Stockport County 2 Crewe Alexandra 0 ( Football League 2) Monday 26 December 2022

County saw off a somewhat underwhelming Xmas challenge from Cheshire rivals Crewe Alexandra at Edgeley Park today with as convincing a win as you might wish to see on the coldest of SK3 winter afternoons.

In the event 2-0 did not come near to acknowledging the gap twixt the two sides. OK Crewe played some neat football at times but without the merest semblance of a threat to go with it- County just waited for them to eventually lose the ball before commencing to dismantle Lee Bell`s side who I did not see test Hinchliffe with so much as a single shot game long!

Madden and Collar did the scoring, Madden taking the M.O.M award. The County captain did look in top form with a variety of silky-smooth touches, but I felt Rydel and Collar were in there for consideration in this respect possibly before him, but I will not quarrel none the less.

It was another sterling team showing that would have had DC purring with contentment.

Mass County subbings late on notionally opened the door to Crewe to nick something from the game or at least show us what they could do , but huff…..puff as the visitors would County were always one step ahead of their opponents.

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Close on 10000 were in position as the game got underway with a blast of Referee Martin Woods whistle at the appointed time.

Nothing of note happened until the 3rd minute when Crewe had their hopes cruelly raised via a joke free kick wide near the Pop Side, and then dashed when Croasdale intervened to have his say. He was to do so in similar fashion a time or two more as the game progressed but there was little time to contemplate Ryan`s good work as the product of it was that Madden was to be seen running deep into Crewe territory with red shirted defenders melting away before him.

It was a good moment….a real chance, but Arthur Okonkwo`s dive was enough for him to grab the ball and thwart the County number nine`s effort!

Crewe then flattered to deceive ,Joel Tabiner bringing the best out of Wright and Rydel who stopped the rot by conceding a corner. Horsfall and Rydel sorted the incoming kick out, and Dan Agyei was flagged offside as Tariq Uwakwe pinged the ball back his way.

County were down to 10 briefly after this before Southam -Hales could be substituted , but it had no effect on County`s potency and Okonkwo had to be on his toes to deny Collar on the break.

Brown came on for Southam-Hales with 12 minutes gone, and County pushed forward – Hippolyte and Rydel both making it to the by-line without reward.

County were playing some neat football now and Brown put the skids on Crewe with a tasty high one to the back post. It was a corner but turned out not to be one of Rydel`s best, although it was good to see the blues still maintain their grip on possession- the Crewe keeper again doing well to push a shot from Collar around the post- Madden seeing a shot charged down from the resultant corner kick.

It went on…Rydel and Hippolyte tearing great lumps out of the visitors rear guard, but they were having zero luck, any angst added to by Mr Woods lenient response to an iffy `follow through` by Rio Adebisi on the Horsfall after he had cut his break off.

We were beyond the half hour now and Crewe were leaking free kicks by this stage, but County were not yet able to apply the required finish.

Brown did well however feeding Hippolyte with a fine cross that saw Myles shoot wide, and then excelling at the back to deny Uwakwe a shot.

There were far too many interruptions for apparent injuries around this time and it did nothing for the game`s rhythm, but there was nothing of the `apparent` about Croasdale`s injury that resulted from a clash of heads and made for more delay while he was treated.

Almost before we knew it we were in 6 minutes added time and Croasdale was back in play his head swathed in bandages.

Collar looked dangerous as he ran into the box, but Mr Woods was not impressed when he crashed to earth under pressure, so it stayed 0-0.

Then Croasdale showed us that his input would not be noticeably impaired by his injury -a neat ball from him sending Madden clear. Crewe just blocked this raid and the subsequent follow up by Brown leaving it at 0-0 as the teams went in at half time.

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Croasdale and Collar were again on Crewe`s case when play resumed after the break with County taking the game to their opponents- Wootton heading wide from Brown`s cross.

Some of the blues` play was really impressive, and they looked determined to get a goal- Madden more so maybe than most his superb through ball sending Hippolyte marauding into the box. He was blocked but the ball ran on to Collar whose shot beat the keeper but thudded into a post before flying clear.

