Barrow 2 Stockport County 2 ( Football League 2 ) Tuesday 26 December 2023

 

 

 

 

Two – nil down from early on, and seemingly struggling , County came back like true champions to claim a 2-2 draw and a share of the points in today`s vital top versus second placed team clash at  Holker Street with Barrow!

Elsewhere a Wrexham win reduced County`s lead to 4 points at the top of the table, but the manner of their display in the second half and their refusal to accept defeat, after about the single most depressing first half performance I can recall for a while, augers well for their chances going forward.

With half time almost on us the prevailing mood was one of depression at the away end. This required a response from County and DC did not wait to act , bringing Powell and Richardson on for Croasdale and Byrne and within  a couple of minutes the same away end was alight with excitement as a shot by Nick Powell pulled the score back to 2-1!

Based on what had gone before we were lucky to be so close to a Peter Wild team that, galvanised by tremendous display`s by ex-County favourites Elliott Newby and Ben Whitfield had looked like being out of sight by this juncture.

But this Stockport County team has hidden depths and strengths, and DC again emphasised his confidence in using his full squad, expeditiously swapping Tanto and Knoyle for Madden and Wright upon the re-start,

The result was a transformation in the second half brilliantly encapsulated by Akil Wright`s excellent headed equalising goal less than 10 minutes in.

County played some impressive stuff after this- Bailey looking in top nick and at times unlucky. If Madden, Powell, Horsfall and Pye shone brightest, others shone too in obtaining a result that just may be so crucial come season`s end!

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The journey on the Flyer was borderline idyllic and we were in way before kick-off time.

There was considerable confusion and not a few seats sold to some of our number but not available to sit on- more precisely    seats 9 ,10 and 11 did not exist – twixt seat 8 and seat 12 ( mine on Row A) there was just gangway , no seats.

The response from stewards was unhelpful “ Don`t worry, it always happens like this …..”

It was a depressing start as the stewards fall back position ( “ sit anywhere”) came into play.

Here`s Ian Dooley trying to work out how to watch a football match he has paid a seat for….. 

 

 

 

 

That was pretty poor, but not as poor as what was going on pitch side when the game started as Elliott Newby was in County`s faces straight off surging clear down the left before pinging a cross over.

Newby`s first push was repulsed but another nippy run from him fared much better almost immediately as Spence followed the cross up by drilling the ball hard into the box where Byrne tried unsuccessfully to make a clearance, the ball pinballing at speed to Whitfield who got a touch sending the ball into the net.

In no time at all we were 1-0 down and the large home following were suitably cock-a hoop with the situation!

The game continued with Newby maintaining pressure on County in ominously dangerous fashion- County struggling to reply- winning a free kick – wasting it-Wootton well wide with our first serious effort on goal 10 minutes in.

Anyway, I took comfort in knowing we were only 1 down, but this comforting illusion almost disappeared 4 minutes later as possession was surrendered, and Whitfield darted through down County`s left flank.

It was a real chance and Whitfield thought he had taken it, but as his shot headed goalward Hinchliffe`s dive saw the ball round the post for a corner, and safety followed for County as George Ray hooked wide under pressure from this.

For a time after that last action I was tempted to feel that County were going to work their way back into it, but I was wrong and just beyond the half`s mid-point they went further behind.

It started with a brilliant through ball by Niall Canavan that sent Whitfield surging clear at speed somehow getting a shot in on the turn that got a further touch from Spence from close in and we were 2 down.

For speed of action and thought, at this point Barrow looked way ahead of County and we needed to somehow shape up and rectify this!

But hey…..we then gave possession away!

Fortunately, it was to Luca Stephenson, and he lifted his shot way over the bar, but the point was still valid.

That said, Camps showed some signs of shaping up- unlucky to see his shot fly wide after executing a neat dummy en route, and Horsfall headed just over from a Bailey cross, but despite winning a couple of corners that might have brought some reward- nothing came County   s way as half time neared , and a severe  word or two for County from their manager.

But DC did not wait for the break, instead he brought Powell and Richardson on for Croasdale and Byrne.

This was a bold move and Richardson was not slow to reward his manager , reaching Tanto with a cross that saw him head wide with added time almost on us.

