Leyton Orient 0 Stockport County 3 ( Football League 2 ) Saturday 29 April 2023

( Allwords and images by hedgegrower- Andrew Machin`s images NOW ADDED)

Wow…. what a day …what a performance and didn`t the weather respond appropriately as Brisbane Road was in danger of melting away with Saharan style temperatures matching those under the roof of the East Stand that housed County`s ultimately jubilant supporters.

Their jubilation was totally justified as County pulled out a win right out of the top draw to impudently smash newly declared Champions Leyton Orient convincingly 3-0.

It was quite simply brilliant -County stunning the table topping champs with two goals within the game`s first 10 minutes. Wright and Camps scored them, but both had Hussey`s imprint in them somewhere and I made him my M.O.M in 90 odd minutes featuring a team full of County heroes!

We perhaps expected County to if not `ease back` but maybe come under greater pressure in a widely anticipated second half response from Richie Wellens team, but whereas there was a significant increase in forward motion and impetus from the men in red shirts those in blue continued to stick to their task to the letter never really giving Orient a sniff before Evans headed County`s third from another glorious free kick from Hussey with 8 minutes left.

That made the game safe, but we were not sure about happenings elsewhere and it was depressing to hear earlier that Northampton had equalised against Bradford.

But don`t you just love a last-minute goal? And that`s just what came the Yorkshire team`s way in that game`s last gasp to keep County in the running for an automatic promotion place and set off wild celebrations from the large Blue & White Army who had supported their team superbly throughout.

As I said earlier…….Wow !

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The game was preceded by much jubilation and celebration by the locals and County played their part forming a guard of honour for our hosts as they took the field.

The locals were still singing `Championese` as Stretton almost silenced them latching onto an early loose ball from Orient.

That came to nothing sadly, but Stretton fared, better next forcing a corner. Hussey`s kick was headed out by Pratley but only back to Hussey whose cross was set upon by a clutch of blue shirts Wright taking the honours heading down and into the net beyond Vigouroux`s attempts to keep it out on the line- triggering huge celebrations by County`s supporters!

It was those County supporters who had done the majority of the singing so far and that goal just fanned the flames of that one nicely!

It also induced great confidence from County who looked anything but second best- Hussey pinging another teaser goalward where Beckles got his head to it heading it beyond the box, but again Orient’s luck was out as the ball fell at Camps feet and a shot of blistering power gave the keeper no chance at all and County a 2-0 lead with just 10 minutes played!

Both teams had their moments in the next 10 minutes -Knoyle missing out for County whilst James and Smyth for Orient found County`s back line firmly in control.

The midway point of the half saw the home defence stretched fully by a probing ball from Lewis that won the blues a corner.

Cue another posse of eager men in blue shirts wanting nothing more than to spoil Vigouroux`s day , but when Wright looked set to repeat his earlier exploit with another scoring header from Hussey`s flag kick, he missed out, the ball running on to Tanto who was foiled in the act of getting a shot off by a blast of Mr Woolmer`s whistle- Orient had a free kick and some relief!

Time for something, at last, from Orient but Mc Cart`s shot was cleared off the line by Horsfall.

It went nip /tuck for a while next- Lewis heading wide from Hussey`s free kick for County…..McCart hooking wide after Orient had flattered to deceive by winning a couple of corners in quick succession.

County were defending really well, none more so than Croasdale and Hussey, but as the duo dealt brilliantly with a brief sortie initiated by Sotiriou for Orient , Croasdale was clattered by the petulant forward who was lucky to escape firmer punishment from the referee than he managed to dole out.

County continued to look the better of the 2 sides on view, but despite engineering a neat break, Stretton shot tamely into the keeper`s arms with half time nearing.

Then we went into added time with County defending – what looked like a perfectly good tackle on Smyth by Hippolyte `rewarded` with an Orient free kick and it was central and not far outside the box and therefore scoreable in my view.

Tom James seemingly had the same view of the situation and leathered a sweet strike goalward where a slight deflection made it even more awkward an effort to deal with for Hinchliffe, but he was in top notch nick diving to his right to make a superb save keeping it at 2-0 as the team`s trouped off at half time!

