Stockport County 2 Salford City 1 ( County win 3-1on pens) League 2 Play Off Semi Final 2nd Leg ( Saturday 20 May 2023)

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 bag- a belting finish by Tanto from a Rydel pass giving County a lead they held until into added time when Mallan`s shot took a wicked deflection levelling the game but putting Salford 2-1 up on aggregate.

Many feared the worse for County`s chances at this point but they showed great inner strength and rallied against the odds to bring it to 2-2 with a Jack Stretton goal within 3 minutes.

Salford were battered in what remained of extra time without the score being altered so it was penalties and again not many inside Edgeley Park or watching on TV would have expected County to triumph and so resoundingly too as pens are hardly our speciality are they?

No matter, enter Hinchliffe with 2 terrific saves that teed Sarcevic to execute the coup de grace and the deed was done, and County had justifiably earned a place in the Wembley Final!

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Back at 12.30 you could cut the tension in the EP air with the proverbial knife – the old place was buzzing with over 10000 inside and with millions across the globe watching on TV ( Akito and Riichi were watching having hired a Kareoki room in Japan for the occasion- true County supporters!)

I was dismayed to see Croasdale was benched but felt slightly better seeing we were attacking the Railway End first off.

There were few surprises elsewhere it has to be said with heavy tackles coming in early doors from the men in red and as early as the 2^nd minute we watched in horror as Referee Ben Toner took to taking a lenient view of anything perpetrated by City and an opposite view when dealing with what mainly looked legitimate tackles by the blues.

Two minutes in and Salford had their first dubious free kick and then another within 60 seconds as Smith leapt, as if poleaxed, to the ground.

A revitalised Smith could then be seen on the end of the free kick deep in County territory, and blatantly offside but the liner`s flag stayed pointing to the ground at his side, so it was Smith`s birthday until Hinchliffe played party pooper for the first time today with a confident save.

The fifth minute saw Evans carted with not even a free kick awarded by the abject Ben Toner- Salford made to make merry on the back of Mr T`s largess but again Hinchliffe couldn`t oblige instead making short work of dealing with McAleny`s shot.

By this time Rydel was looking to be County`s best option going forward but their back line was looking under pressure at times with City livelier than we would like- Hinchliffe again having to show his best form to stop Hendry`s header on 9 minutes from Touray`s cross.

Salford continued to probe the blue back line which was relying heavily on Horsfall`s input and Salford`s dark arts department had done their homework on this issue -Smith going full RADA on us crumbling to earth in a forlorn heap barely 20 minutes in. Let`s be kind and say that Mr Toner wasn`t really paying attention because he bought the theatricals 100% booking Horsfall serving Salford`s purpose precisely.

It was so annoying, but Hussey lifted the descending black cloud somewhat with good work to ensure Bolton could not get his shot on target when threatening 2 minutes later.

But Salford were not done, and Hinchliffe twice made telling saves – a particularly good save with his legs with County caught on the break thinking they might get a handball judgement at the other end which of course wasn`t going to happen.

Then 2 minutes on from that save- another as a dipper from Mallan kept out well by the County keeper as it came at him through a forest of bodies.

It went on with Knoyle earning applause for stopping a lively run by McAleny.

Some of football Salford were playing looked sharp and incisive, but it was accompanied unfortunately by some tiresome timewasting tactics as red shirt after red shirt sank to the ground to order wasting vast amounts of time.

After the latest break in play the resumption saw County go close as Madden`s header went wide from Rydel`s pass.

Then Mr Toner turned truth on its head with a truly awful decision to book Tanto who had just executed a brilliantly legal tackle on Mariappa- we remember this player`s stirring theatricals that mesmerised Mr Nield so at the Peninsular Stadium in the first leg, and he made a regulation four courser out of nothing this time and the ref bought it!

The free kick was in a decent position and offered Salford an opportunity they just did not deserve until that is Hinchliffe offered his welcome three pennyworth in the form of another confidence building save!

But the referee wasn`t finished yet, teeing up an even better free kick opportunity for the visitors as Horsfall was adjudged to have fouled the ace thespian Matt Smith on 36 minutes. Crisis for County ….what crisis? Cue Hinchliffe and another top stop!

