Stockport County 1 Leyton Orient 2 ( Football League 2) Saturday 19 November 2022

 

 

 

County went down 2-1 after a hard-fought battle with league leaders Leyton Orient at Edgeley Park today.

Victims of a classic `double whammy` if you like- caught in the vice like grip of a team well versed in how to shut a game down having gained an advantageous position in same, but also considerably hampered by some appalling refereeing from Sebastian Stocksbridge!

Through the good offices of `The Scarf My Father Wore’ I forecast a 2-0 County win on Friday and immediately regretted doing so on hearing that SS was to be in charge of the game.

I still had sore memories going back as far as 2012 where this same referee contributed 2 penalties ( both total figments of his imagination) to what in the end was a convincing Alfreton victory at their place.

He has definite previous with us then and made a hefty contribution today to our demise.

That said, the visitors, having gone one down very early, proved why they are top of the pile at the moment. It wasn`t that they were exceptionally brilliant anywhere on the park. Up front with Smyth running the show they were tidy without being world beaters, but at the back they showed us what makes them tick, slowly destroying what rhythm County had built up early on with as canny a showing as we have seen from an away side this season.

Their goals were the product of their ability to disrupt County`s best moments to construct one`s of their own. They were most definitely aided by Mr Stocksbridge who failed to give County a couple of cast iron penalties one of which would have surely made it 2-1 to County instead of which the visitors broke up the park to score themselves!

County got applauded off at the end and that was spot on the correct reaction from the County crowd.

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A crowd of over 9000 greeted the teams onto the immaculately maintained Edgeley Park playing surface circa 3 o`clock.

County went onto the attack from the start with Madden and Hippolyte making huge waves deep in Orient territory- only quelled 2 minutes in by a decent save from keeper Lawrence Vigouroux who kept Hippolyte`s effort out with his legs.

Another 3 minutes and the County faithful were cheering wildly as their team had the lead- Hippolyte doing the honours from close in.

This was as encouraging a start as could reasonably had been expected against the current league leaders, and County gave the distinct impression that there was more to come especially Hippolyte and Madden who were constantly probing for an opening at this point- the former seeing a shot charged down, the latter watching as the Orient keeper made light work of what was a decent follow up effort from him.

Things calmed a touch after this with Orient coming more into the game and looking altogether better on the ball than they had just 5 or 6 minutes earlier.

Nothing earth shattering was happening except a foul by Pratley on Collar almost ushered in a second County goal via the free kick that Hussey sent to the back post. It looked good but Wootton and Madden could not finish the move off satisfactorily.

A free kick to Orient brought them relief and Smyth, by some way their best man, surged clear his close control issuing warnings to County to keep him out. Wright needed no prompting in this respect and quick and decisive action from him sorted matters for the blues.

County had a free kick next and with it a chance. Hussey`s kick picked out Wootton – I could not see the next action clearly, but it looked like Wootton`s shot came out off a post.

Any chance was gone and with it seemingly, if hopefully momentarily, County`s concentration as Hussey was called on to stop the rot with the visitors hungrily searching for scraps deep in County`s last third.

That was 17 minutes in, another 2 and I found myself thinking good thoughts about Mr Stocksbridge who studiously ignored a beautifully choreographed fall by Chas Kelman on the end of an otherwise perfectly executed run deep into County`s half.

I was suitably pleased with that- was this Redemption Day for SS?

Nah….silly old sentimental me….within a minute we were wading deep in the brown stuff and Mr S had more than a slight hand in matters! It started to our right where Orient had a throw this was hurled predictably into the box where Beckles` flick on headed Horsfall`s way smack in front of goal at which point he was poleaxed as the ball by-passed him landing instead with Pratley who headed the equaliser home.

The referee must have seen the action clearly from where he was stationed, we should have had a free kick and it should have still been 1-0- it wasn`t and we had to deal with it!

County replied but Hussey`s corner saw the ball cleared off the line by Happe- Madden`s follow up carrying the bar.

Much pressure followed from County via Wootton, Sarcevic and Madden who were joined by Southam-Hales but nothing was materialising from all the good play , indeed Croasdale had to look sharp at one point to cut Smyth off as he sought to strike on the break.

County did cause their opponents some anxiety though, with 10 first half minutes left to play, when Hinchliffe went long enabling  Madden and Hippolyte to put pressure on the visitors defence. It looked good for a while and better with Collar darting to the by-line before cutting inside but his luck then ran out allowing Richie Wellens` side to clear their lines.

The rest of the half tailed off in a series of ludicrous refereeing decisions that thoroughly disrupted what flow County had established. County did get a free kick midst the turmoil, but that was no great recompense for the very high challenge by Pratley on Hippolyte. I looked for us to punish Orient via the free kick but that did not happen, and the first half meandered to a conclusion with neither keeper particularly tested, and the score still 1-1. 

 

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 It was probe and counter probe from County and Orient in the opening minutes when the game resumed after the break.

