Harrogate Town 1 Stockport County 3 ( Football League 2 ) Saturday 11 February 2023

(image by Andrew Moxon )

 

 

 

(  Words by hedgegrower, header image by Andrew Moxon, all other images by hedgegrower)

 

County continued their improved form with a very satisfactory 3-1 win over Harrogate Town at Wetherby Road today with goals by Hippolyte, Olaofe and Collar.

It was a win without skipper Paddy Madden who was side-lined through injury, but this gave Tanto Olaofe his chance up front and he took it rather impressively capping a pugnacious performance with County`s second goal.

If the victory was not quite perfect (they let Town back into it for a time in the second half) it was decent enough and keeps us in seventh and well set for a realistic challenge for the available promotion spots.

Along with Olaofe County were brim full of star performers, tops for me being Hippolyte , Wootton and Knoyle who a did shifts laced with quality!

 The results elsewhere were encouraging also so a repeat of today , without the second half temporary loss of focus, on Tuesday evening against Crawley will reinforce the conviction of many that our challenge has real substance!

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Back at kick off time, the writer was in good humour awaiting the start of the game.

A tranquil journey to Yorkshire via M60/ M1 / A1M set the whole thing up nicely as did a rather superb, if somewhat under sized, pork pie purchased inside Wetherby Road where the caterers had apparently learned from our last visit.............

 

 

 

.............. it was excellent, and I was ready for the match to start.

County were first to show and kept the initial impetus going in such a manner as to suggest a good day at the office was on the cards for the blues today.

The best move came 4 minutes in as Wootton`s deft flick on allowed Croasdale a shot on goal that Harrogate keeper Jameson pushed around a post for a corner.

Jameson did well again from the corner beating Olaofe to the ball bravely.

Already Olaofe was looking a real find, his run sending Hippolyte clear down the left. Wootton was picked out from this, but it ended disappointingly when Referee Darren Drysdale saw a `foul` by someone in blue and white.

That was the 6^TH minute, the 7^th saw a reply by Foulds for Town, but a promising run ended with only a corner which the redoubtable County captain Ryan Croasdale tidied up.

Back came County, but Olaofe`s run was foiled by Jameson`s solid anticipation between the sticks for our hosts.

A period of County pressure followed- Wright seeing his dangerous run halted on the edge of the box by Grant`s foul. Mr Drysdale was to issue bookings for `offenses`, much less severe than this one later, but he was content giving the blues a free kick.

This might just have been enough in the way of redress had Lady Luck`s favourite fashion accessory not been swinging our way at the time, and Jameson again did well to push Camps` kick around the post as a result. To thoroughly depress the away following he snaffled the corner when it sailed over from the right as well!

There was a brief rally from Town next started with Hinchliffe claiming Foulds` dangerous cross having switched flanks.

Another minute…another raid by Simon Weaver`s side and it came from arguably their best performer Kazeem Olaigee who was not that far away with a shot as he cut inside down the right.

Add a header by Pattison from a corner on 16 minutes and that signalled the end of the home side`s attempt to shift the balance of play in their direction for now anyway.

They were still trying however, but Burrell rather forgot the basics when seeking to push County back again and over elaboration on his part played right into the predatory Hippolyte`s hands!

In a trice the County number 21 had the pill……then he hadn`t as he had set up the first part of a brilliant 1…2 with Wootton who obliged with an immaculate return which Hippolyte buried beyond anything Jameson could do to stop it.

County had the lead they desired and how their supporters celebrated in response!

Sustained County pressure followed the goal and Hippolyte was particularly unlucky with a dipping 30 yard volley on 28 minutes that had Jameson fumbling uncharacteristically to keep it out on the line!

It was looking good for County and a second goal looked imminent especially when the home back line dozed off half an hour in. Taking instant advantage Olaofe set Camps up with a neat lay off only to see Jameson make a surprisingly comfortable save to keep it at 1-0.

The blue hegemony continued unchallenged with Wootton the unlucky one next as O`Connor headed his goal bound effort off the line on the end of some confident football from the blues.

Then O`Connor `s foul on Wootton looked about to see County get their second via the free kick that was not that far out. It looked on for a shot but instead it was played sideways by Hussey and the push that followed was repelled by the home back line.

No matter back came the blues through Wright whose surging run won County a corner.

A massive scramble followed and multiple shots on goal, all but one cleared at the last gasp by someone in yellow.

The ` but one` belonged to Tanto Olaofe who slotted the ball home with maximum cool to double County`s lead!

It was also Tanto`s first goal for County- probably the first of many!

County piled it on after this with Byrne joining the forwards looking for that third goal.