Wright did well next to stop a run by Bolton, setting up a good County move that was ultimately not well served as Camps lifted the ball into the Railway End on the end of it.

We approached the last few minutes of the half with a heart-warming moment to savour as County fans rose to give Mr T a standing ovation for awarding County a free kick that miffed Smith no end.

Hussey lifted the free kick into the box where Mallan took over `falling down duties` saving the day via Mr T`s life saving award of a free kick to Salford.

The last 4 minutes normal time and 5 added minutes saw County on the attack- Lewis first off unable to force Rydel`s cross beyond the keeper, who then won a 1 on 1 dual with Tanto smack on 45 minutes.

But before County launched their final assaults of the half on Salford`s goal we had the unedifying sight of Evans being flattened into the advertising hoardings in front of the away specs on the Pop Side. It was a clear red but I did not see a card issued at all !

That was appalling, slightly less so was the next action that saw Cairns clatter Madden in the box under pressure. Penalty we thought…we were wrong it was a corner apparently, then another earned by Wright …and then 1-0 to County, but hang on …no…Madden`s effort came out off the woodwork and Salford had escaped!

The pressure continued from County up to the break- Cairns ending the half with a hurried save at the foot of a post with a clutch of blue shirts on his case.

At 0-0 there was much to do in the second half if County were to get to Wembley!

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The re-start saw County fans BP`s soar as Bolton skuttled clear with County`s back line expecting an offside flag that never materialised necessitating another vital save by Hinchliffe to deny the Salford number 24 and then another to sort the follow up from Watt.

That was a lively start to the half and County were quick to respond, Evans run stopped in the box by Mariappa, and Madden kept from Knoyle`s neat pass by Shephard at the back post- some thing might have developed for the blues from that but the liner`s upraise flag did for that possibility- don`t ask I do not know!

Back came County though with a will only for Touray to clatter Tanto as he ran at the visitors back line. Touray got a booking and County a free kick which Knoyle took and Watt ran clear for Salford.

Cue another Hinchliffe save and another foul by Mariappa on Madden that somehow morphed into offside and a free kick to the visitors.

The visitors were spending so much time lying down and /or taking free kicks that it was a wonder any football was played at all – Vassell emerging quickly now as IC Timewasting.

Thankfully Challinor acted to shuffle the County pack at this point bringing on Croasdale, Collar and Sarcevic for Lewis, Evans and Camps.

In no time the changes had an effect and Salford looked distinctly wobbly almost straight off with the EP faithful`s fuse now lit.

Midst the growing tension at the back for Salford, Smith remained as a constant they might rely upon and mid-wobble his header out from a corner served keeper Cairns well maybe encouraging him to make a confident claim to keep Tanto out shortly after.

With Hippolyte on for Wright County redoubled their pressure – Vassel earning fulsome opprobrium for his blatant attempts to get Tanto a second yellow.

That ruse did not work but no matter County got a knock as Rydel was then booked moments later for not a lot that I could see.

Then with Croasdale having a hand a lovely move followed from County the sharp end illuminated stirringly by Rydel`s looping cross that Tanto got on the end of heading home lighting the County supporters` celebratory fuse again and rightly so!

A veritable County siege of the visitors goal then ensued – Tanto darting clear again only for his pass to Madden see the move fizzle out.

There were 15 minutes left now and Sarcevic chose the moment to make a wakes of a challenge that saw him yellow carded but might have seen a red- he was fortunate but we needed a bit of that did we not?

County stepped it up- Madden winning a corner……Cairns thwarting Madden……Hippolyte brought down in the box by Mariappa to no redress.

But with 7 minutes left we did get a free kick then a corner but with no reward on the end of either.

Oh….and Vassell upended Madden as he broke clear down the left with 4 minutes left giving Salford a throw which puzzled me a bit!

Bolton punctuated the constant County attacking with a rather tasty break from deep going close seeing his effort cleared off the line, so we had been warned to keep the back door tightly locked, would we heed the warning though?

