Burton Albion 0 Stockport County 3 ( Football League 1) Saturday 23 November 2024

 

 

 

 

In a week that saw a banana duct taped to a wall fetch $6.2 m in New York, it would not be that surprising ,I suppose ,if managerless ,and until last week, winless Burton Albion put one over on high flying Stockport County, would it? 

 

 

 

 

Today though, at the Pirelli Stadium hard reality  hit home for Interim Head Coach  Tom Hounsell`s side as County ran out convincing 3-0 winners with ease and a good bit to spare.

It may have taken Dave Challinor`s team 30 minutes to score their first goal but long before that moment County had the measure of their opponents who struggled game long to cope with the  blues movement – having particular trouble with Louie Barry whose 2 goals hardly give more than a hint of the mastery he had over the yellow shirted players pitted against him.

Lewis Bate claimed the other goal and Barry  played a big part in that too.

A great individual showing by Louie  then -but  a commanding one from the team too that moves them up to third in the League One table – a most satisfying result !

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From the off it was County who dictated matters- Rydel first to show, his shot beaten out doggedly by Max Crocombe the home keeper.

But the first 10 minutes saw Burton trapped  in their own half- the only reply coming in the 10^th minute via Udoka Godwin- Malife whose darting run was blocked by County`s back line- the follow up from the other flank snuffed out as Hinchliffe gathered the ball to him.

We could have done without the crude tackle by Mason Bennett that laid Horsfall out for a while next , but it would not disturb County`s concentration one jot as the home side were again pushed back following the free kick- a one/ two twixt Wootton and Barry oozing class but lacking luck- Barry faring no better , 16 minutes in , as his shot drifted narrowly wide of goal.

Godwin- Malife , who was emerging as just about Albions only glimmer of hope with County`s momentum building steadily second by second , again showed for the home side – his break cut out by excellent work from Ethan Pye.

A corner followed, but Woots headed this clear, and a foul on him 3 minutes later offered  County a real chance to open the scoring from the free kick, but when Horsfall ran onto Norwood`s kick at the back post , he sent the ball flying over the bar- the chance was gone!

         The pressure from County continued as Albion`s discipline took a dive in response – a raft of County free kicks serving to increase their angst- but could DC`s team make their chances count?

 

Meanwhile we had Godwin- Malife confusing matters with another pacy run down the right for Albion. The cross that followed was decent and had Danilo Orsi`s name written on for sure , and he was smack in front of goal when the ball arrived in his vicinity. We might have been toast …..but we weren`t thanks to a superlative intervention by Callum Connolly , who wrapped the raid up smartly to loud applause from County fans.

Connolly   was less successful 2 minutes later- his shot flying over the bar after being set up via excellent work from Collar and Barry.

Oh…..and Godwin Malife was still looking to have a say – another run from him claiming another corner for his team . However- Elliott Watt`s kick was a poor one -duly despatched up field by Pye to Barry who was away and heading for goal. He was surrounded by yellow shirted company and eventually the ball ran loose to Bate who latched onto it to score from close in.

With 15 minutes until half time, County had their 1-0 lead ,and they were looking to add to it- Barry denied by Crocombe 4 minutes later- Wootton unlucky with a header from Southam- Hales` pass another 5 minutes on.

But then, just 3 more minutes on and County had a second goal!

It started at the back with Hinchliffe whose incisive long ball was headed on deftly to Barry by Wootton. Barry was clear in the blink of an eye and in on goal – Crocombe nowhere as Louie buried the ball into the net behind the keeper`s back.

That was simply excellent – a well worked goal, clearly thought out and expertly executed by Hinchliffe, Woots and Louie!

The 2-goal lead was no less than County deserved- Barry was `on fire` and looking likely to score every time he touched the ball.

Kyle Wootton meanwhile was no less an inspirational figure- working himself to a frazzle for the team, and so unlucky to see his bicycle kick pushed over the bar by Crocombe close to half time- County going in 2-0 up at the break.

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A shuffle of Tom Hounsell`s pack saw his team begin to take the game to County when the match re-started, but there was still no sign that Hinchliffe would be troubled at all so complete was the cover from County`s back line.