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Madden was on for Tanto when the game re-started after the break with Orient attacking. Smyth was chief instigator for our hosts, Croasdale eventually clearing the ball after Horsfall had seen the initial cross by the Orient number 7 off.

Five minutes into the half Lewis shot wide from a corner for County but the match was a good deal less threatening on the nerve ends now the next play of note coming on 57 minutes again from Orient`s Smyth whose run had possibilities even when he pulled the ball back inside, until Moncur saw his shot blocked in determined fashion by Croasdale who was vying with Hussey in my view for M.O.M.

County replied -Vigouroux doing well to hold onto a shot from Knoyle after Camps had put him clear.

A welter of personnel changes followed from Orient on the hour, but the re-shuffle did not look to be making inroads into County`s apparent superiority – Hippolyte and Stretton unlucky not long after their pressure just missing out at the last gasp.

Another minute ushered in another raid from the southern side and again it was Smyth doing the heavy lifting – an Exocet from him looking to have lethality about it until Hinchliffe intervened and his spectacular one-handed save brought this season`s Champions down to earth!

But they kept at it – Sotiriou threatening a break until his interest waned with the arrival of Lewis on the scene-I loved it!

I was less enamoured with the next action as Mr Woolmer allowed the dangerous Smyth to continue his run after receiving the ball whilst clearly offside. I was not alone seething quietly in the East Stand, but I feared the worst as his run continued.

Smyth then repeated his unsuccessful move earlier pulling the ball back to someone notionally better positioned to take full advantage than he was. It was Kelman this time, but he did no better than had Moncur before him dragging a poor effort wide.

Hussey had been in the mix to put Kelman off, and in reply the County defender took a late one that looked to have a worrying effect for a while at least.

With Evans on for Stretton County went looking to push Orient back – a throw doing just that and the award of a free kick, albeit one wide right, promised to increase our opponent’s angst.

And so it was as Knoyle and Hussey mimed a pre- kick debate when we all knew it was bang in Hussey`s range and sure enough, eventually he took it, the ball seeming to float on gossamer wings to where the predatory substitute Connor Evans lurked. It needed finishing though and Evans had the necessary in his underused locker heading sweetly home to increase County`s lead and pretty much make the game safe for DC`s men!

With County`s support winning the off field battle of the day, County contented themselves with a professional job in what remained of this terrific game- Lewis in position with a neat defensive header as the Orient corpse twitched with a couple of minutes of normal time left.

We went into added time with Orient still seeking something…..anything…from the wreckage of what should have been 100% a day of celebration for them, instead it was the noisy Cheshire hordes who were living it up big time!

Orient pressed…so Evans and then Croasdale emerged to run the ball clear to applause.

Credit to Smyth though he was still running at the sharp end in a lost cause forhis team- Hussey blocking his cross on 92 minutes -Rob Hunt lifting the subsequent loose ball high over the bar.

The games dying embers saw Davenport on for Hippolyte, and 16-year-old Ashton Mee on for a debut appearance.

The game was soon over, the cheers of the County faithful rising to a crescendo upon the news that Bradford City had snatched a last-minute winner against Northampton keeping us in the automatic promotion race.

If we win on May 8 against Hartlepool, and Northampton lose or draw we are up I think, and in any event we have now nailed down a play-off place.

This has been a hard slog and a typically heavy call on County supporters` nervous systems.

We would not have it any other way though would we ? The team have done us proud for the most part and I cannot help thinking they have more of the same for us and soon!

Leyton Orient line up :-

Vigouroux , James ( Archibald 74 ) , Smyth , Sotiriou , Moncur ( Driman 58), El Mizouni , Pratley ( Kelman 58) , Beckles , Hunt , Mc Cart ( Happe 74), Sadler ( Brown 58).

Subs not used : Sargeant , Clay.

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle , Wright , Horsfall , Lewis , Hussey , Camps ( Mee 93) , Croasdale , Hippolyte ( Davenport 93) , Olaofe ( Madden 45), Stretton ( Evans 70) .

Subs not used : Jaros , Byrne , R Johnson .

Attendance :

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