Stockport County 2 Crawley Town 1 ( Football League 2) Tuesday 14 February 2023

( All words by hedgegrower, crowd shots by Andrew Machin & hedgegrower, plus 2 action shots by Michael Shoard )

Well, County did it…come away with 3 vital points, but last nights` performance against Scott Lindsey`s Crawley Town was far from pretty, County having to claw their way back from 1 down to take the points via 2 Kyle Wootton goals.

We really needed this win, and I did think that after Saturday`s encouraging showing against Harrogate it would be something of a formality and we would punish Crawley for the 3-2 loss at their place in September!

It turned out to be anything but a formality and much of the credit for that must go to the visitors who did not come to defend producing instead some decent controlled football at times. They were aided of course in this by the lack lustre performance by County who were easily knocked off the ball and persisted in playing themselves into trouble when a moment`s thought and a decisive clearance were called for.

The first half was dreadful, the second hardly any better, but if we can take consolation from winning a game whilst playing so badly, we will have to up our game if we are to maintain our promotion challenge starting with Stevenage on Saturday and they will be formidable opponents.

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Back at kick off time I was confident we would win this one ….3-0 I thought but this would come back to bite me when reality kicked in.

Indeed, County were under the cosh from the off, an early Crawley corner requiring work off Hinchliffe to see it off.

( image by Michael Shoard )

County did sort a chance for themselves next, but this foundered on keeper Corey Addai`s prompt action in saving from Knoyle after Camps and Wootton had turned defence into attack.

When County had possession in advanced forward positions something looked on, but mostly the blues were making life more difficult for themselves contriving to lose possession whilst trying to play from the back when threatened by a bevy of white shirts.

The sixth minute underlined this as a Crawley throw was allowed to run to Telford who was in oodles of space. It was a chance for sure but the shot when it came flew over the bar.

We had escaped, but not for long and it took Town just 2 minutes to punish us for a repeat of the insistence on playing neat football when at least 50% of the shirts in the vicinity were white. Sure enough one poor pass started the rot in earnest followed by a tackle from behind on Nadesan that saw Croasdale unsurprisingly in Referee Haines` book.

That was worrying but worse followed immediately and County`s laxity was punished with clanging great knobs on as Powell thrashed a superb free kick beyond Hinchliffe`s dive into the net- we were 0-1 down after just 8 minutes!

County replied quickly enough but Olaofe `s shot cleared the bar on 10 minutes.

Then it was back to the blues looking distinctly fallible when the usually dependable Croasdale let possession slip through his grasp allowing white shirts in numbers to swarm into County`s last third like a pack of hungry jackals. It looked very iffy indeed as Gladwin lined up his shot, but thankfully Hussey was on the line to make a vital block and keep it at 0-1.

It was back to feeling better again next though as a mistake by Conroy for Town sent Olaofe darting to the by-line . His pull back from there was perfection and Wootton applied to it the finish it deserved giving Addai no chance at all- we were back on level terms!

County shaped somewhat better in the next 6 or 7 minutes but without ever looking likely to score again, indeed a terrific block by Wright kept Nadesan`s shot out a short while later as Crawley again took the game to County in a manner hardly reflective of an outfit without a single away win this season.

A corner followed and County struggled to contain the visitors eventually clearing up field after much toil and tribulation.

But Crawley were by no means done and Collar did really well to block a shot from Francillette midst a flurry of white shirted activity where it shouldn`t happen to be.

The 22nd minute saw the blues emerge to put some pressure on their opponents and a right royal scramble ensued as first Hippolyte then Collar had efforts kept out by Addai. The keeper`s save from Hippolyte was a particularly good one – we clearly had to be on top of our form to beat him!

But we weren`t , we were back to trying to play ourselves out of difficulties with an uncalled for display of cultured football that bit us fairly quickly and County were indebted to Hinchliffe as his save at the feet of the onrushing Gladwin kept the score level.

I looked for something better from County, but we got more of the same as passes again went astray and we were fortunate to see another effort by Gladwin just clear the bar beyond the half hour.

It went on- Camps to the rescue just a minute later as Crawley again put us under the cosh.

We needed to tighten up and not conceding free kicks was a vital part of this but we again gave Town a chance from another set piece as Camps fouled his man in front of the Danny Stand.

Sadly, it went on with Croasdale courting a second yellow with a poor tackle from behind on Telford right under the referee`s nose. This ushered in another free kick and in a centrally scoreable position but again Hinchliffe did the biz claiming the ball to stop the rot.

From this the County keeper sent it long to Olaofe who was unlucky not to squeeze our second goal of the night in.

