Forest Green Rovers 0 Stockport County 3 ( Football League 2) Friday 29 March 2024

County made light work of disposing of Forest Green Rovers challenge at their New Lawn ground today.

To be accurate though it was not much of a challenge in fact I put Steve Cotterill`s side down as the poorest I have seen this season – Ben Hinchliffe is still waiting for a shot to stop I guess as I commence writing this missive circa 5.30.

The blues duly surged to the top of the division with as comfortable a win as you could wish for – a clutch of top quality goals from Camps and Rico Richards establishing a 2 goal lead at the break that was increased to 3-0 by another fine finish by Connor Evans 7 minutes into the second half.

County had quite clearly done enough, having little difficulty in keeping Rovers in their place despite wholesale personnel changes, content largely to see the game out without giving their opponents as much as a single sniff at glory.

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It`s a confident side that, in the middle of a push for promotion, can afford to start a game leaving their 20-goal striker on the bench but that was exactly what Dave Challinor`s Stockport County side did today.

The consolation was that the excellent Rico Richards got a start and the County line up had another interesting element as Knoyle was included leaving Kane on the bench probably awaiting the call after half time.

The blues went on the attack from the start, Reyes the home keeper having to skip sharply into action to keep a Knoyle cross from Wootton after Powell had made preliminary explorations of the Rovers back line.

It went on with Evans taking a pass from Knoyle but watching as it sailed harmlessly out.

More followed from County- Richards disappointed by Reyes 5 minutes in.

The County press was beginning to look menacing – Wootton unable though to make anything from a decent pass by Richards.

Still the blues persisted ,Robson heading Touray`s cross clear under pressure.

Rovers momentarily shaped to organise a break, but it was a pretty flimsily constructed affair requiring nothing from Hinchliffe being broken up long before it reached him.

This brought Touray centre stage for County his cross ricocheting off a defender for a corner. Things looked promising from this until the moment that Referee Charles Breakspear combined with his near side liner to rule Powell offside thus ending the home side`s angst- well, for now anyway!

A ludicrously low-level Handbags outbreak next ushered in a break from County`s monopoly of possession giving Rovers the added comfort of a free kick.

The Referee then proceeded to irritate, insisting on moving the County wall back 3 or 4 centimetres- hardly a crucial move as from Mc Allister`s kick, the ball went well wide of the target.

Back came the blues – Wootton unlucky on the end of a Powell through ball.

This reestablished the order of things and County looked thoroughly menacing as Powell`s pinpoint cross field pass found Touray who cut inside before putting Madden in. Madden fluffed the chance, but we had no time at all to ponder that one as the ball ran out to Camps who promptly lashed it into the net beyond Reyes in the home goal from outside the box- a splendid strike!

County had their 1-0 lead ,and it was greatly deserved!

County continued their domination – Richards seeing a shot come back out off Robson`s arm in the box. It looked a penalty but wasn`t according to Mr Breakspeare the man who’s view counts.

That action ended 5 minutes of constant pressure by the blues with no reward- another 5 minutes changed that nicely.

Touray was again involved taking Madden`s pass before passing inside low and hard to Richards who turned before drilling a beauty passed Reyes for County`s second goal- again that was a beautiful strike!

We had 15 minutes of the half to go with a prospect of more County goals to contemplate.

For sure Richards was doing his bit to provide one, nicking possession before sending Knoyle clear- Robson eased Rovers pain hacking the ball clear under pressure but pretty it wasn`t!

Then it was Reyes turn to come to Rovers rescue ,saving a Madden effort after the home back-line had imploded in a festival of misplaced passes.

It went on- Touray cutting inside to set Richards up for a shot that fizzed just wide off a defender.

An almighty scramble ensued next from the corner as Rovers struggled to cope with County`s precision passing.

Somehow Rovers survived and did so again as Robson once more made a vital last ditch clearance from a cross by Evans.

County were relentless in their search for a third goal, encouraged as Ryan Inniss spilled possession County`s way- Keogh in action heading Touray`s cross out- the raid finally ending when keeper Reyes made a confident catch to keep Evans cross out.

Then, almost smack on 45 minutes Rovers had themselves a free kick. `At last` Rovers fans must have thought ` County are under pressure` but it proved to be an illusion as from McAlister`s kick, Fankaty Dabo sent his shot nearer the corner flag than the goal.

We went into added time with Hinchliffe still awaiting a shot to save but he was again disappointed- Pye heading clear from Rovers first corner of the day.

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And for Half Time Entertainment -The Kinks- Lola https://youtu.be/JPC0tXrj1qU?si=M8jI7W1uCKEnM3sy

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The second half opened with Powell going close after making it to the by-line with his usual silky smoothness.

It was not long before the County press was relentlessly subjecting their opponents to more pain, but from a County corner , Touray was called on to act swiftly as Rovers contrived to turn defence into attack. They substantially overreached themselves midst this mini revival urgently appealing for a penalty off the entirely innocent Horsfall to no avail- Mr B waved the claims away.

If Rovers specs took heart at the sight of this belated action from their team they just might have been heartened again at the sight ( to my left) of a rather neat rainbow ( see John Giles` image below) .


image- John Giles

It was another illusion however as County first off went close as Powell shot wide following excellent approach play from Touray and Madden, then things got even worse for the men in green as they went a further goal behind.

County were pressing with Wootton surging relentlessly to the by-line before releasing the ball inside to where Evans met it dispatching it into the net – another decent goal !

We were now 3-0 up with over half an hour left to play.

County kept the pressure on after this Madden just wide with a shot on 56 minutes…Richards missing out with a cheeky lob 4 minutes later – successive runs first by Wootton and Powell then Madden and Pye putting seemingly monstrous pressure on the home back line.

The home defences held firm however and both sides then disrupted affairs with a rash of personnel changes- Croasdale and Kane for Powell and Knoyle starting it off just beyond the hour……Sarcevic and Tanto coming on for Madden and Wootton with 20 minutes left to play, the sequence ending with Bailey replacing Richards 6 minutes later.

The process we were undertaking was entirely understandable with Monday in mind but the obvious downside, if indeed it can be claimed as being such, was that County`s rhythm was disrupted, and play lost a bit of its pezzaz and zing.

“Who wants pezzaz and zing” I hear you exclaim unconvincingly, “we`ll take promotion , thank you!” and you are correct in your stance, and anyway…disrupted rhythm or not County never lost their total grip on the game.

To be fair, Rovers tried really hard late on winning a corner- initiating a late/ late assault that had as much of the Buster Keeton about it as Harry Kane -- Ben still awaiting his first shot at games end.

Forget the class or otherwise of our opponent s today -a win is a win is a win and this was a very convincing win,one all the more special as the pressure built on the blues via a clutch of in form teams at the top of the pile trying to outdo us.

Well done County- top job!

See you all on Monday !

Forest Green Rovers line up :-

Reyes , Moore-Taylor , Keogh , Inniss , Robson , Bunker , Osadabe ( Jones 67), Dabo (Thompson 63), Mc Allister ( Brown 63), Garrick ( Omotoye 75), Doidge(Maddox 75).

Subs not used: Searle Gorrin.

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle ( Kane 46) , Horsafall , Pye , Touray , Camps , Powell ( Croasdale 62) Evans , Richards ( Bailey 76) , Wootton ( Olaofe 70), Madden ( Sarcevic 70).

Subs not used : Smith , Byrne .

Attendance : 3145 ( 1138)

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