Stockport County 1 Stoke City 0 ( Pre-season Friendly ) Saturday 27 July 2024

Dave Challinor and his coaching staff will be well pleased with their team`s work at Edgeley Park today where County ran out deserved 1-0 winners against Championship Stoke City.

It was a decent game, one well worth the trouble attending-County`s winning goal decisively put away by Woots 15 minutes or so after coming on as a substitute for Mellon.

Stoke came to play but were well contained for the most part by County particularly in the second half where after a raft of personnel changes Steven Schumacher’s side noticeably upped the revs.

In response , County were excellent…resilient and showed the sort of zest for a battle that will prove a prime asset in the rough and tumble of League 1.

Today , as many times in the past the ( pale pink shirted) blues performance was boosted by some fine keeping from Ben Hinchliffe who produced a string of good to better saves to frustrate a Stoke side that showed every inclination to want something , other than a fine late July tan, from the match!

In the end County had enough to see them home and send a decent pre-season crowd home happy.

Twist my arm and apart from Hinchliffe who I am getting ready to ink in as M.O.M on a regular basis in the coming season, I liked Diamond – he should have scored in the second half but that miss did not blot what I saw as a good performance- he and Fevrier are going to terrify League 1 defences witless! Bate got the M.O.M today and I will not argue with that – he is an industrious soul through whom I see much of County`s better play being channelled through in 2024-25- I cannot wait!

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The excitement engendered by what looks like a raft of very interesting signings by County ,had its reward at EP today where over 4000 turned out for County`s first home pre-season game- over 1300 from Stoke packing the last 3 tiers of the Pop Side.


1334- good turn out from Stoke !

Man in a Hat, having been flogging the Supporters Cooperative calendar prior to kick- off, could be seen in the C/E Upper Tiers enjoying the games opening which saw County spend the first couple of minutes probing in Stoke`s half without conspicuous success.

This bright period ended abruptly when Stoke threw off the apparent shackles with a prodigious ball from Andre Vidigal that picked out Lyn Gooch brilliantly.

Goal….surely…..Corey Addai was toast for sure….except Horsfall cut Gooch who was no more than a yard out from goal, off with a truly superb tackle- chance gone!

Gooch would emerge as a definite threat for Stoke and just 1 minute later he was away again but aided fully by the apparently slumbering Danny Stand liner. Thankfully Addai was on hand to gather Gooch`s final ball at the sharp end , but I was not thinking kindly of the man to my left holding the flag who had failed to acknowledge a clear offside moment in Gooch`s approach!

More pressure followed from the visitors who played the ball about nicely, but County looked not to be at all fazed- indeed 8 minutes in we saw a reply from them as Bate darted clear from deep.

Bate played Fevrier in and he did well to get a nicely cushioned cross over, but Mellon couldn`t add a finish – a disappointment but it showed County were capable of creating stuff!

But so were Stoke and only a fine save by Addai kept the score at 0-0 as a shot headed goalward from Vidigal on the end of a flowing move by the visitors.

We were just 16 minutes in when Mellon had to limp off being replaced by Wootton.

If that was disappointing, County did not seem to view the situation negatively particularly Bate who fashioned an inch perfect cross that saw Collar volley over.

It went on, play switching ends……..Gooch threatening down the left for Stoke ….Diamond similarly for County. Diamond probably should have done better – his dash up the park was good and threatened much until push came to pull and having delayed a shot, he had to settle for a corner which came to nought.

County were still attacking 3 minutes later – Diamond to the fore again dragging his shot wide…then they seemed to switch off briefly, being caught out as Stoke went long sending Nial Ennis clear down the left . He was in behind County`s cover and once more Addai would be second favourite as Ennis prepared to shoot. It was a real chance until a perfect last ditcher from Knoyle saved County`s bacon and kept the score line blank.

We were beyond the half hour now and County were showing every sign of wanting to get a goal.

In this respect Fevrier made good progress down the right only to be clattered as he cut in near the corner flag by the beaten defender.

Bate and Diamond hovered over the free kick – I expected Bate to do the honours, but Diamond did, and his firmly struck kick was met brilliantly by Wootton who headed the ball home with practised aplomb!