With half time approaching I was getting somewhat annoyed at the refs refusal to penalise Burrell for multiple fouls on Wootton.

It went on with County pressing and Olaofe seeing  another effort kept out on the line this time by Eastman……then Jameson saving from Hippolyte at the death.

We had to be content therefore with 2-0….and we were, that was a good return against a team reportedly enjoying a renaissance in recent weeks !

 

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When the teams returned for the second half Harrogate had two changes  to show as Muldoon and Sutton took the places of Grant and Daly- the action opening with Byrne making a good block to see off Armstrong.

Both teams were back to searching one another out- Hippolyte winning possession for County but seeing his pass to Collar end with a comfortable save by Jameson.

County were trying to build and maintain pressure but already it was looking like Town`s fresh legs were having an impact on proceedings and just before the hour they `freshened up` again bringing Angus & Thomson on for Falkingham and the misfiring Burrell.

County went close on 59 minutes, but it was noticeable generally that passes were starting to go astray where earlier they had found their man, and this had a galvanising effect on our hosts.

Additionally, Mr Drysdale booked a couple of County players – Olaofe undeservedly for the most innocuous of challenges- the referee seeking to justify his decision by pointing to 3 other spots on the park where we were asked to believe presumably that Olaofe had committed fouls previously. My conclusion was he had confused Tanto with Wootton who had tangled with the awful Burrell ad nauseum , The other booking on Croasdale was less controversial.

Harrogate`s free kick for the second of the 2 bookings was poor and Knoyle ran this clear looking dangerous as he surged through the middle only to run out of gas just outside the box.

Then with County continuing to struggle to put together coherent moves they paid the price as Olaigee ran at them . The situation called for someone in blue and white…anyone to put their body where it mattered and welly the ball anywhere. They didn`t and Olaigee`s run ended with the ball going in off Hinchliffe to make it 2-1.

For a time after this things did not improve much for County who were again forced onto the back foot by Foulds- the liner`s flag for offside coming to our aid.

With 20 minutes to go signs of a County resurgence surfaced as another run from deep by Knoyles put the skids under the home side briefly.

At this point County made a change replacing Olaofe with Rydel.

Straight away the Hippolyte/ Rydel combo was sparking down the left, Hippolyte feeding Wootton who’s shot unfortunately cleared the bar.

If I was pleased with that, I was overjoyed next to see the same combo swing into action again as Hippolyte stole possession impishly before spreading play left, via Camps,to Rydel who turned inside before delivering a fizzing wrecking ball of a cross to the back post where Collar met it with the sweetest of headers that gave Jameson no chance- it was 3-1 to County!.

After that it was back to panic stations at the `largely unoccupied Myrings Terrace end where Stretton only just missed out on the end of a Wootton flick on – Rydel faring similarly seeing Jameson dive to push his shot just far enough out for Eastham to hack clear.

On it went with Camps shooting wide from a Rydel free kick with 5 minutes of normal time left to play.

Another minute and Thomson headed behind in extremis after superb hold up play by Wootton had pushed Town back.  Eastham headed the incoming corner out but only to Hippolyte who sadly sent his volley over the bar.

County kept pressing…looking for another goal but Stretton was beaten to the ball by Jameson on the end of Hippolyte`s  seriously good ball. There was a hint that the keeper was outside the box when handling the ball on this one but that was never going to fly at all with this set of officials.

Credit to Town, they had a late/late go again winning a corner in the process but only succeeding in setting County up with a breakaway  from it that saw Stretton`s run from deep halted just beyond half way.

Four minutes added time offered much and Wright looked about to deliver it for County with a searing run onto Stretton`s pass that took him within sniffing distance of Jameson’s after shave, but he could not force the ball home!

Add a Collar effort from a half chance that carried the bar and that was the game sorted.

The points were ours- a very satisfactory result that made County`s travelling support very happy indeed !

More of the same on Tuesday evening against Crawley Town at Edgeley Park will make them even happier.

Here`s to that then- be there to cheer them on if you can!

 

Harrogate Town line up:-

Jameson, Falkingham ( Angus 58), Burrell ( Thomson 58), Grant  ( Muldoon 45), Olaigee , O`Connor , Pattison, Daly ( Sutton 45), Armstrong, Foulds, Eastman.

Subs not used : Oxley, Folatin, McArdle.

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Knoyle ( Lewis 88), Wright , Byrne, Hussey, Hippolyte, Croasdale ( Stretton 78), Camps, Collar, Wootton, Olaofe ( Rydel 72).

Subs not used: Jaros, Evans, Rowe, Grayson.

 

Attendance  : 2404

hedgegrower

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