Stockport County 3 Crawley Town 3 ( Football League 2) Saturday 2 September 2023

Come with me, my friend
Come ride with me
Through the uphill of wonder
Down the downhill of doubt
Come on, don't stop now
We have so much farther to travel
Don't give up now!

The above is part of `The Roller Coaster of Life` by Emma Q and goes some way to describing the emotions that abounded today at Edgeley Park where County shared the points with visitors Crawley Town.

Crawley had shipped seven goals without registering a goal in reply whilst losing their 2 games prior to visiting SK3 but there were not many around me who thought this would be an easy ride,

Then suddenly we were 2 up and` perhaps` we were tempted to think `that maybe it would be.

We were playing well and the friend who answered my pre match question on how he was with a jocular ` living the dream` probably now was!

But this is County we are talking about here and with half time almost on us they were caught on the break – it was 2-1!

We had our chances early in the second half, but a lapse….an untidy foul by Touray, undid us -Scott Lindsey`s side equalising from the free kick.

Then beyond the hour another set piece did us damage this time a corner which was lamentably defended allowing Crawley to go 3-2 up.

That seemed to be that County kept trying but it was a minute from the end of normal time before they snatched the equaliser via substitute Tanto Olaofe.

It was 3-3, County had taken us on another cornucopia of ups, downs and emotional snakes and ladders- they had clawed their way back to parity though and many felt it might not be so, but it was, so we`ll take the point and seek to address what needs to be addressed if we are wise, but for now perhaps the team will take heart from the ripple of applause aimed back at them at the end of the game-as we look for the fairly basic problems to be sorted so that we can save on little white pills going forward!

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Back at 3 0`clock County were attacking the Cheadle End and with some gusto a neat move involving Knoyle, Collar and Wright being foiled by the liner`s flag.

Powell and Barry faired no better down the left shortly after, but the opening 5 minutes had promised much.

But by minute 9 Knoyle was off the park, Sarcevic coming on in his place following a knock.

Four minutes later the blue siege of the visitors goal was building nicely Powell and Sarcevic unable to take advantage of a slip by one of a line of Crawley defenders. Madden almost put Barry in as well, but just when we thought the chance of a goal had gone it hadn`t and Barry`s run ended with him rifling a shot of irresistible power across goal into the far corner of the net -it was 1-0 to County!

Three minutes on from the goal we might have had another from a move started by Powell`s pass out wide to Barry. Barry, spotting Madden lurking just by the back post, slung a wicked ball over precisely where he intended it to go( on Madden`s head) – Paddy`s header was firm but so was keeper Corey Addai`s response and it stayed 1-0, and Addai did well again moments later preventing a Powell, Sarcevic, Rydel move from adding a second goal.

Then it was Hinchliffe`s turn to shine twixt the sticks keeping Liam Kelly`s shot from distance out on 18 minutes.

Back came County though Barry making good progress wheedling his way through the Town defences. Will Wright shadowed him and inside the box Barry went down. I saw no contact neither did the ref and there was no penalty.

The Knoyle substitution earlier made it that County had Wright, Horsfall and Touray as a back 3- adding Rydel for a 4 as and when required.

But we did not seem greatly to require it well into the first half as County probed for a second goal – Barry shooting wide at one point- Powell earning applause at another with some classy play but some excellent work by keeper Addai for Crawley smothered Barry`s efforts to snatch a second.

It looked like we would be enduring another game with County clinging to a 1-0 lead with us a bag of wildly jangling nerves, but with 9 minutes to go…we had a second goal – made by Madden who teed up Sarcevic splendidly – the ex-Bolton captain did the rest with a cheeky chip that gave Addai no chance at all.

I was not alone in thinking that he was offside but the stand side liner`s flag stayed down – it was 2-0 and we most definitely would take that!

There was work for Hinchliffe next with Orsi`s long run scything through County`s defences with apparent ease.

Thanks to Ben it stayed 2-0, and it stayed the same score as County wasted a free kick with 6 minutes left of the half.

Back came Crawley though capitalising on a free kick as County`s discipline went momentarily walk about. Hinchliffe kept Wright`s kick out with a good save.

But Crawley, and Will Wright, were by no means finished as Wright launched himself on a powerful run down the right before unleashing a cross for Adam Campbell to slot home.

It was now 2-1 and after 4 minutes added time, and another wasted free kick, that was the score when the teams went in at the break.

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So, for this week`s half time entertainment -some international football…….

https://youtu.be/i21OJ8SkBMQ?si=8INGEj0sqPsz-CpW

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Almost straight away in the second half County could have scored. The chance was engineered with precision by Powell who slide ruled Barry in down the right. It looked a chance for sure with only keeper Addai to beat but Barry let the moment get the better of him lifting the poorest of efforts high into the empty Railway End!