It was 3 minutes in before anything like a decent raid materialised from either side and it came via Hippolyte for County, but no sooner had he appeared to have shaken the attentions of Pratley off than he was disavowed of that thought as the Orient captain leant on him to halt his run and bring him down.

“OK, free kick “ thinks I, and Mr S seems to agree with me , except he has awarded it to Orient!

I was seeing it but not even Mr S`s checkered history when it comes to ourselves could make me quite believe it- the more so as within a minute of that last nonsense Pratley was at it again – he was all over Wootton like a rash to no response from the referee.

We did get a free kick not long after for a mugging on Collar, but again we made nothing of it.

We were almost 10 minutes into the half now and if Vigouroux did well at one point to block Wootton and hold onto the ball under the bar from a dipping high one from Southam -Hales, it was Orient who were beginning to look the more business-like of the two teams- and more threatening.

There was a burst of unambiguously ironic cheering as County got a free kick as Wootton was hauled down by Beckles. The kick was 10 yards outside the box, but El Mizouni was able to head this clear without undue difficulty for Orient who then had a break on and Smyth on the ball! In a flash he reached the by-line …..then he cut inside only to find Hinchliffe on his case producing a fine save to keep it at 1-1.

Hinchliffe again did well just a couple of minutes later as Smyth sneaked clear, sorting matters with his usual calm approach.

Orient rang the personnel changes next replacing Moncur and ( surprisingly ) Smyth with Ogie and Drinan and for a time , with County`s rhythm looking shot, upped the pressure on the blues.

So, County had to look to hit Orient on the break and it was totally frustrating to see nothing come of several attacks from deep- first off Archibald seemed to clatter Southam- Hales in the box. I was not 100% convinced by the Welshman`s reaction, but I was more convinced of our case in what followed.

Again, the blues were attacking on the break and Collar was onto Wootton`s knock down only to be brought down by Pratley who at last went into the referee`s book. The kick had possibilities- Sarcevic took it……Southam- Hales hurried it on its way across the face of goal to where Madden awaited its arrival only to finish up face down as Ogie wellied the ball clear. That looked a clear penalty…a push…but no, play continued and with County no doubt inwardly raging against life`s cruelties Orient won themselves a corner. County were in trouble from this but somehow Hinchliffe pulled off a superb diving save to push a thunderous drive by El- Mizouni onto the bar. That was a terrific save, but the ball flew at a rate of knots out to Beckles who instantly leathered an even tastier shot home.

That was a fantastic finish, but hey…shouldn`t we have had a penalty instead?

We needed to forget our grievances and start to put pressure back on Orient, but when we did invariably free kicks came and went without reward, and at other times sundry Orient defenders played Mr Stocksbridge like Yehudi Menuhin would a Stradivarius – it was way beyond frustrating!

DC replaced Croasdale with Crankshaw on 76 minutes. I like Crankshaw but could not understand this move which offered Orient more room to manoeuvre.

Within seconds we saw some evidence of this as Hinchliffe had to make another brilliant diving save to deny Kelman with 10 minutes left.

County were under the cosh- Madden was back heading clear under pressure.

They did look to seek a break but usually via a long ball and one such , with 9 minutes left, had Madden on the end of it. However, it also had Ogie there too and he stopped the rot for Orient.

Gradually County started to make some headway but in response their opponents were content to find touch and in Archibald`s case Hardcastle Road in extremis.

We were getting free kicks but making nothing from them still- Ogie walloping the ball into the stand from one such with 5 minutes left.

Into 6 minutes added time we went with the Orient keeper now almost fully employed holding onto a series of none too demanding headers from Wootton.

Wootton did better on 95 minutes but still saw his diving header kept out by Vigouroux.

Then…deep….. deep into added time we got a free kick and Hippolyte lifted the ball into the box where Wootton again awaited its arrival, but before he could get to the ball he was hauled down smack in front of goal.

That should have been a penalty…..another penalty, but it wasn`t, the game ending with Orient taking the points with a 2-1 win.

Disappointing but an indicator of what`s required as we seek to climb the table going forward.

County were rightly applauded off at the end- Mr Stocksbridge wasn`t.

And if there is a book, I hope it is thrown at that moron who entered the field of play earlier in the game!

 

See you at Hartlepool !

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Wright, Horsfall, Hussey, Southam – Hales, Hippolyte, Croasdale ( Crankshaw 76), Collar, Sarcevic, Madden, Wootton.

Subs not used: Jones, Evans, R Johnson, Brown, Rydel, Lewis.

 

Leyton Orient line up:-

Vigouroux, James, Happe, Smyth ( Ogie 59), Archibald, Brown, Moncur ( Drinan 59), El Mizouni, Pratley, Beckles, Kelman ( Sotiriou 86).

Subs not used : Sargeant, Wareham, Sweeney, Duke- McKenna.

Attendance: 9368 ( 735)

hedgegrower

 

A few images from hedgegrower`s phone:-

 

  

 

 

 

   

 

And these added late but gratefully received from Andrew Machin :-