Stockport County 0 Bradford City 0 ( Football League 2) Tuesday 24 January 2023

Edgeley Park was no place for the faint-hearted last night where County went head-to-head with Bradford City.

From the off there was far too much tension about the old place which resulted in good football being at a premium as both teams struggled to get the ball down and take a moment to think about things.

No, it was up and at `em from the first blast of Mr Coy`s whistle with both sets of players not willing to give an inch to their opponents and both defences more or less in control of matters.

County had a good few chances in a 10-minute period after the break to maybe have nicked this one, but then Bradford pressed a fair bit after this albeit without ever looking that likely to put any of the half chances that came their way away.

Long before the finish it looked a 0-0 result, but this only served to ratchet up the tension a notch or three with neither outfit fancying being caught out by a late breakaway goal.

In the end, press as both teams did the game stayed scoreless and it was hard to argue that that wasn`t about right given what had gone before.

For the blues Byrne deservedly took the M.O.M award his coolly assured play an outstanding feature of an otherwise hectic encounter, but I also liked the look of Kyle Knoyle who had a cracking game putting City under the cosh down the right.

Special mentions also for the inevitable and inimitable Croasdale who was epic as ever, and Johnno who recovered from a shaky start to battle on through head injury and a later whacking from a visiting side none too particular when it came to the game`s niceties.

I am guessing that DC will not be too disappointed with a point when the games ashes are raked over pre- Wimbledon although it would have been nice to answer all the iffy tackles with a goal at some point, but it was sadly not to be.

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There was much interest abounding come kick off time as a glance at the team sheet told us that DC had made just one change namely Knoyle for Sarcevic, and the starting 11 looked spot on for me. It was good to see Stretton take his place on the bench alongside Connor Jennings -intriguingly back with us from Altrincham.

Having already mentioned Johnson`s travails it was Wright who took the first involuntary period of treatment having sustained what looked like a head injury in pretty much Bradford`s first attack.

The next one saw Byrne calmly head clear under pressure, and I was suitably impressed to see him replicate the cool approach numerous times thereafter- what a signing!

The match was still only 2 minutes old when County`s first chance surfaced but it came to nothing when Knoyle fired high and wide from a Rydel cross.

Then Bradford replied – an early flurry of attacks promising the close on 1500 specs in the away end product that never quite materialised- Hinchliffe having no difficulty in making a good take to brush off Costelloe`s optimistic challenge on 4 minutes.

County began to nibble at and search for the visitors weak spot now but it was not yet apparent quite where that was, and Bradford kept nibbling away themselves, Hinchliffe doing well to beat Costelloe to an iffy back pass.

Bola teased for Bantams with a raking dipper from wide, but this flew out on 9 minutes.

Another 2 minutes and County`s next sortie up the park ended with Madden going to ground to cries of “penalty” but the Referee wasn`t impressed and I thought he was correct!

Wright did well to block Elsa with a fine tackle next before the fourteenth minute saw another great block this time by Johnson to stop Gilliead`s gallop and another 60 seconds brought us some more theatricals with the same Bradford man involved heavily.

It started with a long hopeful punt up field by Bantams which Crichlow headed down neatly to the visitors number eleven who promptly went down under pressure. We`ve seen `em given, but Mr Coy wasn`t convinced and told us so with an emphatic theatrical swinging of his arms- it was no pen!

Johnson then saw a header drift out following his link up with Rydel and I was far from convinced that keeper Harry Lewis for City had not fouled Collar when the two `came together` a yard or so out with the County man clearly through, but again the ref saw nothing untoward in the action!

For much of play Bradford were first to most 50/50`s but County kept plugging away – Wootton seeing a goal bound effort cleared off the line on 21 minutes from Johnson`s deep cross.

I liked Croasdale and Rydel`s work at this point under pressure and the former tried hard to bring Knoyle centre stage only for his cross to be wellied clear by someone in an amber and yellow shirt- a subsequent free kick ending up frustratingly in keeper Lewis`s arms.

We were heading for the break now and it was somewhat surprising to see the visitors shun whipping a corner in for one of umpteen beanpole Bantams to go for- instead they played it short giving Croasdale another chance to shine!

County came back at their opponents though forcing a couple of corners 3 minutes from the end of first half normal time, and things looked good when Wootton picked out Madden in the box only for it to go pear shaped with the sight of the Pop Side liner`s upraised flag- the County number nine was offside.

There was another long delay next after Johnson sustained a head injury via `a bit of a whacking` from someone in an amber and yellow shirt that left him looking none too clever in what remained of the half. Would DC opt for Hussey for the second half – it was a possibility, but we would see, meanwhile Johnno soldiered on bravely.

