Stockport County 1 Hartlepool United 1 ( Football League 2 ) Monday 8 May 2023

County disappointed another large Edgeley Park crowd today with an under-par performance that saw them share the points with already relegated Hartlepool United.

In the end it did not matter as Northampton made short work of Tranmere Rovers challenge at Prenton Park thus a win would have made not the slightest difference to the situation- Jon Brady`s side would have gone up, but it would have been a morale booster ahead of a perilous tilt at the play offs.

And the day, despite constant dispiriting rain started so well as Hannah Stewart`s magnificent bronze statue of Danny Bergara was unveiled at 10 am in front of a large crowd on the Cheadle End Car Park- the result of a heart-warming cooperation twixt the Supporters Cooperative, Help the Hatters and the Bergara Family.

So, we all felt ready for what the rest of the day offered us……

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The good vibes did not immediately melt away and it was good to see that we were attacking the Railway End first off- but first to show was Kiernan of Pool who looked intent on testing us down our left flank- County`s defences held firm though and no alarm bells were rung as a consequence.

Indeed, things looked up as Camps sent Stretton dashing clear 3 minutes later winning the blues an early corner which saw Camps go close the hot flying out beyond the far post.

Then we watched as the visitors began to spend time in County`s half, Ferguson forcing a corner for Pool with County under pressure.

Hussey then Horsfall made decent defensive headers following this, but it did not stem the tide that needed the Danny Stand liner`s upraised flag to thwart Pool as Kiernan was ruled offside.

Overall Hartlepool had shown up better than expected in the first 10 minutes, could we hope for something from County that would put their resistance down?

Well, Hippolyte gave us a hint that we could ,stealing possession nicely before sending Tanto clear to win another corner but disappointment followed when Horsfall`s header was cleared off the line apparently ending County`s interest.

Hang on though, did I say ` ending County`s interest`? Not a bit of it they were back on the attack in numbers next Hussey being upended just outside the box ushering in a usefully placed free kick.

But it was cleared although this did not affect County`s attacking desires they were buzzing hungrily around and about the Pool last third and something good looked maybe just around the corner.

Hippolyte`s shot midst this flurry of County attacking was at first held then let slip by Killip the Hartlepool keeper.

The corner did not improve matters for Killip who blundered again spilling the ball under pressure from Horsfall who bundled the ball into the net giving County the lead- except it didn`t as the Hatters celebrations were cut short by a consultation between Mr Reeves the Referee and his Pop Side liner which resulted in the `goal` being ruled out.

Being one who still remembers vividly Ken Grieves` maltreatment at the hands of West Ham in the fifties , it constantly irks the way that modern keepers get ultra protected and this was another case of that for me!

Play then started to drift a bit after this with Pool encouraged to keep having a go at pushing County back. They might have done better than they did on 21 minutes as with no one on him at all Featherstone sent the tamest of shots lolloping harmlessly into Hinchliffe`s waiting arms.

County`s slow build up play was not aiding their cause that much and they were lucky 5 minutes later that ex Hatter Connor Jennings lost his footing when played clear saving the blues blushes.

That said they started to put things in better order in the last 15 minutes of the half- Tanto just beaten to a Camps through ball at the last gasp with 12 minutes of the half left.

Another minute and another half chance but this time Killip excelled himself diving to push Stretton`s fiercely struck shot around the post.

But 60 seconds on from that action play switched ends forcing Horsfall to take emergency measures to stop Hamilton from making something of Jennings` searching pass.

County broke up the park from this winning a free kick wide right but this was not one of Hussey`s best allowing Pool to clear their lines.

But County kept pressing and as Camps headed inside across the box, he was brought down allowing Mr Reeves to point to the spot confirming that County had a penalty.

This time County`s joy was not cruelly curtailed as with Killip going one-way Camps sent the ball the other and it was 1-0 to County!

That saw County in at the break still 1-0 up and seemingly in as good a position as they might reasonably be in notwithstanding the very large elephant that is Northampton`s presence on the Wirral.

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Half time brought with it some heartening stuff coriographed expertly to perfection by Steve Bellis who in a lovely uplifting few minutes introduced us to the Bergara Family , Mr Zabala the Uruguayan Embassador to the UK and Glenn Taylor who got a rousing reception from the County faithful, and lots more .

These 2 images from Andrew Machin :-

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It was back to low intensity stuff from both sides as play resumed after the break- the torpor interrupted as Hinchliffe had to take emergency sweeper action to block Cooke on 51 minutes.

Matters were beginning to get a touch concerning now – Kiernan was blocked well enough by Horsfall but there was a certain lethargy about County`s play that must have encouraged Hartlepool.

