaw ( Wootton 62), Madden.

Subs not used : Hinchliffe, Horsfall.

Swindon Town line u:-

Brynn, Clayton, Reed, Gladwin, Williams, Darcy, Blake-Tracy, MacDonald, Khan, Wakeling ( Adeloye 73), Shade ( Hutton 73).

Subs not used: Baudry, Ward, Aguiar, Harries, Brennan.

Attendance:-8233 ( 701)

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