Stockport County 0 Harrogate Town 0 ( Football League 2) Saturday 17 September 2022

County turned in another thoroughly disappointing performance today against fellow strugglers Harrogate Town to emerge with a solitary point from a largely cheerless 0-0 draw at Edgeley Park.

A crowd of over 7000 made for a fine sight on the sunniest of SK3 days, all barring just over 100 of them willing a change in County`s fortunes, and the visit of serial losers Harrogate Town offered a real prospect of that materializing.

Sadly, it did not work out that way.

True, the blues went close several times in the first half and could have been 3 up with a modicum of good fortune, but this element was conspicuous by its absence and the visitors might even have nicked the game late on with better honed finishing.

So….it could have been worse, but it is no consolation at all to cling to that bromide without identifying what needs correcting and taking action to sort.

Some of the issues are not new …..the poor use of set pieces…..the constant flow of free kicks conceded unnecessarily…..and it is alarming to see players who we know can play a bit like Sarcevic struggling. He is not alone, but today it was only with 2 minutes left that Miles Hippolyte came on in the County captain`s place.

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Back at 3 o`clock none of the above was an issue-the sun was shining, and if the old place was slightly less bubbly than usual , probably due to the minutes silence and rendition of the National Anthem ,over 7000 voices were raised in support of their team as County opened attacking the Cheadle End.

Wright pushed forward in the early minutes and was no doubt disappointed to see Joe Mattock in position to head his cross out in the blues first raid.

The second, a minute later, was much more lethal looking with Collar and Brown combining to good effect before the latter picked out Wootton and he sent his shot flying wide.

That was disappointing but more followed as Ramsay stole possession only to mess up by fouling a County defender thus nullifying a potentially potent raid by the visitors.

That was 4 minutes…. the fifth raised hopes as Crankshaw darted clear, only for our spirits to take a knock as the liner flagged Ollie offside!

But another 3 minutes and we could have…. maybe should have scored not once but 3 times as Town were put under heavy pressure. First off Wootton had an effort saved by Jameson…then Sarcevic looked on aghast to see his reflex header smack a post- this was agonising stuff but there was more to follow as Brown`s follow up effort was cleared off the line by Welch-Hayes. The ball just would not go in and when Jameson got a hand to the subsequent corner thoughts of County leaving the back door open surfaced as Armstrong ran the ball up the park. The moment had definite elements of alarm and concern about it until Brown tracked back and sorted matters with a neat tackle.

Another minute and County had Johnson to thank for his tidy work as Josh Coley broke clear, and two further minutes saw County forced to withdraw Camps replacing him with Croasdale.

County took another 3 minutes to put Town under the cosh again and it was via Crankshaw who sent Wootton in on goal. Wootton`s shot was pushed out by Jameson who then excelled himself again by holding onto Sarcevic`s follow up diving header.

Somehow Harrogate had survived!

And they survived again on 20 minutes, with more than a sliver of good fortune. Brown set it off sending Crankshaw darting clear – his shot was blocked running out to Sarcevic whose shot cleared the bar with a bit to spare.

It went on….Welch -Hayes just keeping Wootton out following a break by Crankshaw . A corner followed but it was not one to remember- Collar doing his best to rescue matters but lifting his shot over the bar.

We were now 25 minutes in and it seemed ridiculous that we were not ahead, and alarming to see Sam Folarin in behind the blue back line . County seemed to be doing OK defending the situation until they weren`t and a foul on the same player ushered in a Town free kick just outside the box.

We might have…. should have probably been punished at this point but we weren`t and poor precision from Town in our box allowed Jaros to smother the ball when it ran loose- the danger was over!

This brought County back attacking and within a minute Brown had fed Hussey only for him to lift a poor effort over and beyond all in blue.

Then we again almost scored !

It was the 33rd minute and Wootton had the ball before sending Crankshaw on a run. He was way out when he received the ball but a pace or two onwards…a look up….and spotting Jameson off his line he unleashed a lovely chip that left the keeper for dead before…alas…pinging the bar and going over!

Crankshaw deserved better, but there was no time for naval gazing as Town were looking to hit County on the break and with the referee ignoring an attempted shirt exchange twixt attacking black shirted forward ( the perpetrator) and blue shirted defender ( victim ) County did well to survive the experience their clean sheet intact!

And we were fortunate again not long after as Pattison failed to add anything on the end of Dooley`s through ball.