They needed to shake themselves or be shaken by a substitution or two and within 3 minutes that is what happened with Madden and Evans replacing Stretton and Lewis.

The hour mark saw Killip make a good catch under pressure from a Hussey corner but generally I found myself still thinking that County needed to wake up and at least try to add to their precarious lead, but they didn`t in fact they were in doze mode for sure when Cooke seized onto a through ball whilst totally unmarked.

It was an awful moment and Cooke made it worse by burying his shot beyond Hinchliffe`s dive with still no one challenging him.

It was 1-1…our lead had disappeared along with our automatic promotion chances as word came in that Northampton were winning against Tranmere.

A couple of County corners came and went with nothing to show for them next- then Horsfall had to look sharp to stop Cooke from getting to Hamilton`s pass with 20 minutes left to play.

After all that I have written earlier in this piece, it has to be conceded that despite any criticisms I might have, late on County did come up with a clutch of decent efforts that on another day might have produced better results.

The first of these came on 72 minutes when Tanto refused to give the ball away instead pinging it to the back post where Camps lurked menacingly. Camps headed the ball back to Madden and it looked all over 2-1 to County until somehow Killip produced a stunning save to thwart the County number nine.

County queued for a shot at goal for a while after that last action but without as much as a scintilla of good fortune, their task made more angst ridden when Hamilton wellied the ball clear.

Pressure began to build on Pool now – Hussey`s cross blocked by Pruti. But Knoyle fared better and was well clear and in sniffing distance of Killip`s after shave when he blasted a shot goalward. Again, I would have laid odds that that one would have gone in but there was no doubt at all that Killip had definitely located his mojo and a truly top notch save from him broke County hearts with 14 minutes left!

I was getting confident again, but it did not last as Jennings sent Dodds in on goal. He just missed out, but not by that much!

With 7 minutes to go Challinor replaced Croasdale with Collar as County sought to get that much needed second goal.

No one battled harder or longer than M.O.M Hussey but when he won a free kick in impressive style he then overhit it – Madden working well to retrieve the situation lofting the ball back across the face of goal to where a certain amount of North Eastern confusion reigned , against which Wright strove to profit, but in so doing he appeared to be brought down but Mr Reeves was oblivious to all County`s pleadings- no penalty and it stayed 1-1!

County`s hopes were upped a tad next as handball by a defender ushered in a late free kick with added time almost on us.

Despite much effort a multitude of crosses and misplaced headers it stayed 1-1 as 5 minutes added time was announced.

County piled it on from this point- cue example 3 as Camps crashed a thunderous drive goalward on 92 minutes, only to see Killip make another brilliant save to keep his side on level terms.

On it went with Ferguson keeping Knoyle from a fizzing bucking rip rap of a ball by Camps at the back post.

It was a corner of course and Hussey sent this unerringly to where Madden lurked just beyond the back post. Dolan was on Madden`s case at the time but seemed to have a hand to ball moment under pressure.

I was half expecting Mr Reeves to rule a spot kick out, but he confounded my cynicism by awarding a penalty.

Cue- everybody on their feet in the Cheadle End as we looked to see who would take it. Surely there would be no debate- Madden would do the biz, but no….up stepped Camps and he disappointed with the limpest of spot kicks that Killip kept out with ease.

There was an almighty scramble from the corner that followed on from this, but by now we sensed that a second goal was a lost cause.

There was longer left than I anticipated – time enough for Hinchliffe to go long…..for Tanto to be ruled offside before the game was over and we trouped off home.

County got a decent reception after the game from the supporters and rightly so- their first season back in the FL has been a bit of a roller coaster ride but definitely it is no mean feat to finish fourth being fresh from the National League.

The play-offs are a lottery to some extent, but all County can do is try to bring their best game with them, and all we can do is support them win or lose!

Stockport County line up :=

Hinchliffe , Knoyle, Wright , Horsfall , Lewis ( Evans 57) , Hussey , Croasdale ( Collar 83) , Camps , Hippolyte , Olaofe , Stretton ( Madden 57).

Subs not used : Jaros , Byrne , Rydel , C Johnson.

Hartlepool United line up :=

Killip , Kiernan ( Grey 60), Dodds , Dolan , Pruti , Ferguson , Featherstone , Crawford , Cooke , Hamilton , Jennings .

Subs not used: Stolarczk , Foran , Darcy , Stephenson , Storey , Umerah.

Attendance : 10118 ( 584)

hedgegrower

some images from hedgegrower largely from his phone camera….