Northampton Town 2 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 2) Saturday 24 September 2022

 

 

 

 

County slumped to another depressing away defeat at Sixfields today at the hands of a Northampton Town team that at half time might have feared the worst with County 1-0 up and in control of the game.

But it took just 2 minutes for County to lose their composure and their lead in the second half as an unnecessarily conceded free kick led to Hoskins` equaliser.

The quality of the strike was top draw but cannot disguise the poverty of County`s current disciplinary record, which took another tumble just after the hour as Lintott`s free header from a corner followed  directly from another avoidable free kick.

Somehow County had contrived to lose a game that they looked well set to win.

Some might point in the direction of Referee Darren Handley for a scapegoat, and it must be said he lost control big time in the second half , totally failing to punish the Cobbler`s persistent time wasting whilst seeing each and every County indiscretion and some that weren`t.

We were again down to 10 late on in this one as Wright clocked a second yellow /red, and at some point, someone other than myself and hundreds of County fans must face up to the fact that our disciplinary record sucks this season and sort it out.

 

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Back at 2pm things could not have been more different.

I was not alone in having ` a good feeling about today` a feeling that was not even slightly dented by the plethora of bellicose quotes on social media from Cobblers fans expecting a rout….1…2…3…4 nil to Town was not an uncommon prediction from what in the flesh turned out to be the most silently docile gathering of football supporters anywhere !

 

The first 7 or 8 minutes saw neither side add to my good vibes or dilute them with both teams putting their foot through the ball as first choice.

The ninth brought a bit of encouragement as Crankshaw forced a corner down the right. Sarcevic`s delivery was poor from this, but we won a second corner and this one was better, delivered to the back post where Collar went for it going down under pressure ( County`s appeals for a penalty were ignored by Mr Handley).

It went on with County looking lively and altogether in better nick than of late- Crankshaw showing up especially well at this point but cut off by Guthrie when preparing a cross.

That was the 11^th minute, another sixty seconds and Crankshaw was at the by-line forcing the Cobblers back line to find touch.

Northampton were clearly struggling to hold County, and this was only emphasised further as Mr Handley gave the yellow shirted blues a free kick just outside the box but wide.

The ball bounced off the bar from this but the noise from the large and highly supportive County following I swear lifted the roof of the away end off its moorings briefly as Horsfall opened the scoring for DC`s men.

Twelve minutes gone- 1-0 up…that would definitely do!

Already however County were shipping water with free kicks and Johnson did well to cut Lois Appere off on the end of a decent free kick from Town with 20 minutes gone.

County took the upper hand next- Sarcevic not testing keeper Burge after making it to the by-line, then Kitching and Crankshaw`s good work won a corner that sadly was delivered too deep – Horsfall heading wide with little prospect of improving on that effort.

Town were not looking at all the world beaters their league standing ( perhaps)and supporters opinions( for sure) would have us believe , but they still had some moments when an equaliser was not entirely out of the question. One such came on 28 minutes and Wootton saved the day for County with a fine defensive tackle to stop the rot with Hylton looking to shoot after Hinchliffe spilled the ball from a long throw.

Northampton were certainly trying if without a massive display of attacking nous, and Croasdale , who was making a good impression on a rare start, stopped the rot for County as Pinnock`s cross pinged over from the left, with a crucial intervention.

County were under pressure for a while next and then they weren`t as 9 outfield players in yellow surged forward up the park as Crankshaw darted clear onto Sarcevic`s pass from deep. It looked a neat move…a chance even…but a tackle on the edge of the box saw the move peter out.

We saw more from County after this without ever thinking they would nick another, and Northampton kept nibbling away when they could-Guthrie choosing the 40th minute to follow through on Hinchliffe as he went up to catch the ball.

Most, certainly at the away end, would have expected a yellow maybe for Guthrie which he duly received, what was not expected was a yellow for Sarcevic who was not directly involved in what I felt was an overstated incident anyway. It was depressingly typical however to realise that unnecessary verbals from the County number 10 was the cause of Mr H`s ire- entirely avoidable!

County pressed in what remained of the half- Brown putting Town under the cosh down the right…….Kitching watching as his effort was headed out by the stretched Town back line.

Then …into added time we went with the game beginning to sag a bit. But the ball found its way to Sarcevic and he looked well set to capitalise on what seemed a decent chance, but instead his under powered effort went straight into Burge`s welcoming arms- chance gone!

