Crawley Town 1 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 1) Saturday 14 September 2024

 

 

 

 

County had to settle for a share of the points today at the Broadfield Stadium as Crawley Town came back from one down to deny the blues a victory that looked very much on as early as the fifth minute when Louie Barry gave us the lead with a re-run of his opener at Bloomfield Road.

At that point there was looking to be only one team in it and it wasn`t the one shepherded by Scott Lindsey, but it did not last and as the game progressed so County`s grip loosened, and Town took the game by the short and curlies with some neat close football.

We looked to have all this sussed though , but we struggled to add another element – a cohesive attacking one , to the mix and thus wrestle control back from our hosts.

All this said we might, probably should ,have held on and survived lead intact ,despite building pressure from the home side, but for  a stupefyingly iffy decision by Referee Mr James Linington( details later) that saw the Town pressure reap a reward via Armando`s penalty kick equaliser.

Crawley arguably deserved a share of the points on the balance of play, but County should maybe look to see just how much they might have contributed to their own difficulties today.

Of Mr Linington- more later!

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There were over 800 County fans inside the ground as the match got underway with County defending the end where their support was gathered .

From early on, Pye and Horsfall established something approaching total control at the back  , where County looked to Adaramola  ( left) and Tourey( right) for width.

Norwood was in there somewhere too, doing well to break up an early Town attack involving Rushia Hepburn-Murphy who was to have a good game for Crawley.

Already it was apparent that Crawley wanted to play football – finding feet with regularity if not doing anything to make Pye or Horsfall lose their equilibrium.

Then my equilibrium took a bit of a wobble on 4 minutes as a Pye/ Adamarola link up ended with the latter`s cross being headed narrowly over the bar by Wootton. I needed that to go in as I had 4 minutes as the first goal timing on the Flyer!

But the angst if such there was, lasted barely 60 seconds as Pye switched from feeding Adamarola to picking Louie Barry out with a neat pass.

Had Crawley done their homework on Barry ? It didn`t look like it as they stood off as if transfixed as he reprised his goal at Bloomfield Road drifting inside …further….further….before halting …changing direction and slotting the perfect finish beyond anything keeper Jojo Woollacott could come up with by way of response.

We were 1-0 up and quids in-and  in just 5 minutes!

For 5 minutes or so County looked to take the game to their opponents , but they were not having any of it choosing instead to keep the ball down and look to put County under pressure, and in this regard Adamarola showed his defensive worth with  a brilliant intervention to prevent Hepburn-Murphy from doing damage on the end of Williams` excellent cross from wide right.

We cleared the corner easily enough but then came back under the cosh again forcing Woots and Adamarola to pull out all the stops and concede a corner when worse threatened.

Crawley made nothing of the corner , or more likely County`s back line shut them out protecting Addai from any action, doing so again for a second flag kick a minute or so later -Town`s indiscipline their undoing !

It was end to end for a time after this neither side looking likely to punish the opposing keeper- Onyango threatened to do so bursting clear but when he was upended in the box Mr Linington would have none of County`s penalty appeals!

It was obvious now that we had to keep our grip at the back but also relieve the pressure by attacking the home goal- but instead we gave the ball away just outside our own box allowing Camara a run on goal. He maybe should have done better, but his shot drifted wide – chance gone!

 

The game went off the boil for long periods next both teams trying but without great aplomb ,to work a chance- in County`s case a second goal would change the game completely and an equaliser would be like gold dust for Town.

It was County who came closest to squaring that particular circle via Barry who stole possession in lively fashion before heading for goal where he fired in a shot of some quality only for Woollacott to produce a fine save to deny him.

Horsfall took a hefty knock from the first of two corners that followed – eventually resuming after treatment, but County could not force the ball home – the half ending with County still 1-0 up.

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The first attack came from County when the game resumed after the break, but Woots` neat flick on narrowly failed to tee Collar up for a second County goal, the ball going wide.

