Walsall 0 Stockport County 2 ( Football League 2) Thursday 29 December 2022

County turned on a tip top performance to see off Walsall, inflicting on them their first defeat since October at the Bescott last night taking all the points with a superb 2-0 win.

Again, there appeared to be considerable daylight twixt the two teams with County always in command and able to draw on one more trick to serve them well when required.

Top trickster was Kyle Wootton whose two goals in winning the game for County also hopefully went some way to answering those that cannot see the wood for the trees where our number 19 is concerned- well done that man!

Elsewhere DC gave a debut to Phil Bardsley and he shone like the proverbial beacon for the 67 minutes he was on the park before being substituted. His crosses and set pieces were the biz and he looks to be a confident operator who just might serve us well!

Collar was in great nick again, taking a prodigious amount of stick in the process starting in the 6^th minute when Daniels` challenge laid him out necessitating a bandaged head that did not seem to dim his work rate at all- he was excellent.

A word also for Hinchliffe who claimed another clean sheet, making a number of important saves along the way- Ben just gets better and better behind a defence that hasn`t a nerve in its body- it`s capacity to soak up attacks seemingly endless!

In short then…. a fantastic performance one that sets us up nicely for what awaits us!

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Having dressed for the Arctic, expecting The University of Wolverhampton stand to challenge Oymyakon for the `Coldest Place on the Planet` title it was perhaps inevitable that the microclimate at the away end would be almost balmy on arrival.

This was soon forgotten however as the match got underway with Michael Flynn`s side on the ball in County`s half. There was some early controversy on the validity of some of the awards in Walsall`s favour but the blue army`s protests were ignored by the officials.

Soon 2 minutes had gone by, and Walsall had a corner, then another. Gordon took them both but despite some over excitement on the part of the home specs it all went sadly wrong for our hosts as Kinsella screwed his shot wide.

County midst this early pressure just kept their cool and awaited their moment and when it arrived and Collar was on the end of it 6 minutes in, it began to look iffy for the men in white shirts.

Enter Donervon Daniels who met Collar head on as he surged towards the box – he was poleaxed and was down receiving treatment for some time eventually resuming with head swathed in bandages( shades of Croasdale just one match previous!).

The upshot of this was that a potent County raid had been thwarted- I felt unfairly but Referee Craig Hicks thought otherwise .

Nevertheless ,County seemed to be invigorated by the ease with which they had carved open the home defences and attacked in numbers almost immediately, Walsall looking to have no answer to the blues cool precision .

I say `no answer` but White did well under pressure to beat Horsfall to the ball as Bardsley`s free kick pinged into the box.

That was the 10^th minute, another 3 and County were back again Collar on the end of a fine pass from Madden but unlucky to see the keeper deflect his header behind for the first of 2 corners- the action ending with both Croasdale and Hippolyte missing the target with shots.

I was liking what I was seeing and more so as Collar again had the away end buzzing with a powerful run that was rounded off with a superb shot. It was a goal all the way but Walsall`s M.O.M Owen Evans flung himself to his left to push the ball round the post.

The excitement dimmed a little for 5 minutes or so although both sides probed earnestly for an opening.

Then the tackles started to get a tad iffy from Walsall but Bardsley recovered well from his mugging to send another fine free kick into the danger zone- somehow managing to end the raid with a shot when the kick was re-cycled his way- it flew over the bar, but confirmed the good impression he was making.

There was a growing irritation with the officials, particularly the main stand liner with the red/ yellow flag who was seemingly `making it up as he went along` a series of highly debatable flaggings and a good few `look the other ways` could have cost us dearly- they didn`t only due to County`s continued quality and determination to wait their moment and stand firm!

Rydel went close put through by Hippolyte`s brilliant through ball, but thus far County`s luck at the sharp end was out.

The half hour mark saw Walsall momentarily appear to shrug off their chains, as Earing sent the on-form Tom Knowles surging clear with only Hinchliffe to beat. He would score wouldn`t he? Well, no as the County keeper spread himself to save the eventual shot brilliantly with his legs!

That was a quality save the more so as Ben had hardly been overworked up until that point.

If Walsall were beginning to feel their blood tingling in their veins following that near success, they would have been miffed to see Liam Bennetts tasty run down the right halted by a glorious slider from Croasdale- and a subsequent shot by the same player saved by the on-song County keeper!

Midst all this there was no missing the fact that County looked to be by far the better of the 2 sides, they just had to apply a finish to their superior approach play!

Thankfully we did not have to wait too long for that `moment` I mentioned earlier to materialise.

The move started with Collar who hastened the ball on to Wright who had got forward nicely. A few moments due consideration and Akil sent his cross straight to Wootton who did what he does…did not panic…took his time before coolly slotting an immaculate finish home.

County had their lead and how the away end celebrated!

Hinchliffe made a couple of confident saves shortly after as Walsall replied, but County continued to look the more lethal on the ball, Madden hitting the bar with 5 minutes left of normal time with a header from another fine cross by Bardsley.

