Stockport County 4 Reading 1 ( Football League 1) Tuesday 29 October 2024

A rampant Stockport County side surprised everyone and silenced their critics decisively with a thoroughly satisfying 4-1 win against a completely outplayed Reading side at Edgeley Park last night.

The win was in marked contrast to recent showings especially Saturday`s at Sincil Bank, and all the more impressive as Rubin Selles`s in form side were aiming for a fourth win on the bounce!

In the event, that conceit was just never on against this County side , but many ,including the writer, feared the worst before the start, not at all convinced that the side DC put out would pass muster.

It is greatly pleasing to be proved 100% wrong ,after an exhilarating display by DC`s reshuffled pack that earned the team a fine ovation at game`s end.

Bate won the M.O.M award , and he played well, but I would have given it to Onyango who had a superb game one that augers well for his remaining time with us- he was excellent. Collar was not far behind either- a rejuvenated figure ,reintroduced by his manager in a more attacking roll ,that he slotted into perfectly.

He nicked a goal too, but Barry scored 2 and might have added to that tally had he not been subbed with 20 minutes to go!

Wootton continued to confound any critics he still has by scoring another goal, and I cannot point to any of our players that I have not thus far mentioned and say that they did not do a shift- a very good shift in some cases- and Addai , who looked understandably nervous at the start , came through a testing experience well.

Job well done then, and just in time for the FA Cup!

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So, no Ben , no Tanto at the start- both on the bench but I was to say the least surprised with Saturday`s happenings in mind.

On the park it looked like 3 at the back ( Onyango, Horsfall and Pye)with Touray and Diamond providing width ,but it could have easily be construed as a four bringing Touray into the mix.

It was not long before the game settled into a pattern as the referee went into eyebrow raising mode and County got a free kick via a clumsy foul by the Royals.

The kick was defended by the visitors as the game drifted along with County largely on the front foot probing for an opening with Onyango and Collar already showing up well.

It took 11 minutes however for the first real chance to emerge , and it fell to County, but with Royals cramped at the back and under pressure, Barry`s shot drifted wide.

The next chance came 2 minutes later , but it was at the other end of the park where Adrian Akande got the better of Fraser Horsfall as he then turned to do damage to County deep in their box. But Tyler Onyango was now at Akande`s shoulder , then bossing matters neatly bullying the forward off the ball that he ushered lovingly back to an alert Corey Addai.

Royals` keeper Castro Pereira stretched alarmingly to get to a County corner won after Collar , who looked a potent attacking force again for County, had won the kick with a raking run.

The corner was cleared eventually but not the County pressure which mounted exponentially as Amadou Mdongue upended Collar giving the blues a tasty free kick in a central position not that far out.

The kick , by Bate was decent as was Wootton`s header from it but Pereira covered the situation well for Reading.

Almost straight away play switched ends where Corey Addai was called on to make an urgent save to keep a shot by Chem Campbell out after the visitors had forced a corner.

That was a shot across the blues bows , but County seemed undeterred particularly Tyler Onyango who commanded the situation, winning the ball and then surging on and on up the park scattering defenders to the left and right of him as he went ( just the kind of none tippy tappy stuff we have been craving ) . Soon enough he was in the box and so was Will Collar and Onyango released the perfect ball to him provoking the required response from County`s number 14 who drilled the ball into the net from close in!

County had the lead!

How good did that feel ? Pretty good actually, but we were not halfway into the first half yet so we needed to be wary of what response Reading might have in hand.

But there seemed to be no real reason for excessive caution as the usually challenged right side of our defence was looking in good hands - Onyango drawing warm applause from the County crowd with some excellent defending as Reading threatened.

Meanwhile the number of free kicks conceded by the Royals continued to mount – the latest foul….the latest free kick…..forcing Pereira to make an excellent diving save to deny Louie Barry , 25 minutes in.

The football from County was also excellent at this point – Horsfall not that far away on the end of some of it.

Reading launched a dangerous response via Chem Campbell next, but this was handled nicely by the impressive Tyler Onyango who again did brilliantly to snuff the raid out ushering the ball back to Addai.

Then things looked to get a tad serious as suddenly Reading were again on the front foot and playing the ball about with alarming ease and fluency, the move urged to a crescendo by Bindon and Mbengue ,culminating in a ball on that sent Harvey Knibbs to the by-line where he slipped the ball back inside to Campbell who levelled the scores with a neat finish.