County continued to try to push Barrow back but without much in the way of inspiration that is until the ball reached Nick Powell just outside the box.  Powell acted, hitting the ball low and hard into the crowded box and into the net.

Cue wild excitement in the away end – it was now 2-1 and it was now possible to believe we might just get something out of this game!

Powell was much to the fore in what remained of the half and much of the action continued to take place at the Bluebird`s end, but despite County winning a series of late/ late corners they could not conjure up a second goal – it remained 2-1 as the teams went in at the break.

    

 

 

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For Half Time Entertainment this time we look to Robert Cray again…

https://youtu.be/2gQEDwjhaDE?si=N7sqgQ2Vt1I1NGYj

Just one video but a few more on the drop down, enjoy…

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With Wright and Madden on for Knoyle and Tanto, the second half started with County looking to improve further,

We now operated with a back 3 of Wright, Horsfall and Pye, but the immediate action was at the other end where Powell, Bailey and Touray were just thwarted by weight of bluebird numbers – Madden`s follow up shot clearing the bar.

That disappointment almost didn`t matter as County were playing the ball about with great confidence particularly Bailey who was drawing applause from County fans with regularity by this stage- his run on this occasion, embellished by a beautifully executed nutmeg  and rounded off with a terrific shot that home keeper Paul Farman brilliantly kept out pushing the ball for a corner.  This went short before Bailey pinged the pill back towards goal where Wright rose to head the ball home in imperious style!

Fantastic…it was 2-2 and definitely all to play for!

And play we did- Farman again in vital action for Barrow pushing a Wootton shot wide for a corner……Pye unlucky from this, and the referee oblivious to County`s penalty appeals as Camps went down in the box.

Meanwhile Powell was still belying the lazy `lazy ` insults, working hard going close twice in rapid order with headers.

On it went in the same vein- a glorious move involving Wright , Powell and Richardson seeing Richardson centimetres from applying a finish to the final ball!

Richardson is another County player who has had few opportunities to shine but has attracted undue amounts of criticism nevertheless- he had more minutes today and did not disappoint me anyway so I hope we can find a starting position for him soon.

Some debate then took place as to whether Spence took the ball in his midriff or arm as Richardson and Powell contributed to pushing the home side back.

It was not a penalty apparently, and my view was not clear enough of the incident to take a hard and fast opinion on that one, and overall Mr Coy spread most of his dubious calls amongst both sides which is mostly all you can ask for.

It did get a bit `end to end` next – Acquath denied by a spectacular save from Hinchliffe when sent clear by Newby- that was a real chance!

For County, Powell went one on one with the home keeper and was unlucky to miss out ….

Then there was more from Newby for bluebirds and his next work ended with Ray putting the ball in the net, but home celebrations were cut abruptly short as the officials had correctly seen a foul in the immediate execution of the `goal`, and ruled it out!

Powell followed that action by again going centre stage, but his knock down could not be put away by Wootton- County continuing to press, winning a free kick but making nothing of it.

Five minutes added time was announced as Ray found touch in response to a lively run by Richardson.

Gradually as the end neared so Barrow seemed to pick up all the free kicks that were going – each one closer to goal than the previous one- it was classic `hearts in mouths` stuff but County defended with grit and when this was not enough the lack of accuracy in their opponents finishing did the rest.

Mr Coy eventually blew for time and a rather good and possibly extremely crucial point had been won, and in the end, on merit!

Plenty to think on from that one for sure and only a few days to sort before Bradford on Friday.

See you all there!

 

Barrow line up-

Farman, Campbell ( White 65)  , Ray , Canavan , Spence , Newby , Gotts ( Foley 55), Chester , Stephenson ( Feely 74) , Telford ( Acquath 55), Whitfield ( Garner 74) .

Sub not used: Lillis .

 

Stockport County line up ;-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle ( Wright 46) , Byrne ( Richardson 41) , Horsfall , Pye, Touray , Croasdale ( Powell 41) , Camps , Wootton , Olaofe ( Madden 46) , Bailey.

Subs not used : Smith, Cotterill , Johnson.

Attendance : 5866 ( 577)

hedgegrower 

 

A few crowd shots from hedgegrower;-