Danny Johnson won a couple of corners for Walsall – Daniels eventually shooting wide after good work by Madden had helped keep our hosts out.

Six minutes added time came and went without any change to the score line- it was half time and a decent half`s work it had been too from the blues !

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The re-start saw changes in Walsall`s line up as James- Taylor and Maddox replaced Gordon and Earing.

These looked to be attacking moves but no immediate change in the home side`s fortunes seemed imminent as a result indeed Kinsella did well, just 2 minutes in, to thwart what was shaping like a tasty move by County.

Walsall did have their moments around this time but no success as Monthe shot wide after Hinchliffe had made another fine save to deny Knowles- Bardsley adding to our hosts discomfiture with a snortingly good tackle to halt Hutchinson.

Bardsley followed that last action up at the other end of the park where his volley was mere inches away from doubling County`s lead.

That was the 53^rd minute, the 54^th saw Madden well and truly mugged in the box getting absolutely no response from liner or ref both of whom were in close attendance!

I was still seething from that one when County attacked again- Madden sadly just unable to get a touch to Rydel`s well hit cross with the goal gaping.

An attempted reply by Walsall came to a halt via a poor headed effort by Monthe, that set County up for a counterattack and it was a belter!

The ball flew swiftly from Madden to Wootton and then on to Hippolyte who began manoeuvres for a shot on goal. In short order he turned goal ward only for the keeper to bring him down.

Well, it looked a cast iron penalty….. I would have given it for sure, but Mr Hicks did not – a really poor decision!

Encouragingly however County`s attacking verve did not diminish -Madden seeing a decent shot charged down by one of 6 or 7 white shirted defenders in the box following terrific work in the build up by Collar and Wootton.

Happily, within a minute of that last action County scored again as Wootton produced a fantastic header to direct Collar`s cross home after good work and another incisive cross by Wright had set it up.

County for the second match running had a 2-0 lead and again DC rang the changes bringing Brown and Lewis on for Johnson and Bardsley within a minute of the second goal following up 7 minutes later by replacing Madden and Rydel with Sarcevic and MacDonald..

Thinking maybe that this was a touch early I looked on anxiously to see if County`s rhythm was adversely affected, reassured by the sight of Hinchliffe clawing a dipper from Bennett from the skies just 4 minutes later.

It was shortly after when a local numpty eluded the stewards to remonstrate with Daniel in the middle of the park- it was pure Xmas panto but Widow Twanky on this occasion was eventually led away by a clutch of stewards and others .

Did we need that? Definitely not, and it would add to the added time for certain!

If the frequency of County attacks was less than earlier the blues defending and command of the situation was a continuing constant and when they did attack it was with intent and purpose and it took a poor foul by Kinsella on Croasdale to stop them. Mr Hicks played the advantage rule well on this occasion and awarded us a free kick in a scoreable position when no advantage accrued to County, but MacDonald`s kick was nicely saved by Evans.

The 79th minute saw MacDonald dart clear- it was half chance, he could have taken a shot …didn`t but his attempt to tee up Wootton`s hattrick was thwarted by Daniels intervention.

County kept it going following solid defending with incisive counter attacks and Wootton was again unlucky to see a decent header fly just wide on 83 minutes.

It went on with added time approaching- Wootton kept from Collar`s cross by Williams….Hippolyte felled in the box by Allen with no redress from Mr Hicks!

With 4 minutes left I thought a third goal might be on as Hippolyte took command sliding a lovely ball in the path of the advancing Sarcevic. This was a chance ,but Sarcevic fluffed it his effort totally failing to test the keeper.

Brown went close with another free kick smack on 90 minutes after Collar had been replaced by Crankshaw , going off to an ovation!

Walsall kept pegging away looking…. hoping for a chance to show itself but County were never going to relax their grip no matter which collection of individuals were wearing the blue and white!

Indeed DC`s boys wanted a third goal and true to form Crankshaw almost produced it, his pacy run taking him round the keeper only for the moment to be ruined by Knowles who tracked back to clear at the vital moment.

That was more or less it- a class performance by County had secured another vital 3 points against the form team of the division- sensational stuff that did wonders for the morale of 1174 souls who had made the trip up the M6 and supported their team so well.

Well done all, see you on SUNDAY !!!!!! at Grimsby then for more of the same!

Walsall line up:-

Evans, White, Gordon ( James- Taylor 45), Daniels, Monthe, Kinsella, Knowles, Earing ( Maddox 45), Hutchinson ( Williams 73), Bennett ( Allen 73), Johnson ( Wilkinson 62).

Subs not used : Comley, McEnter.

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Wright, Horsfall, R Johnson ( Brown 67), Bardsley ( Lewis 67), Rydel (Mac Donald 74), Croasdale, Collar ( Crankshaw 89), Hippolyte, Madden ( Sarcevic 74), Wootton.

Subs not used: Jones, Barugh.

Attendance 6455 ( 1174)

Hedgegrower

First off some phone camera images from hedgegrower:-