Stockport County 1 Harrogate Town 1 ( Football League 2 ) Saturday 3 February 2024

 

 

 

In the words of the song “Momma told me there`d be days like this!”, and I just know she was thinking of games at Edgeley Park where teams , on a high elsewhere in games before arriving in SK3, duly set up  shop , parked the bus and thoroughly frustrated  County.

It slightly does the exceedingly obdurate Harrogate Town side a disservice to say that they `parked the bus`, as when they  were allowed to they looked a side capable of causing an upset, and whilst the blues had the lions share of possession and showed altogether more attacking nous than their opponents, on occasions they didn`t and allowed Simon Weaver`s side time on the ball we could ill afford them having.

The result was that Town scored first, and it wasn`t a bad effort either and it certainly took the wind from County`s sails even if only for a while, and it was 15 minutes from the break before the scores were levelled as Evans added another lethal strike from close in to his burgeoning CV!

It was mightily sad though to see Macauley Southam-Hales stretchered off in the first half- we wish him a rapid return to full health!

The resultant re-shuffle did little for County`s cohesion and in the end we had to settle for 1-1 and one point but Momma would definitely have reminded me whilst singing that in recent times past in similar circumstances, faced by obduracy in opponents our frustrations would build and build until the game`s dying embers when usually we would be mortified as a late /late goal went in at the wrong end ( ours)….game lost.

Today`s game wasn`t lost and the point won (yes, it was in my view) may serve us well later in the season.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Wrexham continue to buy strikers at a rate of knots whilst failing to take in the fact that they have leaked 7 goals in 2 games ( 3 of them in a pointless game today).

By way of contrast County maintained a 4-point lead over second placed Mansfield with today`s draw. Everything is relative as the man said, so we keep working at it and seeking to replicate the excellence of last Saturday at Doncaster!

 

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Back to 3 o`clock then and another 9000+ crowd was inside EP to see Harrogate win the toss and opt to make us attack the Cheadle End first!

Such an irritant, would we make `em pay? We would see!

I was encouraged to see us win a decently placed free kick within 30 seconds of kick off, then considerably less so watching as the twice taken kick was lumped wide by the otherwise efficient Callum Camps.

But the`turkey shoot` I was anticipating pre-match faded from view as Town gained a free kick a couple of minutes later. This was also decently placed, and Madden did well to head George Thomson`s kick for a corner which the visitors made nothing of.

It was 6 minutes in before County showed us something of note and it surfaced via brilliant work by Connor Evans that brought Nick Powell to the fore only for his progress to be blocked by firm action from Town captain Warren Burrell.

County were beginning to  stir the pot and the potential for creating havoc was clear only Referee Ben Toser saw `something` next sufficient for him to stop Tanto`s run on the end of a top quality throw in by Powell.

I was not amused, and again I wasn`t as the irritatingly efficient Liam Gibson did brilliantly to keep Madden`s intuitive pass away from the marauding Tanto.

It was at this point that Abraham Odoh took a bow for Town- first off blocking a promising run by Bailey and then, 2 minutes later, almost nicking a goal taking advantage when Horsfall lost his footing and possession. A terrific tackle by Southam-Hales saved County`s bacon but it was close.

On the quarter hour it was back to raised eyebrows for most of the crowd as a very curious `offside` flagging stopped Madden in his tracks as he threatened to open the scoring.

That was not good in my view, but what followed 3 minutes later was worse.

It started with County attacking – Gibson again excelling for the North Yorkshire side keeping a neat ball from Powell from his target of choice- Tanto.

From that promising situation we plumbed the depths next as, with Town circling the box like hyena`s circling a Wildebeest, we failed to clear our lines allowing Matty Daly to get his cross over on the end of his run  giving Dean Cornelius a easy tap in in front of goal.

Arguably a well worked goal, but preventable?.........probably!

Meanwhile Tanto was still working his socks off winning an unlikely corner off the obdurate Gibson, but thereafter County promptly found inspiration lacking and the flag kick came and went with Town keeper James Belshaw unruffled twixt the sticks.

He might have been troubled 5 minutes later by Evans` dash to the by-line but the cover of Gibson and others held to ensure Town kept their lead.

The pressure was gradually building from County- Camps disappointing next by volleying the ball wide as Gibson headed a decent Bristow corner his way.

Another corner came County`s way but Camps saw Matt Foulds charge this down for the black shirted visitors.

Were we getting maybe a tad worried with half time just 15 minutes away? Possibly, but we needn`t have as Madden lit our fuse with a probing ball across the box. In truth it looked to be going out, but no one had bothered to tell Southam-Hales and in a forest of legs ( mostly defenders) and with bursting lungs he somehow reached the pill and lifted it inches above the ground across goal where it was met by another forest of legs – those of Connor Evans prevailing as he forced it home – a real strikers close in effort- wonderful !

We were level, and it felt good!