It was building nicely now, just a shade of good fortune was lacking – maybe Rydel`s run and cross would provide it, but no…..it picked out Wootton OK but when he headed it onto Collar , his shot was smothered by Okonkwo in the Crewe goal.

Okonkwo was busy again a couple of minutes later thanks to a foul on Hippolyte by Thomas who got a booking for it. The free kick was too far out to constitute a real chance and the keeper was able to claim the ball without undue hassle.

That was 53 minutes in, another 2 and County had their lead, and it was a stunning effort constructed brilliantly by Rydel whose searing pace took him to within inches of goal. He would shoot surely! Nah….no chance he fashioned a pass of exquisite style and finesse that eased its way to Madden who had the simplest of tasks in tapping County`s first goal home!

Crewe started to ring the personnel changes after that setback but it made no difference , County kept at it pushing them back Wootton and Madden exchanging a neat 1…2 that ended with the former`s shot clearing the bar.

Soon we were at 65 minutes and a loose ball from Horsfall ushered in the nearest thing to a Crewe shot I can remember from the game as County defended a rare corner from the visitors. Hinchliffe did well, adding to what I felt was some excellent distribution today, with a confident punch under pressure enabling Hippolyte to complete the clearance.

That was rare indeed and County soon resumed hostilities as a fantastic knock down and pass from Wootton started things rolling. Brown received from Wootton picking Rydel out with immaculate precision with his pass. County had a corner……and then a second goal as Collar got on the end of Rydel`s fizzing bomb of a delivery to head home with typical aplomb.

And thank you to Michael Shoarb for these two shots of that Collar goal:-

It was 2-0 and with 20 minutes to go, after Croasdale went close, DC opted to give his strike force a break and his trusty back up some late game time- Crankshaw, Sarcevic and Camps coming on for Madden, Collar and Rydel.

To a degree this saw Crewe begin to attempt to assert themselves, but this was never going to butter any parsnips even with a welter of ` back up `players on as despite the visitors strutting about a bit it was still County who were manufacturing the chances- Hippolyte producing some real magic at one point receiving scant reward for same in return.

And…..when Crewe did shape like they wanted a goal there was always someone in blue there to counter anything on offer- Brown doing ever so well to get a blocking tackle in with 6 minutes left.

County just waited their moment and attacked from deep, Brown`s cross setting Wootton up nicely , but he could not get his shot off and when the ball ran on to Crankshaw Okonkwo kept his shot out, albeit after 2 goes!

Croasdale was replaced by Evans shortly after leaving to a terrific ovation from the Cheadle End!

We were into added time now, with Okonkwo denying Sarcevic after Brown had kept a flagging move alive in improbable fashion.

County continued to pile on the pressure with little or nothing coming back from their opponents – Camps inches from glory with a superb chip to the back post that had the keeper leaden footed in response.

The pressure continued right up until the final whistle whereupon the County supporters were able to give their team a rousing salute before heading home for a warm!

Well played County, that was a decent result – I am sure that Crewe are not a bad team, it is just that County are making anyone who shows up against them seem to be such!

See you at windy Walsall then on Thursday and remember that away end is a wind tunnel – kit up for the arctic then add a couple more layers!

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Wright, Horsfall, R. Johnson, Southam- Hales ( Brown 12), Rydel (Camps 72), Croasdale ( Evans 88), Hippolyte, Collar ( Sarcevic 72), Wootton, Madden ( Crankshaw 72).

Subs not used : Jones, MacDonald.

Crewe Alexandra line up:-

Oknokwo, Adesisi, Williams ( Brook 73), McDonald, Thomas, Agyei, Colkett ( Finney 63), Sambou, King ( Evans 83), Uwakwe, Tabiner.

Subs not used: Richards, Griffiths, Leshabela, Holicek.

Attendance ; 9837 ( 1055)

hedgegrower

And now some images taken by hedgegrower`s phone camera.....