Stockport County 5 Worksop Town 1 ( FA Cup Round 1) Saturday 4 November 2023

County eased their way into the FA Cup2^nd Round with a comfortable 5-1 win against Worksop Town at Edgeley Park today.

The Tigers made a real game of this early on but , County`s victory was only ever in doubt for 15 minutes of the first half after Jay Rollins had brought it back to 1-1 for Worksop after the first of 4 Kyle Wootton goals had given the blues the lead.

Wootton added a second at that point and thereafter County relaxed and grew in stature as the Northern Premier side found the going tougher with every passing minute.

Wootton was quite simply superb; his goals just reward for a typically top line performance. Odin Bailey nicked the other goal- his first for County, to wide acclaim – and Paddy Madden deserved one but sadly he didn`t get the reward his display merited.

Other than that, I thought Pond and Cotterill had their moments particularly when the one found the other with a penetrating pass, and it was both interesting and frustrating to see Powell back in action but not overly productive after a long lay off.

That was a good win though, and of course keeps that excellent winning run going!

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At kick off my first thoughts were that with 10 changes County were showing scant respect both to their opponents and the competition which has seen us come a cropper more than once in similar circumstances in the past.

However, County looked likely to make me eat my words as the early minutes saw them push their opponents back deep into their own half.

The blues had 3 at the back namely Pond, Byrne and Knoyle with Hippolyte and Richardson providing width and Richardson was in the mix fairly early, on the end of Knoyle`s pass only for an excellent tackle by Josh Wilde to stop him – the subsequent corner exerting pressure on the Tigers but without reward.

A foul on Vaughan Bedford by Cotterill, just gone 10 minutes in, brought the visitors a possible opportunity -the free kick being nicely placed and reasonably central but relief came County`s way quickly when Jordan Smith claimed the ball with a confident catch under pressure from Liam Hughes.

That was a notional half chance for Tigers, and they got the whiff of another straight off as Hippolyte obliged with a poor pass that had yellow shirts scurrying busily towards Smith`s goal again, but they could not make the moment count, which was sad because County did barely a minute later!

The move started with a lovely pass by Madden to Richardson who then whipped a wicked ball goalward where the prowling Wootton saw the ball into the net to give County the lead.

County put the Tigers under pressure for a time after this, but eventually this faded and the visitors shaped to give their voluble 1400 + travelling supporters something to sing about, Jay Rollins doing well to make it to the by line from where his low cross headed for the waiting Vaughan Bedford at the near post. However, County`s Jordan Smith was also stationed at the near post and made a brave save to keep County`s lead intact.

We were still 1 up 5 minutes later and there was no threat to County`s lead that I could see, and then there was as George Taft lifted a neat pass over the rooted blue back-line to Rollins who then slammed his shot home off the under side of the bar- we were shell shocked ….it was 1-1 !

Hippolyte went off injured not long after being replaced by Ethan Pye which meant that the back 3 was now Pye, Byrne, Pond with Knoyle right WB , Richardson switching to the left.

A good 15 minutes passed in which County looked not entirely comfortable at times with Worksop looking to add to their equalising goal.

The required finish was missing though, and eventually the blues re-located their mojo as Camps latched onto the ball wide in the box before bypassing keeper Paul Cooper to ping the ball in on goal where Wootton was on hand to apply an emphatic finish- it was 2-1 to County!

We were heading for the break in no great danger now and Powell pleased us by winning possession from nothing, only to follow a tasty one/ two twixt him and Madden by sending his shot into the side netting !

It went on – Madden`s run a minute later seeing Powell unable to beat Cooper.

Then on into added time and more excellence from Wootton looked about to declare another County dividend when his ball across the box teed the arriving Richardson up nicely. Hmm….it was a real chance but the finish by Richardson was anything but as the ball flew in an annoying upward direction high over the bar.

There was just time then for Smith to show us what he could do but his catch , from Terry Hawkridge` cushioned cross was unchallenged- the run by the Tiger`s number 7 deserved better.

But, hey ho, it was half time and still 2-1 to County as the teams went in.

