Stockport County 1 Walsall 1 ( Football League 2) Saturday 1 October 2022

County disappointed big style at Edgeley Park today where after completely dominating the game against a very poor Walsall side (on a 12 game non-winning run)they came away with just a point when their failure to finish games off came back to bite them again via an 88^th minute Andy Williams equaliser for Mike Flynn`s side.

Having scored early on, County needed to repeat the process again but despite a plethora of chances could not convert even one of them. This was a tremendous pity as their general play was decidedly better than of late- everywhere that is except at the sharp end where chances converted amount to gold and points and those missed only serve to prolong teams misery.

Seeking to be positive I point to the industry and energy of Connor Evans and Crankshaw both of whom have struggled for starts this season. Evans took the sponsors M.O.M which I do not dispute, but had Crankshaw stayed on the park beyond the 55^th minute he would have run the ex-Gull close for that bottle of Gin!

Collar did well , 2 slap dash misses notwithstanding, in an unaccustomed defensive role.

That said we are dire in the oppositions last third…. brighter than of late more or less everywhere but totally lacking in the required sharpness where it counts.

We will not be signing another striker before January so maybe it is time to reverse that appalling decision to send Quigley on loan to fellow strugglers Rochdale!

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My pre-match was spent with members of the Stockport County Supporters Cooperative and Help the Hatters who were conducting their second bucket collection in support of the Danny Bergara Statue Appeal.

Some of the group, including Dublin based Supporters Cooperative member Declan Costello making his first visit to Edgeley Park, are pictured here…..

The atmosphere inside the stadium come 3 o`clock was fairly positive and I was not alone I guess in willing a County win…. any sort would do….a fluke….preferably in the 94^th minute of 95 ….any sort to ease our communal pain!

And it started well too with Evans already taking a tilt at the M.O.M award stealing possession from nowt before combining nicely with Kitching and Crankshaw to win a corner. It was the blues first but like many that followed came to nought.

Then Comley entered the fray upending Croasdale without suitable retribution from Mr Kitchen the Referee.

The 3^rd minute offered hope as the centre of the visitors defence wilted under County`s next push Wootton going down under pressure from Maddox – penalty ?....Mr Kitchen thought not but County kept at it via Madden but his follow up effort came back out off Bennett- hand/ arm thought the EP faithful….`not so` coming back from the man in charge.

From early doors it became apparent that Walsall were not going to be that particular as to the niceties and this was emphasised with gold plated knobs on 2 minutes later when Liam Gordon `s foul put his side under the cosh from the free kick. When this came over however the Referee saw a foul by Ryan Johnson as he went for the ball.

Soon the visitors were warming to their theme of choice as Croasdale `took one` from Peter Clarke just 3 minutes on from the last action.

We made nothing of the set piece but managed to do well and defend one nicked cheekily by Walsall not long after. Jaros did particularly well risking all to push the ball out of the box under pressure. Crankshaw then had it and ran it up the park settling for a corner when more looked possible at one point. He had no support, so no criticism of Ollie is implied.

The corner was wasted, clearing the back post ( Palmer territory) and was cleared.

With a modicum more luck and better execution we might now be one up- we weren`t however but then the neatest of moves saw the ball fly from Evans to Madden and back again the shot taking a deflection. Again, that was where the good stuff ceased as the flag kick saw the ball fly out beyond the back post.

Camps then shot straight at Owen Evans in the Sadler`s goal. If that was a disappointment more followed as Crankshaw darted clear onto a Horsfall pass sending the visitors back line into disarray. It really did look a moment of opportunity, but the moment soon passed via the poorest of final balls from Ollie.

Beyond half way in the first half and it was still 0-0, but just how this was so was something of a mystery with County looking far the better of the two sides.

No matter, perhaps they would square the circle soon, and Camps` deep cross hinted at a desire so to do, but with Crankshaw straining to reach it we had to settle for a corner that saw Johnson`s firm header clear the bar.

Collar meanwhile was having a decent game providing width to the right of Horsfall and Johnson, and good work by him set up a raid that ended with Wootton`s shot coming out off a defender. Chance gone, but County kept at it Crankshaw more than most pinging a tasty cross onto Madden`s head, the ball flying in off the under side of the cross bar!

County were 1-0 up!

Fouls ( and bookings) continued to proliferate for Walsall for whom Liam Kinsella was the latest offender at the expense of Camps. We went closer with this free kick, but it stayed 1-0.

We were so much in control of this game that it was a major surprise to see County`s back line in some difficulty in the 34^th minute as County`s Ryan Johnson was sold short with a pass that saw Daniel Johnson latch onto the ball for Walsall. He was in on goal and then not as first Horsfall and then Croasdale made vital blocks to save County`s blushes!

That was alarming but surely a blip that would not reoccur, but my equilibrium was disturbed again next with the sight of Evans being hacked down by serial offender Comley when clear. Comley was booked and County got another free kick, but this was sent to the back of the box where the Walsall keeper claimed it.

County clearly wanted that second goal- Crankshaw seeing a shot deflected for the first of a late run of County corners all of which in their various ways came to nought.

