Stockport County 1 Northampton Town 1 ( Football League 1 ) Tuesday 22 October 2024

 

 

 

County frustrated their supporters ,who again turned out last night in good numbers at Edgeley Park, by having to settle for a share of the points against a pretty ordinary Northampton Town side.

The blues played some good football for much of the time but ,in their opponents last third, the ideas  ran out.

Our back four looked solid, barring their added time aberration, and Sam Hughes gave an encouraging display alongside Ethan Pye that was reassuring should Fraser  Horsfall be unavailable again.

In front of our back line Nick Powell bestrode most of what County did until substituted, whilst Lewis Bate  gave perhaps his best showing in a blue shirt yet, winning the M.O.M award. They both played really well ,but I was waiting match long for someone to play a decent ball in Tanto`s direction. I waited , as he did, in vain- Barry tried a couple of times but ,despite positioning himself in space in sniffing distance of the visitors` box – nothing of note came his way- we are wasting a 20 goal a season player!

County`s goal again came via a penalty -disputed by Town but not by me , and put away with authority by Louie Barry late on, and a win looked a certainty for DC`s team with added time upon us, but Northampton , who had waited until the last 20 minutes to show us any attacking nous, made a last gasp charge at us that saw us fold alarmingly.

The free kick awarded by Mr Miles the Referee, who I thought had a reasonable game, may have been dubious ,but then so was County`s defending in response to it that allowed substitute Tyler Magloire a free header which he duly put away coolly.

There was insufficient time left for County to rectify matters thus we again had to settle for one point- a disappointing return at home against opponents we  should have beaten.

……………………………………………

 

Conditions looked perfect as the game got underway with County attacking down the right where Connolly sent Fevrier clear. It was a typical Fevs run all power and speed – he looked unstoppable as he cut inside at pace , but he was then brought down.

“Penalty” was my thought, but Mr Miles was of a different opinion and Town , who were watched by a decent Tuesday evening away following of 304, had escaped.

 

 

 

 

 

The visitors tried to reply , forcing County to defend a throw in after Barry had sold Touray short with a pass under pressure- County`s re-shuffled defence coped well with the challenge which they saw off.

Barry was centre stage again almost immediately but at the other end where Touray set him up nicely with a neat pass that saw him cut inside in trademark style. His shot was blocked and cleared but this, added to Fevs effort, was an encouraging start.

Fevrier did less well next hitting an early free kick well wide, but my prevailing mood was uncharacteristically optimistic -Tanto encouraging me in this mind set with a lively run that deserved better- his shot seemed to hit Odin Bailey ( or did I have an early evening hallucination?)thus saving the Cobblers bacon again.

The first 7 minutes had been all County- the eighth wasn`t as Mitch Pinnock ran clear down the left for Northampton  doing well to get his cross over at the end of his run- Tom Eaves met it with his head-the ball flying narrowly wide!

Hmm….a warning ? ….maybe…..

A cooperation twixt Powell and Bailey saw Tanto go close next.

We reached 15 minutes with it still 0-0 and with Powell involving himself positively up and down the park.

Meanwhile, for Cobblers, Pinnock was prevented from running onto a tasty looking through ball by Connelly who had settled in nicely at the back on the right.

Pye was doing OK too, handling an embryonic run by Eaves with total authority- we looked solid where it counted at the back- we just needed to now build on that.

The 20^th minute saw us almost take the lead and again the main thrust came via Fevrier  who was sent clear by Bailey. Again, his speed and power told, and defenders had no answer as he drifted inside before lining up a shot. And what a shot it was too- hit with coruscating power -Lee Burge ,the Town keeper, looked to be toast, but Jayden`s shot smacked the bar and stayed out !

Touray was having a good game at this point, enhanced again as he did  well to cut Sam Hoskin`s run short with some neat work.

But within a minute of that last action Touray was flattened by Eaves with play elsewhere- this would be a feature of Town`s work throughout the game ….an irritating feature  and Mr Miles was not always sufficiently `across` the issue contenting himself on this occasion with a word in Eaves ear!

The game went on…Tanto heading over from a Touray cross for County……Pinnock extracting a decent save from Addai just after the half hour for Town.

Meanwhile Tanto was still existing on scraps as blue shirted colleagues neglected to seek him out, but on 40 minutes at last Barry obliged…and to feet…and County`s number nine looked good as he surged forward until met by a fantastic tackle from Nesta Guinnes- Walker that really saved the day for his team!

We needed to test Nesta again with more of the same, but would we?

County kept pressing up to the break- Barry shooting wide at one point, but the teams went in with the score still 0-0.

……………………………………….

The re-start saw County very much in control, probing for an opening .

It took 3 minutes for a chance to emerge as Touray located Barry with a tasty pass- it looked iffy for Cobblers but Barry`s shot curled wide of Burge`s left hand post to keep it 0-0.

Meanwhile, for Town, Guinnes-Walker tried his luck at the other end of the park- his run happily cut off by excellent defensive work from Powell…...and Pinnock had his intended run cut short by good work from Hughes who was looking solid for County.