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Talking Heads provide today`s Half Time Entertainment ….

https://youtu.be/galXYbepW_s?si=w4I3-WDfxJz-EPf6

https://youtu.be/cl3B_FTDKD0?si=GVm8AxS2vDhtmN8v

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Wootton was immediately in top nick again when play resumed after the break, but an initially promising link up with Powell faded, but it took very good work indeed from Tiger`s keeper Cooper to stop the rot next after more Wootton trickery had fed Camps who , but for Cooper, would have serviced Madden with a tasty tap in!

County were looking to be very much in control now – Madden making it to the by-line before pinging his cross to the back post where Powell reached it but put it disappointingly wide.

The County attacking continued and Pond by now had found his range picking Cotterill out with a choice ball beyond the visitors back line- this would be a recurring occurrence but this time it was dashed when Hamza Bencherie intervened near goal.

A rare Worksop free kick caused a wee stir next but, having latched onto a pass from Hawkridge, Liam Hughes shot tamely wide.

Richardson then went clear for County his neat run being sorted by a decent tackle from Deegan Atherton.

Cue Pond to Cotterill again next – this time the product, Cotterill`s cross to Wootton, was intercepted neatly by Cooper.

County changed things around the hour mark bringing Bailey, Sarcevic and Collar on for Cotterill, Richardson and Powell and following a run by Rollins that just lacked someone in yellow to apply a finish to it, the new faces made the impact they sought- a goal!

We were 67 minutes in…it was 2-1 and then 3-1 as Baileys incoming effort was ushered off the line by Taft, who saw his joy turned immediately to angst as the ball sped to Wootton who did some `ushering` of his own putting the ball into the net for his and his team`s third goal!

The excitement had barely died down when there was more, and it was Madden`s fault as he was heading for goal. It looked good and then substantially better as his pass ( delivered with exquisite accuracy with the outside of his foot)to the back post, saw Wootton make it 4-1 in a heartbeat.

That was a good goal, Wootton`s fourth – a real booster for his confidence on his return to action!

To their credit, Worksop tried to respond, most notably Rollins who linked up with Luke Hall but Pond`s block saw the initial danger off , Smith stepping up to catch the ball confidently from the subsequent corner.

County were well in control of the game however - Sarcevic beginning to show to good effect with a clutch of eye catching passes.

The blues kept at it and, with just 8 minutes left, they got their reward as Bailey notched his first goal for the club with a lovely strike that saw the ball tuck inside the far post to make it 5-1.

Would the floodgates now open for County?

Well, they continued to pile it on, but Madden was desperately unlucky to see Bencherie at the back post to keep his shot out- Bencherie the unlucky one shortly after -no one around to get to his pass on the end of a lively break by the Tigers number 5!

Time for Bailey to see a shot fly over the bar and for Cooper to save from Sarcevic as we went into added time.

There was a neat link up twixt Madden and Wootton, a shot from Sarcevic that was pushed onto a post and out by Cooper, and the best of several nippy runs into the box by Wright ( on for Knoyle earlier) kept out by Cooper who was earning his pay for sure.

Soon enough the whistle went, and the game was over, won comprehensively by County.

County will be rightly pleased on claiming this win and with it a place in Round 2 of the FA Cup- well done one and all!

Commiserations to Tigers who we hope made a bob or two out of their excellent FA Cup run!

On next to Swindon, the Magic Roundabout and a chance to extend that unbeaten run and our lead at the top of the table further!

Stockport County line up :-

Smith , Pond , Byrne , Knoyle ( Wright 71) , Richardson ( Sarcevic 65) , Hippolyte ( Pye 24) , Camps , Cotterill ( Bailey 65) , Powell ( Collar 65) , Madden , Wootton.

Subs not used: Hinchliffe , Horsfall , Croasdale , Olaofe.

Worksop Town line up :-

Cooper , Atherton , Wilde ( Hutchinson 91) , Wedgebury ( Broadhead 75) , Bencherie , Taft , Hawkridge , Stargenko ( Hall 61), Redford ( Daniel 75), Hughes ( Green 75) , Rollins.

Subs not used: Tomlinson, Malkowski , Hanson , Yaremenko.

Attendance : 6443 ( 1419)

hedgegrower

Some images taken by hedgegrower`s phone camera....