We went into added time still pondering that one and with growing concern at the liberties the visitors were taking with their tackling- Hippolyte the latest to take one from Smallwood. The free kick was cleared without too much problem by City , the half ending with the score still 0-0.

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It was great to see Alan Lord back at EP at half time getting a richly deserved fantastic reception from the big County following – a lovely man and a terrific coach and man manager who has served County magnificently over the years- don`t be shy Alan come back again soon!

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Play resumed in the second half with Byrne busying himself tidying up as Bradford looked for an early dividend- he was on top of his job!

That was good to see and there was no Hussey on the pitch as I lamely speculated earlier, DC having kept Johnson in place to Byrne`s left.

Good work by Wootton and Rydel ended some attacking by Bradford the former sending Rydel on a run that had the men in amber and yellow looking challenged. Rydel`s fizzing whizbang of a cross from this didn`t improve things for the Bantams and Madden was not the only one to think that County had a valid penalty claim turned down by Mr Coy .

Bradford wanted something from this game for sure, but Wright was in excellent nick and a great tackle from him stopped Oliver on the break, and Hinchliffe got in the act with a solid save to deny Elsa`s long range effort on 52 minutes.

But there then followed a period of significant pressure from County starting with good work by Rydel and a shot from the dangerous Knoyle that saw Lewis concede a corner with a neat save.

Crichlow headed the kick out only for the ball to come back again -Lewis again in action pushing Wootton`s header for another corner which County could make nothing of.

The pressure was on Bradford now big time and Lewis was grateful to get anything on the ball with blue shirted County players queueing for pot at goal- eventually the honour fell to Croasdale but his effort joined us in the Cheadle End.

Somehow it was still 0-0 despite a thunderous effort from Byrne that hit Crichlow in the midriff ( many thought hand, but that`s not what I saw).

The press continue from the blues helped by a free kick for yet another indiscretion by the men in amber and yellow but Bradford were served well by Platt who got his head to Rydel`s incomer easing his team`s angst a touch. I say `a touch` as County now had another corner and Knoyle took this interestingly picking Johnson out at the back post, but he planted his header wide.

Johnson`s angst then got worse as he took a fearful clattering from someone in amber and yellow, but he played on as did County increasing the pressure on City – Knoyle unlucky to see his shot fly out off a defender 63 minutes in.

A break by Gilliead ( seen off eventually by County) heralded a period of pressure from the visitors but without any of it looking likely to embarrass DC`s men who continued to look as calm and composed as they had at 7.45.

Soon enough, as a result, County emerged to counter the Bantam threat and Knoyle was again unlucky to lose out under pressure from Bola after Madden had put him clear.

More County pressure followed…..then another break by Gilliead who looked several miles offside but he was allowed to continue his run. It could have been a game changing moment- it wasn’t though thanks to County`s determination to keep the men in amber and yellow out, which they again did brilliantly.

Bradford pressed a bit after this during which the City manager was booked for impeding Knoyle as he was about to take a throw in and thus put pressure back on the visitors.

This County pressure was not a long time coming -Rydel`s run , with 10 minutes left, earning a corner which saw Smallwood ( who had clattered Madden moments earlier) in position to keep Johnson`s header out.

Somehow Bradford survived this onslaught!

Camps came on for Knoyle late on as Bradford came at County looking for that late/late shocker. They needed cool heads but instead they opted to go over the top most specifically Smallwood who left Hippolyte a badly rearranged collection of legs, arms and torso against the Pop Side barriers.

It looked his and Bradford`s worse foul yet and deserving of a red but Mr Coy went yellow with most County supporters unconvinced!

Into 4 minutes added time we went, the score still 0-0.

Bradford did have a chance at one point but Derbyshire fluffed this to give Ben his latest clean sheet and County a share of the points.

A point is not what we wanted from this but we will take it and move on to Plough Lane on Saturday hopefully with an unchanged side .

Hope to see you there!

Stockport County line up;-

Hinchliffe, Wright , Byrne, R Johnson, Knoyle ( Camps 83), Rydel, Hippolyte, Croasdale Collar, Madden, Wootton.

Subs not used: Jaros, Evans, Stretton, Hussey, C Jennings, Lewis.

Bradford City line up:-

Lewis, Halliday, Platt, Smallwood, Bola, Gilliead , Oliver ( Cook 81), Crichlow, Elsa, Costelloe ( Derbyshire 62), Clayton.

Subs not used: Doyle, Songo`o, East, Sutton, Nevers.

Attendance 8991( 1495)