As I say, that was a chance and, in the great 192 tradition, another came along almost immediately but Croasdale just failed to force the ball home with a shot on. Barry followed up going down, in close proximity to Addai but again Referee Marc Edwards was not impressed- there was no penalty.

County were pushing for a third goal and a renewed 2 goal cushion but found Addai was in good form denying Barry – Powell`s follow up flying wide on 52 minutes.

Then County were architects of their own demise as an untidy foul by Touray pushed us back defending a free kick in a scoreable position. It was a belter too, Williams` delivery by-passing static County defenders to where Town new boy Laurance Maguire ghosted in to make it 2-2. A well taken goal, but we could have done without the scorer`s provocative goal celebrations afterwards- out of order for sure!

I am not sure if what followed had its source in the spiteful reactions of Maguire but tempers were rising fast on the park now and following another Touray foul things took a turn for the worse with Powell seeming to clash with an opposing forward. A fracas followed and a Solomonic double booking one of each team by the Referee, but I felt Powell was distinctly fortunate to only get a yellow.

When play resumed Rydel rescued County after Croasdale had lost possession, then a minute later we were relieved again as Wright was bullied out of possession by Tsaroulla. A pass on saw Campbell in sniffing distance of goal but he could not force the ball home the chance was gone!

We were beyond the hour now and it was perhaps time for a change of personnel for County but Croasdale and Wright were replaced by Cotterill and Pond – it seemed a curious call to send Croasdale to the bench but even more so that we sent 2 youngsters on for their debuts with the situation so tense and close.

We are all entitled to have opinions on that one, Pond went RCB / Cotterill DMF and within 4 minutes of the changes we were 3-2 down.

It started with Cotterill conceding a corner. Crawley opted to take it short, and County left this badly undermanned near the corner flag. Hinchliffe did well under pressure to push the ball out but with County`s defence again doing traffic cone impressions Daniel Orsi nipped in to score.

It was 3-2 to Town now and they wanted more too- another break by the visitors only held at bay by Horsfall`s decisive work. A corner came and went for Crawley – County saved by the upraised flag of the Danny Stand liner.

County were definitely struggling with 20 minutes left to play and again indebted to their number six as those around him lost concentration in alarming fashion.

We went into the last 15 minutes of normal time with Barry surging clear into the box where a neat tackle by Will Wright sorted matters for Town. It was a corner of course but again we could not force the ball home despite Horsfall`s powerful header.

Tanto was on for Powell next as Rydel started to stretch the visitors down their left flank.

His best work involved a neat pass to Madden who looked well set only for him to not make proper contact with the ball his shot being cleared fairly easily.

That was frustrating as were the following 7 or 8 minutes both sides winning then losing possession with alarming regularity.

Then…happiness…or something approaching it anyway….as Tanto darted in behind the visitors` defensive cover to beat the keeper in impressive style to bring the scores level at 3-3.

Almost immediately 10 minutes added time was announced- Tanto continued to search for another opening throughout the 10 minutes and Town had to defend well to retain parity – County for their part needed to improve their free kicks but deep into added time Touray was still pumping them beyond the far post where the keeper would make the catch.

It seemed destined to finish 3-3 and that was arguably a fair result. County kept trying for a fourth goal though – a decent chance emerging from a long ball by Hinchliffe that saw the defender back head for a County corner.

This was delivered to the back post where a clutch of blue shirts scrambled for it only for the ball to fly wide.

A great block by Williams denied Madden well beyond 100 minutes but eventually Mr Edwards whistle ended what had been an eventful game with honours even.

On to a really tough one at AFC Wimbledon next Saturday where another improvement in form will be needed if we are to come away from that encounter with anything other than bruises!

See you there then!

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle ( Sarcevic 9), Wright ( Pond 62) , Horsfall , Touray , Rydel , Croasdale ( Cotterill 62), Collar ,Madden , Powell ( Olaofe 76), Barry.

Subs not used ; Smith , Pye , C Johnson.

Crawley Town line up:-

Addai , Kelly , Maguire ( Roles 72) , Orsi , Williams ( Mulcena 92) , Gladwin ( Darcy 59) , Ransom , Forster ( Lolos 59) , Tsaroulla , Campbell , Wright.

Subs not used : Ashby- Hammond , Kahleel , Henry.

Attendance : 7986 ( 119)

hedgegrower

Come on, admit it, you need to see who was on the Grassy Knoll today:-