Into the last 5 minutes of normal time we went with County again blotting their copy book with another foul by Camps that put us under more pressure- we survived this and mounted a lively attack but County heads went up in vain as the corner won by Knoyle flew over.

We were into added time now as both teams had a go- Hippolyte spraying his shot well wide after a run of County corners.

Crawley came back at us putting the blues under pressure again with half time almost on us, but the half ended with a late flurry of attacking from County from Hippolyte and Olaofe.

It was all in vain, it stayed 1-1 and I was surely not the only one in the 7000+ crowd glad it was half time!

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Unsurprisingly when the teams returned for the second half Rydel was on for Croasdale- the County number 17 `in it ` from the off sending Camps clear with a brilliant ball only to see the severely visually challenged Danny Stand liner raise his flag to a storm of disapproval from County fans!

So far County were shaping better -Wright`s run and pass to Hippolyte going unrewarded on the back of a decent save by Addai.

That was 5 minutes in, another minute and County had the lead as Hussey pinged a cross over to where Wootton lurked. Addai came at the County man as you would expect and the pair came together but this did not prevent Kyle from getting his head to the ball. I thought it would sail over the bar as the pair looked too close for Wootton`s effort to not do so, but I was wrong, and his looping header had the County support cheering loudly as the ball nestled nicely in the back of the net.

That was an excellent goal…..another excellent goal from Wootton who is on fire just now.

Then just 2 minutes later we looked like adding a third goal as Wright surged past his man to head for goal. It was a beautiful moment but one spoilt by the Danny Stand liner`s upraised flag- the man who would fail to stop play several times with the ball blatantly going out, was adamant- Wright was offside!

He wasn`t but there`s no gain in arguing this particular toss.

One of those ` ball out but play on` moments came next but from the Pop ide liner this time . Gordon was the player to gain from the official`s laxity but his cross was confidently gathered by Hinchliffe to keep it at 2-1.

There was time for substitute Harry Ransom to prevent Hussey`s free kick from adding to the score before it was `sharp intake of breath` time as Gordon again surged clear his shot thudding into a post before being scrambled to safety by County.

This pattern continued with County going close on 64 minutes before Gordon again turned play around stretching County to the limit with a run to the by-line down the right. It was one of those tantalising ` might have been` moments for Town though as Gordon`s cross fizzed and spluttered its way along the goal line without anyone in white being able to apply a finish!

County were able to wrest back some measure of control for a period after this – Lynch doing well to keep Rydel`s cross out following a County free kick- Francillette doing similarly to thwart excellent work by Hippolyte and Rydel.

( image by Michael Shoard )

Hippolyte kept the raid alive however with a neat pass to Knoyle who was clear- enter Danny Stand liner waving his flag( which he also used to whack Stretton later)for offside – chance gone!

Stretton was on for Tanto next who left to an ovation.

Wootton headed over on 77 minutes from a Knoyle corner with blue shirts queuing for a pot at goal.

Meanwhile Crawley kept plugging away looking for that equaliser- we definitely needed a County goal to dampen the visitors` enthusiasm.

End to end stuff followed -Hinchliffe doing well to thwart Crawley`s latest sortie up the park before Collar turned the left side of the Town defence apart with a run that had County supporters on their feet cheering. They were howling in protest though within seconds as Collar`s ball inside looked to have hit Conroy`s hand enroute, but the Referee was away with the fairies and Town were able to clear their lines.

County came under the cosh for much of what remained of the game as all bar Addai at times were in the County half pressing for that equaliser.

Three minutes added time past like 15 with County pushed back defending free kicks and throws and it was a bit of a struggle.

They held out however and Stretton did get clear at one point only for Addai to replicate Hinchliffe`s brave save of the first half with one of equal merit to thwart the popular County forward.

Eventually Mr Haines ended proceedings and boy were we relieved.

I have been critical in this piece but not unjustly I hope and I say at this point that I would not bet against County doing the biz against Stevenage on Saturday.

They will need our support of course so see you back at EP Saturday then !

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Wright, Byrne, Hussey , Knoyle , Hippolyte , Croasdale ( Rydel 45), Camps, Collar, Wootton, Olaofe ( Stretton 73).

Subs noy used : Jaros , Evans , R Johnson , Lewis , Grayson.

Crawley Town line up:-

Addai, Gordon , Conroy , Lynch , Powell , Nadesan , Francilltette , Telford , Gladwin ( Ransom 50) , Jenks ( Oteh 38), Fellows.

Subs not used: Schofield, Johnson , Spong , Ogungbo.

Attendance: 7020

hedgegrower

First some crowd shots from hedgegrower`s phone.....