But -fair do`s ,Albion were trying to up their game – none more than Godwin Malife – prominent again for County`s hosts 7 minutes into the half- crucially however not putting any real pressure on Hinchliffe who looked in his element today.

It was not long before County re-established their control- a thrusting move initiated  by Barry and Rydel winning a corner that saw Crocombe in action again to deny County with a cracking save for Albion.

Almost on the hour we thought a third County goal was upon us as the sweetest of balls from Norwood picked out Collar smack in front of goal and marker- free.  But he lifted the ball over the bar – the disappointment tempered by the near side liner`s upraised flag for offside!

Any disappointment did not last long, as County, in the shape of Louie Barry struck again – County`s number 20 receiving the ball around halfway , before cutting inside to  drill a superb shot home beyond Crocombe`s best efforts to deny him!

County now led 3-0 and looked excellent value for that lead!

Time though for a response from Albion, and it came on 66 minutes from Charlie Webster, but his effort was easily dealt with by Hinchliffe twixt the sticks for County.

At the other end however, Crocombe was having to work overtime- pulling out all the stops with possibly his best save of the game to keep another nightmare-inducer from Barry out!

Then it was time for DC to do a personnel shuffle -Camps,Bailey and Tanto coming on for Collar, Barry and Wootton- Hughes and Touray replacing Southam-Hales and Rydel 10 minutes later.

Tomas Kalinouskas did his level best to take advantage of any lapse in County cohesion that followed but he rather fluffed his lines in doing so, sending his shot wide of goal- Jack Armer fairing no better 3 minutes later his effort ballooning out of play from a home free kick.

I looked about me……no…for sure….I saw no lapse in County cohesion at all- just a team on top of their game bossing another that was not .

Most of the away end by now, with the game just over 5 minutes from the end of normal time, were willing Tanto to nick one, and Southam-Hales did his best to tee that prospect up with a neat pass inside to the Hatters number nine.

It all happened in a flash ….Tanto getting a shot off instantly only to see it deflected for a corner – just!

It was panic stations for Albion when the corner came over – Crocombe doing massively well to usher Horsfall`s header out off the line ( or was it….I allowed myself to think I saw the ball travel over said line), but the Referee Ben Atkinson , who after having a reasonable first half, turned into Mr Picky with a penchant for giving free kicks against County in the 2nd, had seen `something` and blew for a Burton free kick.

By this time ,we were in added time and still there was no light at the end of Albion`s dark…dark tunnel…indeed County kept working through their repertoire of unstoppable moves – this being aided greatly by a poor foul on Camps.

A neat move followed from the free kick, Tanto doing well to lay the ball off inside to Camps who I thought had a good sight of goal, but he did not shoot, instead he played the ball back to Norwood whose drive cleared the bar .

The chance was gone, and soon the game was over, and County fans could celebrate another excellent victory on their travels- another fine team performance for sure topped off in immaculate style by yet more excellence from Louie Barry.

 County`s cup runneth over , and we are third in League One, and looking the part!

 

So, I was in celebratory mood on the  way back when I saw this…..

 

 

 

That`s his best hat yet and I have already sent Graham my warmest congrats on his good fortune in the hope of a moderately huge handout!

I`ll keep you informed!

 

Burton Albion line up :-

 Crocombe; Bannon (Hazlehurst, 46), Vancooten, Sweeney, Armer; Godwin-Malife (Whitfield, 70), Watt, Webster, Kalinauskas; Bennett (Bodin, 46); Orsi (Cooper-Love, 70).

Subs not used : Isted, Sraha.

 

Stockport County line up :-

 Hinchliffe; Connolly, Horsfall, Pye; Southam-Hales (Hughes, 82), Norwood, Bate , Rydel (Touray, 82); Collar (Camps, 71), Wootton (Olaofe, 71), Barry (Bailey, 71).

 Subs not used: Addai, Fevrier.

 

Attendance 3564 ( 1700)

hedgegrower

 

hedgegrower`s Additional Gallery starting with a shot of Ben Whitfield pre match…..