The play switched ends after that action – Collar in the mix again defensively this time heading the ball clear under pressure from a corner won by the lively Hepburn- Murphy.

Hepburn- Murphy was key to much of Town`s better moments- County just had to counter this . Norwood certainly knew this and tried to produce accordingly but a pass from Barry ended with Norwood shooting wide when well set.

County kept at it- Collar close with a shot on 58 minutes, but Adaramola  looked to be in just a minute later until his legs disappeared under him in the presence of Williams the home captain.

I thought “ penalty” and counted 802 others who appeared to agree with me- loudly! But Mr Linington was not impressed…no penalty !

Pressure began to mount on County from Crawley whose efforts were being helped along by a raft of free kicks – a fare number arguable at best!

County`s angst built rapidly with every free kick, and I was particularly angry at the free kick that the ref gave as Williams went to ground nicely central on the edge of the box!

More angst came from the kick- County blocked it OK but without clearing their lines allowing the free kick taker Junior Quiltira to go to ground when challenged by Wootton.

I was relieved to see the Referee apparently confirm my opinion namely “ no penalty” and he did so with the traditional wide sweeping of the arms indicating “ no way, no pen boys”

But then he seemed to change his mind …no VAR of course …so what changed it?

It was a penalty apparently and  Quiltira put it away with confidence.

So just to confirm -based on Mr Linington`s signalling today the current signal for a valid penalty from a referee is this . Thanks to Ray Pelham for his willing mime shown here- 

It was 1-1 and there was now much for us to do to stop the rot and quieten Town`s gallop.

A raft of substitutions signalled County`s intent- Collar, Wootton and Barry replaced by Fevrier, Tanto and Diamond on 69 minutes- Connolly coming on for Adaramola 2 minutes later.

It was worth a try of course   indeed maybe the changes could have been undertaken somewhat earlier.

Meanwhile Crawley wanted a winner themselves- Williams making it to the by-line before County could repel boarders.

Adeyemo joined in pushing County back again down the left – fortunately he lost the ball en-route enabling Tanto to mount a break -keeper Woollacott doing  well to keep the shot out pushing it around a post.

Much County pressure followed- Camps going close with a shot with 15 minutes left, the pressure beginning to diminish as Norwood put the latest of a series  of corners straight out.

Eventually Crawley again came back at County encouraged by the home specs who maybe fancied an unlikely home win?

Corners….free kicks meanwhile continued to undermine the blues confidence- only dogged defending of the top order keeping us from conceding again late on.

County did try to counter Crawley`s attacking- Fevrier looking particularly good in forcing a corner . Norwood sent this short, and it was intercepted allowing Town to hit the blues on the break.

For a moment or so Darcy looked on  for glory , especially when the inevitable free kick came Crawley`s way.

Somehow County rode the storm , did not concede again- quite a feat under the prevailing circumstances- the game ending with Crawley still trying to sneak that late winner- but falling short due to the lack of quality in their finishing- Kelly twice lifting shots high over the bar when better was called for from his team.

So, a disappointing result and a disappointing game , but we are still unbeaten so that should be in the balance of any considerations we are contemplating.

On balance we perhaps should accept it as what it was- disappointing game/ result but a valuable away point and an unbeaten record defended successfully.

Then we let the Manager manage and turn out in support and look to make our contribution to putting things in order.

 

 

Crawley Town line up :-

Woollacott , Kelly , Mullarkey , Mukeno , Flint , Darcy , Camara , Williams , Andersen , Swan , Hepburn- Murphy.

Subs- Beach , Adeyemo , Barker , Bragg , Armando , Ibrahim , Khaleel.

 

Stockport County line up :-

Addai , Touray , Horsfall , Pye ,  Adaramola ( Connolly 71) , Onyango , Camps, Norwood( Bailey 90) , Collar ( Fevrier 69), Wootton ( Olaofe 69), Barry ( Diamond 69).

Subs not used : Hinchliffe , Powell .

Attendance : 4538( 803)

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