Stockport County 3 Sutton United 0 ( Football League 2) Saturday 29 October 2022

 

 

 

 

County`s impressive recent form continued at Edgeley Park today where the blues comfortably disposed of the challenge of Southern visitors Sutton United with an emphatic 3-0 win.

It is true that the victory was aided in no small part by Sutton being reduced to 10 in the game`s early minutes, but in similar circumstances, in the not too distant past, we have conspicuously failed to take advantage of this, but not today as County played it cool and simple and ,perhaps significantly, in Croasdale they had a brilliant enforcer who kept everyone in blue on their toes . They also took their chances when they came along which helps too!

Wootton, Madden and Collar did the scoring - all well executed goals, as we again saw County display a confidence that has burgeoned in the last three games.

The blues were unchanged again and looked all the better for it -the passing increasingly looking way above Division 4 standard- inch perfect time after time, stray passes a rarity.

Collar took the M.O.M award and I would not argue with that but really it was another good team performance, and I would have shared the accolade all around the team which is so pleasing to say after doubts had clouded my/our judgement in the early season run of defeats.

And it was so brilliant to see Bill Atkins revisit Edgeley Park after so long away at half time . An apology though, I was so carried away applauding Bill I totally forgot to capture the moment on my phone camera!

……………………………

 

 Another crowd in excess of 8000 greeted the teams onto the well-groomed EP pitch circa 3 o`clock.

County were again unchanged, which was really good to see , but it was Matt Gray`s Sutton side that went onto the attack first, and Brown went straight into Referee Simon Mather`s book with a seriously doubtful looking challenge well before the game`s first minute was out.

It was a yellow and quite easily might have been a red, so County might just have been relieved as the game re-started and they certainly were when Collar headed the free kick to safety via a swing of Hippolyte`s trusty left boot.

The resultant throw saw Collar and Bugiel come together the former going down as the latter`s over vigorous challenge took him out. To me it looked on a par with the Brown challenge, but Mr Mather saw it differently and he was pretty close by. It was a red and Bugiel took the `walk of shame` we had begun to think was choreographed specially for us this season.

The expectation now was that Sutton would struggle at a numerical disadvantage, but twice in the next 5 minutes they had a go commendably- Wilson was at the sharp end of this action , blocked by Horsfall on 7 minutes and then dealt with similarly by a Collar/ Croasdale combo 2 minutes later. He then spoilt the good work with a speculative dive but Mr Mather`s cards were now pocketed and there was no free kick either.

Gradually County`s measured approach  began to have its affect as the pressure induced by the blues passing caused the visitors own passes to go astray and the 11th minute Collar was the width of a fag paper from getting to Hippolyte`s cross.

Slowly, the blues were beginning to find their range although Wootton`s effort a minute later cleared the bar after good work by Brown and Collar in the build-up.

On it went with Wootton inches from Madden`s pass in the box and although it was now understandably mainly County on the ball and looking lively, Sutton did look to rain on our parade along the way – Hussey doing well to block Wilson at one point and the resultant corner seeing Hinchliffe in action to keep Louis John`s header out.

Two minutes on from that action and County were pushing Sutton back again, their keeper Lewis Ward looking lively to stop Collar from reaching a Madden ball at the back post from a Wootton flick on.

Then, another 2 minutes saw County seize the moment and take the lead as Brown put a peach of a ball onto Wootton`s head in the box and it was 1-0 as he made no mistake planting his header beyond Ward into the net!

The game resumed with County still pushing cautiously forward, a Croasdale/ Mc Donald move just unable to put Madden in.

It continued with a blizzard of blue attacking and a welter of corners as Hippolyte was just kept from Mc Donald`s cross by Hart after Brown and Collar had won the first of a series of corners for County.

Occasionally the blues would up the tempo and one such moment, just over 10 minutes from the break, saw a close call for the U`s as Ward could not hold onto a shot from Madden that thudded into his chest and headed dangerously close to the lurking Hippolyte. The keeper was able to recover and re-claim the ball, but it was close!

County probed, probed and probed again – Croasdale upended on the end of a pass from Wright. The free kick was in a scoreable position but before it could be taken Mr Mather had recourse to carding Louis John for what I could not determine, probably time wasting but it paid off for Sutton as the wall held firm and the kick was cleared.

Under the cosh from Croasdale, Brown and Collar, Sutton struggled to work the ball up the park. They eventually did this and even won a rare corner on 44 minutes ,but the kick was dire and any notional chance was gone.

That was that then in the way of attacking response from the U`s, or so we thought, but Wilson had other ideas making a break mid-way through 3 minutes added time. In no time Wilson was in behind the blue cover and Hinchliffe did well to get a hand to his shot pushing it around the post.

That was a vital save and we needed to not take Sutton anything but seriously if we were to hold onto or increase our lead in the second half.