It was all County with Brown and Crankshaw to the fore but thwarted by tenacious defending by the Cobblers.

Town replied but with no great conviction and the teams went in at the break with the score still 1-0.

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Town had 2 subs on when the game resumed after the break, and the fresh legs had an immediate impact as the home side took advantage of County`s indiscipline with a quality equaliser as Sam Hoskins` sweet volley from distance beat Hinchliffe following the free kick.

Two minutes into the half and County had let their lead melt away!

The zest and energy of the first 45 minutes was somehow absent too – an early free kick coming to nothing.

Then substitute Bowie beat Johnson only being denied by solid work from Kitching who cut him off.

Suddenly, the tempo of the game had changed and we were looking more likely than our opponents to ship another goal.

The away end did their best…appealing for a penalty as Sarcevic tried to convince the referee that his shot had smacked into Lintott`s arm in the box. I joined the clamour for a penalty, but then I would wouldn`t I?, but the referee was not impressed!

We reached the 62nd minute with it still 1-1, but the 63^rd saw Hinchliffe diving to push the ball around the post after another lapse by County gave Town the oxygen of a free kick in a decent position. Pinnock`s delivery from the corner was as near perfect as County`s defending was not, and Lintott headed home unchallenged to give Northampton the lead.

That was depressing, but the County supporters kept up a wall of supportive sound despite the lack of encouragement!

It was not improving much either as we looked up to see Bowie go close with a dangerous header with 20 minutes left and Madden now on for Brown.

County tried a bit- Madden firing over the bar on 71 minutes.

Crankshaw was still trying too but a push on him in the box went un-punished by Mr Handley, and he was flagged offside not long after having darted by Ali Koiki- a particularly poor decision by the officials.

Free kicks were coming Towns’ way thick and fast with time running out – thankfully our opponents were not taking full advantage and when they looked like they just might, Hoskins fired a dud straight into Hinchliffe`s arms!

It all got a bit depressing with the game in the last 10 minutes of normal time- Guthrie and Wootton coming together – Wootton getting the yellow.

County did produce one moment of hope with 8 minutes left as Crankshaw was fouled by Marc Leonard. The free kick picked Kitching out nicely, but he was unlucky to see his header go out beyond the far post.

County made a double change next replacing Croasdale and Kitching with Evans and Hippolyte. This perplexed me as neither Croasdale or Kitching had been booked and both had not disgraced themselves , Croasdale doing pretty well for me, whereas both Wright and Wootton had a yellow each. Surely it made sense to safeguard against second yellows or worse?

No matter it was what it was and Hippolyte set about enjoying 6 minutes on the park( plus added time)seeing a shot charged down with the away end roaring encouragement after Crankhaw and Sarcevic had probed the home left flank.

County were pressing…Hippolyte`s cross teeing Collar up for a shot that came back out off a defender.

But it would not go in, and to add to our misery Town were now running through their repertoire of time wasting classics…Pinnock….Burge….anyone who was handy took time out to roll about on the deck before playing dead.

It was annoying but perhaps not a surprise with Town wanting the points.

We went into added time with Sherring starring  in the `rolling about/play dead` roll.

I was still seething about that when things got worse with Bowie and Wright coming together in midfield. Both went down ….Wright got the card , his second yellow and a red and County were reduced in numbers to 10!

Six minutes added morphed into 8 but still County could not fashion another goal, indeed a gift from Madden to Leonard set him up on 96 minutes.

Leonard dragged his shot wide to leave the score 2-1 in Town`s favour at the end.

I have said quite enough above – the supporters are doing their bit, we just need something consistently coming back the other way!

Walsall on Saturday then, we will all be there and cheering the blues on, hopefully County will give us something to cheer.

 

Northampton Town line up:-

Burge, Sowerby ( Dyche 89), Guthrie, Sherring, Hoskins, Fox  ( Bowie 45), Appere (Hylton 45), Pinnock, Leonard, Koiki, Lintott.

Subs not used: Maxted, Eppiah, Haynes, Abimbola.

 

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe, Brown ( Madden 70), Horsfall, R Johnson, Kitching ( Hippolyte 84), Wright, Croasdale ( Evans 84), Collar, Sarcevic, Crankshaw, Wootton.

Subs not used: Jones, Palmer, Newby,C Jennings.

 

Attendance : 5642

 

hedgegrower

 

`Additional` Gallery:-

 

Firstly from hedgegrower`s phone.....

 

 

 

And a selection from Andrew Machin`s phone:-