That was disconcerting and it nearly got worse as Bate lost possession just outside the box allowing Jay Wareham a shot on goal that was inches from being successful!

But it took County just 2 minutes to set matters right- their reply starting with yet another tiresomely conceded free kick by Reading. Bate redeemed himself , his kick delivered with consummate control into the crowded box where Kyle Wootton ( who else?) despatched the ball into the Reading net!

We were 2-1 up with barely a backward glance now at Saturday`s happenings, as we basked instead in the joy of seeing County back in a scoring groove!

County`s wall saw off a rare Reading free kick next, before the blues came back at their opponents – Diamond seeing a shot drift narrowly wide after more good work from Onyango.

And the good stuff continued- Wootton watching as Pereira saved his header after being set up by Diamond and Bate.

The football was really good from County, the passing precise , and …..joy of joys….there was end product too, and we saw some with 3 minutes of the half left as brilliant play from Collar sent Diamond surging into the box where he was sent crashing down by a defender.

Mr Parsons saw it…gave it….it was a penalty and Louie Barry , responding to the crowd’s adulation, duly sent Pereira the wrong way with another perfect spot kick to make it 3-1.

Two minutes added time brought no respite for Ruben Selles` team as Onyango continued to push them back with powerful runs- in concert with Diamond forcing a corner that Pereira did well to grab and prevent Wootton from adding to his and County`s goal tally!

It was half time, County led 3-1 and left the field to warm applause!

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The first action of note came 3 minutes into the second half as with County pressing and Woots blocked in front of goal, Ethan Pye could only send his shot over the bar after Barry and Fiorini had worked hard at prising an opening from the visitors.

Credit to Reading though- they did get forward a good bit after that – Bindon and Wareham unsettling the centre of County`s defence shortly after the hour mark, but County were in no mood to relinquish the hold that they had on the game- their press re-emerging to good effect forcing Pereira into making an excellent diving save to keep Fiorini`s shot out on the end of a flowing County move!

There was nothing particularly flowing about the next County move, just a certain lethality as with Barry refusing to stop probing the right side of the visitors` defence, a splendid exchange of passes twixt Barry and Collar got the old place fizzing with excitement again as Louie made it 4-1 with a clinical finish!

Within very little time at all Barry and Collar along with Fiorini were replaced by Tanto, Norwood and Bailey.

The changes seemed to perk Reading up a touch for a while- Diamond doing well with a fine block as the Royals press made progress.

It took County 8 or 9 minutes to take stock of what was what and take action and it needed the close attention of both Mbengue and Wing to stop Diamond with just over 10 minutes to play.

That was Diamonds last action of the game as Jayden Fevrier came on for him a minute later , and he was quickly in the mix combining with Wootton to set Tanto up.

Reading panicked a touch at this, but Pereira did the biz claiming the ball and denying Tanto !

County continued to press as the game headed into its last 5 minutes as Norwood and Fevrier combined to tee Bailey up for a shot that drifted wide.

We went into added time with Connolly on for Bate, and Fevrier getting the EP regulars roaring loudly with a trademark run having switched to the right flank – he went close, but it stayed 4-1.

Tanto also went close in the very last minute of added time, the home specs willing the ball into the net , but it was not to be ….the shot went wide…the game was over!

That was a very impressive performance by County against a team up there in the division and chasing glory, so congrats to Dave Challinor for ignoring the clamour off stage to sort matters so well, and to the team who knew what they were meant to be doing …did it ….and did it with some style!

FA Cup on Saturday- see you at EP hopefully for the visit of Forest Green Rovers!

Stockport County line up:-

Addai, Onyango , Horsfall, Pye, Touray, Bate (Connolly 91), , Diamond (Fevrier 79'), Collar (Bailey 69), Fiorini (Olaofe 69), Wootton, Barry (Norwood 69) .

Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Hughes.Connolly.

Reading line up:-

Pereira, Craig, Knibbs, Savage (Elliott 59') , Wareham (Tuma 78'), Campbell (Camara 59'), Bindon, Mbengue (Dean 85'), Wing , Garcia, Akande (Ehibhatiomhan 46')

Subs not used : Button, Ahmed

Attendance: 8128 ( 660)

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