We went into 6 minutes added time with Collar netting with Madden clearly offside, and Bolton rustling up another interesting run to keep County on their toes.

There was just time for an undistinguished posse of red shirted players to try to get Hippolyte carded with Vassell summoning the violins with a performance that to another audience ( The Old Vic perhaps) might have gone down better.

Mr T withstood temptation and the half ended with County 1-0 up and with all 11 still fully operational!

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Into extra time we went then with County attacking the Railway End for starters.

A rather lack lustre couple of minutes came and went before it livened up with Bolton again back on County`s case eluding both Rydel and Hussey before heading for goal where thankfully Hinchliffe did the biz with a fine save!

The 4^th minute saw Stretton on for Tanto who had taken a knock earlier – the Salford keeper in action to keep Madden from Rydel`s neat pass- Stretton not really testing the Salford keeper with a shot 2 minutes later, and Hussey a key man 2 minutes on from that on the line to keep a shot by Barry out!

It was getting tasty again and switching ends rapidly both teams going close and lacking luck.

The second period of extra time saw Salford swap Morton for Smith arguably a crucial error by Neil Wood.

That said Morton did bring a vital block from Horsfall shortly after arriving on the scene after a County raid had broken down.

Some brilliant play followed from County which promised much , then…out of nowhere the game changed, or so we assumed, as Mariappa picked Mallan out and he swung a boot at the ball sending it in the wildest of trajectories before taking the cruellest of wicked deflections taking it out of reach of Hinchliffe into the net- a fluke yes…but a goal and it was 1-1 ( 1-2 on aggregate).

County`s equilibrium could have fractured, their confidence could have shattered, but what followed was sweet/ sweet justice as Salford immediately followed the goal with an extended period of time wasting- it was a joke- and Mr Toner was the chief jester- it all went unpunished!

But there was punishment and it was accompanied by pandemonium as within 3 minutes and despite all the time wasting antics of their opponents following the most frantic spell of shots, blocks, headers desperate defensive tackles Stretton managed to head the ball home at the back post to bring County`s game back to life and the score to 2-1.

Unfortunately, at this point some assorted prats went onto the playing surface – when will these insufferable idiots comprehend this s@@t does the Club no good at all in fact just the opposite!

County blitzed the visitors goal in what remained of added time- the highlight ( for Salford anyway) a brilliant one handed diving save by Cairns to keep Madden`s header out.

The whistle soon went ending extra time and pointing us towards penalties which we quickly learned would be taken at the Railway End.

This is how it went:-

1- Salford – Lund crashed his kick way over the bar -0-0

2- County-Madden hit a beauty straight down the middle- 1-0

3- Salford- Mariappa hit it well enough, but Hinchliffe dived left to claw the ball out brilliantly – 1-0

4- County- Croasdale`s kick was brilliantly saved by Cairns- 1-0

5- Salford – Barry just squeeked it home. 1-1

6- County- Collar slid it low and hard into the net- 2-1

7- Salford- Mallan hit his kick to `Hinchliffe`s right but Ben dived to make another stupendous save to keep it 2-1 and make the next kick for the place at Wembley.

8- Up stepped Sarcevic to administer the coup de grace slamming a superbly ferocious kick into the roof of the net – it was 3-1, game won, County were at Wembley.

That was a fantastic performance and just reward for County`s play today and in the season that preceded it.

Well done to all involved- we still have the Wembley game to deal with but who amongst us is betting against County celebrating in the capitol?

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle , Wright ( Hippolyte 66), Horsfall, Lewis ( Croasdale 60), Hussey , Rydel , Camps ( Sarcevic 60), Evans (Collar 60), Madden , Olaofe ( Stretton 94).

Subs not used : Jaros, Byrne.

Salford City line up :-

Cairns , Touray , Watt , Hendry ( Lund 69) , Mallan , Mariappa , Smith ( Morton 105) , Mc Aleny ( Barry 69), Bolton ( McLoughlin 122), Shephard , Vassell.

Subs not used : Galbraith , Leak, Torrance.

Attendance : 10023

hedgegrower

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