Daniel Johnson did sneak a cheeky free kick for Walsall in the half`s dying embers, but this was headed clear by Croasdale to end the half with County still leading 1-0.

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Walsall made 3 personnel changes when the game resumed after the break, and it was their equilibrium that was in flux early doors as a blooper by Monthe allowed Madden to dart clear. But when Madden brought Crankshaw into it, Monthe had got his act together and stopped the rot for his team.

A Maddox volley gave the excellent away following from up the M6 something to cheer- it went wide, but the 1252 were cheering nevertheless.

Meanwhile the foul count continued to climb for County`s opponents- Monthe doing well to block Horsfall on the end of one free kick some 5 minutes into the half.

Enter Tom Knowles to pantomime villain music giving his all with a monstrous tackle on Collar smack in front of the Danny Stand. It was a free kick course but he remained on the park which was at best `surprising`, and with Monthe climbing all over Wootton without redress Walsall survived.

Crankshaw had done well up to this point and added to his kudos with some neat work at the back, but this rendered him injured having to be replaced by Hippolyte 10 minutes into the half.

Hippolyte was full of energy probing down the left to good effect early. Camps run to the by-line teed up a notional chance that disappeared via Don Daniels` frantic dive that saw Madden`s shot blocked. Many felt this had the look of `handball` about it – I did not see it clearly enough to say and Mr Kitchen had decided there was no penalty so that`s how it was- somehow Walsall had survived again!

The hour mark saw a small flurry at the far end where the 1252 were stirred again by the sight of Knowles sending Allen clear only for gloom to descend on the Railway End again as Collar tracked back to make the saving tackle!

Knowles did try his hand again a couple of minutes later but could not test Jaros sufficiently with his shot.

Then it was time for some gloom for County as Madden was flagged offside - `unlucky` I wrote and I think he was!

Cue a zonking great foul by Daniels on Wootton, and a County free kick of course, but this came to nothing disappointingly when White kept Wootton from reaching a fizzing whizzbang of a ball from Hippolyte in front of goal with 23 minutes left.

County were beginning to look likely to nick a second…if only…..but instead Daniels came to the fore again for Walsall stopping a cross from Kitching reaching Hippolyte. County had passed the visitors silly in the build-up…then… nothing!

Walsall did sneak a corner with 20 minutes left to play, but this was dealt with well under pressure by Jaros.

Back to `passing them silly` next and Croasdale and Evans did just that down the right flank which opened up obligingly in their path. Evans passed it on to Collar and this really was a chance, but he fluffed it sending a poor effort hurtling off high into the Cheadle End.

To Collar`s credit he quickly made amends executing a fine bit of defensive work to stop Andy Williams` dangerous run.

But mainly it was County attacking- Hippolyte denied by Monthe`s headed clearance- Evans by Allen who was just too quick for him when it mattered.

Into the last 10 minutes we went with the fouls still mounting from Walsall- Cashman the latest to be booked. Daniels did well to head Horsfall`s header from the free kick out, the chance, if it was one, disappearing as Owen Evans stood his ground to hold onto a screamer from Hippolyte.

Yes, County were still looking `the most likely to` passing the ball about nicely, but when it reached Collar for some reason he elected to shoot when a pass or a few paces forward before doing so might have served his purpose better. Sadly, the ball flew off over the bar again and the notional chance of doubling our lead had gone.

Back came County though- Daniels, Comley and White doing well for Walsall to keep Hippolyte and Kitching out.

It went on in the same vein until suddenly I looked up to see that the visitors had got a corner from virtually nothing.

It then got decidedly worse as Cashman`s corner saw Williams` unchallenged glancing header square the game for Walsall and their deliriously happy supporters.

Evans was replaced by CJ following the goal – Jaros doing well to keep a shot by James- Taylor out into added time.

There was time for an attempted shirt exchange by Monthe on Hippolyte, and a free kick which I noted as being in an `interesting` position. Sadly our kick hit Dan Johnson in the visitors` wall, and when finally Monthe kept Wootton from Kitchings` probing diagonal ball Mr Kitchen blew for time and County had to settle for a point.

Not the end of the world but disappointing, nevertheless.

With Bradford up next the outlook does not look that bright, but in the past and certainly in our time in the Championship ( Division 2 in real money) we would have relished our position as ill-considered underdogs and mollied our opponents – dare we hope for something of the same response from our current crop of players?

I, like you I guess, will be going and cheering them on- let`s see !

Stockport County line up:-

Jaros, Collar, Horsfall, R Johnson, Kitching, Evans ( C Jennings 88), Croasdale, Camps, Wootton, Madden, Crankshaw( Hippolyte 55) .

Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Palmer, Sarcevic, Brown, Newby.

Walsall line up:-

Evans, Gordon ( Allen 45), Daniels, Monthe, Kinsella, Knowles ( Williams 72), Comley, Maddox ( Cashman 60), Clarke ( James- Taylor 45), Bennett ( White 45), D Johnson.

Attendance : 8805 ( 1252)

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