All Things Stockport County

      County`s seemingly unstoppable charge towards League One came to an abrupt end at Wembley where a very competent Carlisle side came back from a goal down to level it late on before a nerveless display saw them gain promotion beating County 5-4 on penalties. It was a massive disappointment County having led until the 84 th minute when Patrick at last put one of many Carlisle chances away. I say `disappointment` but this was mitigated by the absence of the dark arts from the Cumbrians game – they looked second best for much of the match and then they didn`t as their constant pressure then had the blues hanging on at times getting lured into a reliance on high/ hopeful balls from deep and the assured passing of earlier in the game disappeared from their play. So, fair do`s…Carlisle toughed it out and played some decent football in seeing us off so let`s wish them well and look to go one better next season! ………………………………………..   For a time County`s early play matched the

      County stormed to Wembley on the back of a superb victory over media darlings Salford City via penalties at sun-baked Edgeley Park today. The game had pretty much everything …..heroes maybe Sarcevic, definitely Horsfall and Hinchliffe, and villains aplenty as the visitors also gave us a depressing display of the dark arts that had the hugely inadequate Referee Ben Toner dancing merrily to their every tune, booking 7 County men to 2 red shirted City players – a ludicrous miss-reading of the game that could have done for the blues on another day but today was special…very special indeed…. That said Salford looked the more dangerous of the 2 sides for much of the first half although County went closest to scoring through Madden who saw an effort come out off the woodwork at the death. But It was a game in which substitutions played a part- County looking decidedly better following theirs – Salford less so particularly when Smith was hooked late on! The goals were a mixed b