We were encouraged in this as the subsequent corner was no better than Sutton`s previous one, so we went in at half time with County still 1-0 up!

…………………………………  

 

The second half opened with County on the attack, some neat play ending on 47 minutes with Madden just kept from Brown`s tempting cross by Ward.

It went on with County passing the U`s dizzy but we needed an end product but unfortunately Horsfall, upon receiving the ball in a half decent position, decided to accept the advice from the Cheadle End to “ shoot”….he did and the ball careered off over the bar.

County were looking for that second goal for sure, but the 51^st minute saw Madden and Brown combine to set a chance up that no one in blue could force home.

That was disappointing, but it looked like more and worse was about to hit us as Will Randall surged clear from nowhere. We looked dished for a moment or two until…enter Akil Wright whose immaculate tackle ended Randall`s run and with it the danger- excellent stuff!

It was not the end of the U`s defiance though, indeed a foul by Horsfall gave the visitors some wind in their sails via the free kick, or it might have done but instead when Milsom`s kick reached Kizzi at the back post he put the ball wide!

That was perhaps a pivotal moment in the game, had it gone in……………?

But alas for the U`s it did not go in and when Eastmond`s foul on Brown ushered in a County free kick not long after, the visitors paid the price. Mc Donald`s delivery was excellent so much so that Ward could only parry the ball under pressure in the box, the ball running across goal to where Madden`s tap in doubled the blues lead!

Sutton rang the changes after that, bringing fresh attacking legs on in the shape of Fadahunsi and Boldewijn, for Lovatt and Neufville.

County however were now in no mood to relinquish command -Collar darting clear with 20 minutes left. He looked possibly offside but play carried on as he picked out Wootton who just could not force it home. The ball then ran clear to Hippolyte to Wootton`s left and he buried the ball in the back of the net…..3-0….except we had forgotten the original offside bit whereas  Mr Mather and his liner hadn`t – it stayed at 2-0!   

Our disappointment was relatively short lived as within just 2 minutes County had the third goal that they craved, and it was a thing of absolute beauty!

The ball seemed to fly via invisible wings twixt one blue shirt and another, one moment with Madden, the next Wootton then Hippolyte and on………..absolute poetry and capped by a majestic finish from Collar that almost took the netting off its moorings- a super finish and an excellent goal!

And we almost added another 3 minutes later with blue shirts queuing for a shot McDonald did well to rescue the situation and keep the move alive following an uncharacteristic slice by Hippolyte. McDonald picked out Collar, but his header flew wide.

DC made changes with 15 minutes to go bringing Ryan Johnson, Crankshaw and Evans on for McDonald, Brown and Madden.

With fresh legs on the last 15 minutes could be interesting, but for now we looked on to see an effort from Wootton blocked from a pass by Collar.

And what of U`s?

Well, they had not entirely given up although their finishing would have to improve if they were to keep thinking thus, but the 80^th minute saw Boldewijn`s effort fly over the County bar with Hinchliffe unconcerned.

With Wootton and Hippolyte replaced by CJ and Sarcevic for the last 8 minutes -fresh County legs were everywhere.

County were getting forward still but Ward did well to block Crankshaw at the foot of the near post with CJ waiting for the cross that never came in front of goal.

CJ sent Crankshaw clear not long after, but his eventual cross went behind the advancing Evans enabling U`s to clear their lines.

County were monopolising possession for sure and we went into added time midst a welter of County corners – Wright setting one up with an impressive run…..Crankshaw taking it and Evans so unlucky to see the ball fly out off Boldewijn on the line.

There was a late card for Hart as Mr Mather got his second wind, and more County corners, but the earlier precision was absent and Sutton were able to hold on and limit the damage to 3-0.

Game over, County had claimed all the points and banished their negative goal difference on their slow climb up the table.

My only concern now was would the numbnuts amongst us opt to go for an encroachment of the playing surface. In the event my fears were groundless the crowd, policed by the stewards, stayed stand side which was a massive relief.

Well done County!

On to Tranmere on Tuesday next and we can go there with confidence.

See you there then!

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe,  Wright, Horsfall, Hussey, McDonald ( R Johnson 75), Brown ( Crankshaw 75), Croasdale, Collar, Hippolyte ( Sarcevic 82), Madden ( Evans 75), Wootton ( C Jennings 82).

Subs not used : Jones, Palmer.

 

Sutton United line up:-

Ward, Zizzi, John, Rowe, Milsom, Neufville ( Fadahunsi 65), Eastmond, Lovatt ( Boldewijn 65), Randall ( Hart 75), Bugiel, Wilson ( Kuassi 75).

Subs not used: House, Gambin, Kendall.

 

Attendance: 8091( 129)

hedgegrower

 

Some images taken by hedgegrower`s phone camera....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.