We were 1-0 up !

Stoke wasted no time hitting back , County doing well to resist, emerging eventually to attack again themselves -Touray disappointing with a cross …….Diamond blocked when a shot was on , and Bailey unlucky with a shot that was deflected for a corner.

Plenty was coming from County- this was very encouraging stuff against a side with intentions- the half ending with yours truly on another rant aimed at the liner to my left , did he know about the offside rule? Would he try to wake up for the second half?

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Hinchliffe and Hughes were on for Addai and Horsfall when play resumed after half time.

Gooch was still Stoke`s `go to man` -his run winning an early second half corner for his side, but Sidibe made a wakes of adding a finish to this and any chance was no more.

Fevrier was flying in the minutes that followed -unlucky to see Gibson somehow block his shot that looked like going in and possibly very angry a minute later having been hacked down by Stevens to whom he was in the course of showing the cleanest pair of heels !

County made nothing of the free kick, winning another almost immediately as Diamond was upended just outside the box. It was in an `interesting `position – but the ball, having been lifted to the back post was hooked clear by one of a clutch of Stoke defenders.

Stoke had survived, but it was County`s turn next as Hinchliffe had to act quickly and decisively to tip Vidigal`s shot over the bar!

Stoke were definitely stepping up the revs , and a shed load of subbings , wisely skipped by Kenny, only added impetus to the visitors efforts.

For County , Camps, Okeke and Adaramola replaced Woots, Fevrier and Collar and they seemed to strike gold dust immediately when Diamond impishly stole the ball from Dixon just outside the box.

It was brilliantly done by JD, but he then froze and couldn`t find the required finish to double County`s advantage.

Perhaps encouraged by this escape , Stoke re-doubled their attacking efforts helped by Bailey who played his side into trouble with Stoke attacking with intent- it could have….no maybe should have cost the blues dearly but it didn`t thanks to a stupendous double save by Hinchliffe midst a flurry of attacking from the visitors.

Corners piled up next for Stoke , and the Hinchliffe saves- another on 69 minutes keeping a shot from Junho out at the foot of his near post!

It went on……Ennis charging clear putting County under pressure but having to settle for a corner when better perhaps beckoned……County replying via a break by Diamond and Bailey, but this fizzled out disappointingly although it did relieve the pressure for a time.

Not for long though and Stoke clearly did not want to leave the north-west without getting something from this match- cue another save from Hinchliffe with 15 minutes left that denied Manhoef a certain goal. Wouter Burger headed the incoming corner over the top, and then blazed another clear chance more or less into the same spot ruining what was a fine move by Stoke.

CJ for Diamond , Gardner for Bate were County`s last personnel changes as they continued to defend resolutely in the face of building pressure from the Championship side.

Did I say Hinchliffe was having a great game ? …..he was…..and with 10 minutes left he produced another immaculate stop pushing Lowe`s goal bound effort for a corner that went nowhere!

The 84^th minute saw Junho drill a drive on target only for Hinchliffe to make the save.

Stoke were still pressing in the 90th minute …trying to pierce the impenetrable that was the County defensive unit !

I liked what I saw today-the resilience of the County play, their willingness to dig in and respond with growing toughness as the game progressed augurs well for the season ahead.

As I said earlier…..I cannot wait!

See you Friday!

Stockport County line up :-

Addai ( Hinchliffe 46) , Knoyle , Horsfall ( Hughes 46) , Touray , Pye , Fevrier ( Okeke 60) , Collar ( Camps 60) , Bate ( Gardner 78), Mellon ( Wootton 16/Adaramola 60) , Bailey , Diamond ( C Johnson 78).

Subs not used: Metcalfe.

Stoke City line up :-

Bonham , Gooch ( Junho 60) , Stevens ( Bocat 60) , Vidigal ( Manhoef 60) , Leris ( Tchanader 60) , Johnson ( Burger 60) , Ennis ( Lowe 46 ) , Wilmot ( Dixon 60) , Laurant ( Bater 60).

Subs not used: Fielding , Tezgel

Attendance: 4159 ( 1334)

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