Bristow, who continues to impress down the left having forged a very good playing relationship with Bailey, probed the visitors back line diligently with his free kick after a foul on Camps.

It stayed 1-1 though as it did not long after, when a diving header by Tanto went inches wide following just such a Bailey/ Bristow link up and again when Bailey`s shot whistled a fag papers width away from going in following more good work from Evans.

So, with Bailey and Bristow looking in good nick down the left, and Evans and Southam- Hales similarly situated down the right, I did not feel at all despondent- even when Gibson ushered another Tanto effort off the line from a Powell pass.

Then the mood changed abruptly with the sight of Southam- Hales falling to the ground and staying there.

Treatment continued for a while before he was stretchered off to be replaced by Ibou Touray.

It did not look good and again I state the obvious that everyone wishes Macauley a speedy return to health and fitness!

In what remained of the half Tanto again `enjoyed` ill fortune as the ball flew from Bailey to Bristow and then back again before  heading Tanto`s way and he threw himself at it making good contact only for the ball to fly inches wide with the goal gaping.

It remained 1-1 as the teams trouped off  at half time.

 

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In Half Time Entertainment, another chance to catch some more from JST (and others) via a terrific dropdown….

https://youtu.be/nVdnzD1wCAY?si=jWdFWEv_ebi3mBzq

 

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Daly woke the Cheadle End up when the game re-started – his shot went wide…………..

Touray had been switched to left CB in a 4 of Wright, Horsfall, Touray, Bristow.

County replied going close with a header. It was Tanto I think but please correct me if needs be. Bristow and  Bailey set it up by engineering a corner – the Town keeper spoiling it for the blues by keeping the header out!

The corner was a good one, Bailey`s free kick a couple of minutes later wasn’t being  lumped far too long!

County were steadily building the pressure up but showing few signs of their Doncaster potency in doing so.

We did get a timely warning on 55 minutes from Foulds who fiddled his way to the by-line down the County right before slipping the ball across the box. It was a tasty moment but thankfully Horsfall had its measure and saw the pass cleared.

It went on – Bristow putting in impressive work to no reward on the hour, just before DC made his first changes bringing Sarcevic and Croasdale on for Bailey and Camps, and the changes seemed to take the edge off County`s effort for a while as they struggled to clear their lines and start a meaningful move.

Harrogate, as a consequence, were seeing more of the ball than was good for us- County kept plugging away when they could but with little success and even less luck.

Tanto might have lifted County spirits as he rounded on a neat ball from Touray but he was then fouled by Thomson and with Powell , Wright and umpteen others in blue seeking a shot on goal our luck continued to be absent , the ball cleared off the line by someone in black.

Evans and Tanto were then replaced by Hippolyte and Richards and for a time the pressure mounted on Town -Richards clearly anxious to please but no more fortunate than his blue shirted colleagues.

There were 12 minutes left as that last action went down…..10 minutes from time the action switched ends where an effort from Foulds flew narrowly wide as County were forced back and failed to clear their lines.

Town continued to probe for a County weakness- Muldoon dealt with efficiently by a Hinchliffe/ Horsfall combo that earned applause.

Hippolyte was catching the eye too- a screaming whizz bang of an effort from outside the box heading in when keeper Belshaw upped and tipped the shot over the bar!

That was some effort and Hippolyte went close again a minute later with similar fortune.

County were warming to their theme now but finding the massed ranks of black shirted defenders less than helpful- Richards…Croasdale just 2 of a queue of County players trying to get a shot in. It was all a touch frenetic, and a decisive opening continued to elude the blues.

Hippolyte went on trying his best to stir some life into the proceedings – Powell had a header kept out on the end of a run by Myles.

The final 10 minutes or so saw County play some lovely, controlled football, but Harrogate knew to wait their moment and eventually County would fall foul of Mr Toner and the resultant free kick would be oxygen to the visitors pressured back line.

Four minutes added time made little change to the way it went – Hippolyte offering an impressive late long throw on the end of which I swear I saw Richards and Madden twitching nervously as they fought to get a shot off.

It stayed 1-1 however, and in the end, we just might be grateful of that point towards season`s end.

It`s off to Grimsby next Saturday- not a happy hunting ground of late for us, but who knows what a week with DC will bring us!

Get there if you can, they will look for and need your support!

 

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Southam- Hales ( Touray 44),Wright , Horsfall , Bristow , Camps ( Croasdale 64) , Evans ( Hippolyte 76) , Powell , Madden , Olaofe ( Richards 76) , Bailey ( Sarcevic 64).

Subs not used ; Smith , Byrne.

 

Harrogate Town line up :-

Belshaw , Abu , Burrell , Thomson , Cornelius , Odoh ( Sivi 64) , Daly , Muldoon , Dooley ( Sutton 76) , Foulds , Gibson .   

 

Subs not used :Mitchell , Mattock , Falkingham , March , Bloxham.

 

Attendance  9329 ( 243)

hedgegrower

 

An Additional Gallery from Andrew Machin....