Half time was approaching, and we were compounding our difficulties by conceding unnecessary free kicks, that brought with them danger . Fortunately, we again survived – Armstrong`s effort going wide, and the ill discipline continued into added time, and it was something of a relief when the whistle went to end the first half.

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The first ten minutes after the break were not great to watch.

Folarin had inadvertently set County up nicely on 49 minutes with a poor foul, but the blues failed to capitalize keeping it at 0-0.

The only other moment of note came on 52 minutes when spirits soared as Crankshaw was played clear dipping almost immediately at the sight of the liner`s upraised flag- `offside` we must assume but whatever….Town were saved!

The second half was altogether less charged than the first and the next real action came 4 minutes later and at the wrong end where Horsfall`s loose ball allowed Pattison a run-on goal- his shot was blocked nicely by Hussey but we had been warned!

Time for a reply from County but Croasdale curled his effort wide of the target.

This seemed to signal another effort from Harrogate who probably were still wondering just how they were on level pegging with an hour gone.

And then play suddenly took on an all too familiar look….Town fouls were being ignored in quantity by Mr Joyce……a throw that was clearly ours, was gifted to the attacking Yorkshiremen…..you just knew it didn`t you ?................they were going to score weren`t they!

But no….Jaros claimed the ball under pressure to ease County`s angst!

County looked in need of some support at this point but instead the Cheadle End Upper Tiers chose for the next 10 minutes to run through a clutch of intentionally sectarian volleys of abuse including `German Bombers( RAF of England), F**k the IRA ( Pope)amongst others.

I have been loud in my praise of the Upper Tiers previously, but this was a throwback to a by-gone age and as such unwelcome especially when the team needed a lift!

That said, Crankshaw did manage to trick his way clear to the by-line with 20 minutes left before slipping a neat ball along the deck to the back post where Wootton lurked. A tap in? Possibly, but Wootton could not put the chance away!

That brought Town back into it and Johnson did well to concede a corner with Ramsay a threat. County were lucky, as once more Town could make nothing of their set piece.

CJ was now on for Wright which I found a curious move with cover essential with Town beginning to rev the action up a touch.

Burrell emphasised this for me, with less than 10 minutes to go, nipping to the by-line. It looked distinctly iffy when Armstrong took aim from this but his shot on the turn was charged down bravely by Johnson.

Back came County through Crankshaw, but the raid ended with CJ`s header clearing the bar.

The blues kept looking for that winner if not with outstanding conviction, and this element was underlined with 5 minutes left, when having won a somewhat fortunate corner County then wasted it as Sarcevic lumped the ball over every available head- any chance was gone!

And the Town resolve was building knowing that they were still on level terms with just a couple of minutes left, and both Johnson and Brown did well to block the increasingly lively Armstrong on two separate occasions.

It continued with Hussey charging Pattison`s shot down with time running out.

Hippolyte came on in place of Sarcevic on 88 minutes but the tide of attacking play was still heading Jaros`s direction- Angus slipping a neat ball to Pattison who triggered a good diving save from Jaros in reply.

We were into added time now and County were not clearing their lines at all well allowing Pattison another tilt at goal he should not have been afforded- Jaros held onto it but…………….

Austerfield drew a deserved booking for a foul on Crankshaw as he looked likely to hit the visitors on the break. Cue chance from the free kick ? Well, yes but when Hussey picked out Horsfall with his kick he headed over the bar – chance gone.

Horsfall did make amends though stopping what looked like a tasty run by Muldoon smack on 94 minutes.

It was 0-0 at the end of the game- as frustrating a nil- nil draw as I can recall. County did have enough chances to have won this and they can claim a clean sheet, but at home against a side in a run of defeats we really could have expected better from them.

Tuesday and Wolves Under 21`s gives us a chance to re-group.

Can I lobby for us picking our strongest team for this – another 10 changes as in the earlier group game, will render the fixture largely meaningless.

Whatever team is turned out however, we need to get behind them!

See you Tuesday and in Northampton next Saturday.

Stockport County line up:-

Jaros, Brown, Horsfall, R Johnson, Hussey, Wright ( C Jennings 72), Camps ( Croasdale 12), Collar, Sarcevic ( Hippolyte 88), Wootton, Crankshaw.

Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Evans, Rydel, Lewis.

Harrogate Towm line up:-

Jameson, Welch-Hayes (Mc Ardle 45), Mattock, Burrell, Coley ( Angus 76), Folarin ( Muldoon 55), Richards ( Austerfield 62), Pattison, Ramsay, Dooley ( Daly 45), Armstrong.

Subs not used : Oxley, Grant .

Attendance : 7863

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