We then saw  Addai whacked with the Referee`s attention elsewhere then  Tanto clattered unceremoniously by Ben Fox when nicely placed for a decent break down the middle. Mr Miles saw that one and we got the free kick, but Town declared the dividend as the chance was gone and our free kick came to nought!

But I bucked up a tad seeing Touray and Barry almost prise the visitors parsimonious back line apart . Barry made it into the box before electing to fall down- even I would not have given that one ,so it was a no brainer for Mr Miles!

And more followed from County that again instilled hope of something good coming our way, and the next move had much to commend it- good work from Powell ….brilliant work by Barry who having made it into the box with some deft footballing sorcery then laid the ball back to where Fevrier lurked menacingly.

A shot was on and it came instantly from Jayden – the ball fizzing goalward at a rate of knots- goal…yes……surely…..but …no… the ball would have taken the netting from its moorings but instead went millimetres wide!

If that had just gone in……….but we always say that ,do we not?

County kept plugging away- trying to nick that elusive first goal but efforts from Barry and Bailey both failed to test Burge.

And back with the dark arts we then saw Samy Chouchane ( the guy who had been involved in the Barry none pen incident earlier)  take Powell out with play way up the park.

I am not sure if Mr Miles saw this, but the right messages got to him apparently and we got the free kick and the miscreant a yellow.

I am not entirely sure however that a yellow sends quite the correct signal to teams that transgress so – Town were certainly not encouraged to mend their ways for sure!

And after all the pressure from County it was alarming to see Town now emerging at the wrong end of the park-ours, and the home specs were stunned to see a shot from Tyler Roberts twang Addai`s back post finishing up in his arms!

Suddenly Northampton were on the front foot looking for openings and DC`s response was to swap Diamond, Wootton , Norwood and Mellon for Powell,  Tanto, Fevrier and Bailey .

You maybe guess that I was not particularly happy that Tanto was off the park- perhaps Mellon would show us something we would see! I was not greatly pleased to see Fevs hooked either- bring Diamond on by all means but give him the left flank/ keep Fevs wide right!

But Town kept pushing forward through Tariq Fosu this time- County aided greatly by the Pop Side liner`s offside flag!

On the Mellon front- Norwood tried to reach him with a probing ball but Mellon ran out of grass on the end of it- other than that and a late clumsy foul as he came back to defend , there was nothing much to report on him.

Credit to County -they kept trying to press, largely through Barry whose efforts won us a corner that saw Burge as busy twixt the sticks for Town as he had been all evening punching clear and catching the ball under pressure to defy the blues.

Diamond has potential but ,like Tanto he needs the ball , but like Tanto, having made space was left to await a pass which invariably never came- but at last Woots sees him…..reaches him with a peach of a cross field ball with the end of normal time approaching.

County won 1….2 ….corners from Diamonds work following the Woots pass- and as the second kick, from Bate, headed over so Woots was forced to the ground by Cameran McGeehan .

The Cheadle End went AS…..Mr Miles had seen it and pointed to the spot, we had a penalty.

Visions of Yalta and other such occasions surfaced next as the matter was debated back and forth for ever before eventually the issue was resolved conclusively as Louie put the kick away with some authority.

To be fair to Burge- he went the right way ( following signals from his bench)  and looked to come close to getting a touch to it but the power of Barry`s kick brooked no argument – County were 1-0 up!

That felt really good , what followed didn`t as County took Barry off ( for Fiorini) whilst Town brought Tyler Magloire on!

There did not seem to be any immediate impact from the changes as County, prompted by Bate, continued to push Town back.

But the Cobblers back line held, and they hit us on the break forcing  a free kick just outside the box on the right.

There`s a debate to be had as to the validity of the free kick  and whether we should have had one ourselves, but it was fact….we had to defend it, but when substitute Fariq Fosu stepped up to take it lifting it gently into the box- we didn`t…and another late sub Tyler Magloire was allowed to head the ball home unmolested- it was 1-1!

There was no time to put this right now- County attacked of course… but when Touray`s shot cleared the bar Mr Miles blew for time!

 

That was disappointing and quite definitely 2 points lost against a side of limited ambition, but we are still well placed in the league and beaten only once so at the risk of repeating myself – a sense of perspective is called for!

We are correct though to look for an improvement on Saturday at Sincil Bank.

See you there hopefully!

 

  

 

Stockport County line up:-

Addai, Touray, Bate, Hughes, Olaofe ( Wootton 71),  Fevrier ( Mellon 71),  Powell ( Norwood 71), Pye, Connolly, Barry ( Fiorini 89),  Bailey ( Diamond 71)
Subs not used:  Hinchliffe,  Onyango

Northampton Town line up:-

Burge, Odimayo, Guiness-Walker, Baldwin, Guthrie, Sowerby (Chouchane 54), Fox (Hondermarck 60), McGeehan, Pinnock ( Magloire 88), Eaves (Roberts 54), Hoskins (Fosu 60)
Subs: Tzanev, McCarron

Attendance 8585 ( 304)

hedgegrower

 

additional Gallery from @machinsports