Stockport County 5 Bolton Wanderers 0 ( Football League 1) Saturday 9 November 2024

After Tuesday, DC was looking for a response from his County team , and County supporters were too, but crucially they turned out in numbers despite any lingering doubts following the debacle against the Chairboys , and County rewarded them handsomely with a superb 5-0 win against a Bolton side that came to Edgeley Park in good form and expecting to win.

But Tuesday night`s County performance was a very streaky chalk to a rather superior Valencay in comparison to the showing the blues laid before over 10000 today.

It was a transformation of epic proportions- and just what we needed from them!

For almost half an hour though the game was very competitive indeed ,and Bolton did not look all that likely to succumb to County`s admittedly sharper pressures either until , smack on 30 minutes ,the dam broke and County scored through Will Collar after excellent work by Louie Barry.

County took that 1-0 lead in at the break , thoroughly pleasing all but the 844 who had travelled from Lancashire to back Ian Evatt`s team .

844 travelled from Lancashire!

The second half was entirely different – almost completely one way traffic towards Nathan Baxter`s goal as County went nap via goals from Kyle Wootton, Fraser Horsfall, a cheeky one from Barry and finally a late fizzer by Odin Bailey.

That was an excellent win , and helped along in no small measure by very encouraging performances from Macauley Southam- Hales and Ryan Rydel in the 2 wing back positions, and just about every other County outfield player…..err…and of course not forgetting Ben Hinchliffe who ….err….claimed a clean sheet !

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Back at 3 o`clock none of this was known , but encouragingly the old place was bulging with hardly an empty seat anywhere as County set off attacking the Railway End thank fully.

The first five minutes saw County camped in the Bolton half with Southam- Hales and Rydel well to the fore down each flank.

We reached 9 minutes with the score still 0-0, and County showing every sign that they meant to turn in an eye-catching performance!

But just 60 seconds later there was a shot across County`s bows as John McAtee was played clear down the County left- it was an effective move but one soon , and happily, snuffed out by a superb sliding tackle from Ryan Rydel that was warmly applauded by the EP faithful.

Bolton had a throw though and a half chance as the ball fell at the feet of Josh Sheehan – he got his shot off only to see it deflected for a corner that an unmarked George Johnston headed over the bar.

Yes, Bolton had announced their arrival and looked lively playing the ball about with some style and confidence for a time , but Touray , who did a stint on both flanks today for County , showed up for the first time now to cut Dion Charles off with a decisive intervention.

County responded with excellent football by Bate & Rydel, in tandem with Barry , but Wanderers were able to clear their lines easily enough when the ball was released inside by the trio.

We then saw the even nature of play so far, continue with Rydel doing very well to block Dacres- Cogley who was darting clear down our left. A corner followed and it was interesting to see Will Forrester doing the Jim Gannon bit arriving late at the back of the box, but Will was no Jimbo and County cleared before he could fashion a header on goal.

Back came County not long after through Barry , but he was tracked by 2 men and quickly brought down as he neared the edge of the box. The free kick was not far out and I wondered if Rydel would have a shot but he lifted it sweetly instead to the back of the box where Horsfall met it with his head bringing a top class save out of Baxter the Wanderers keeper .

Play switched ends next as Hinchliffe was called on for some prompt action and he did it well to deny Charles after being played into trouble by Touray`s pass to Horsfall.

Had that gone in County`s wheels might just have wobbled a bit -instead the blues worked themselves another raft of chances- Norwood spurning a decent ball from Touray when reasonably well set and Barry looking altogether better suited to the strikers role next.

He wasn`t immediately involved , and then he was as , after beating Wootton, Ricardo Almeida Santos dwelt on the ball before Barry nipped in and nicked it off him. It was a chance for sure and Barry cannot be faulted at all – his shot was a cracker but so was Baxter`s response as the Aston Villa loan star was thwarted with a truly brilliant save by the Wanderer`s keeper !

Somehow it was still 0-0…..and then it wasn`t as County scored!

It started with a neat block and pass by Southam- Hales and the ball was quickly with Barry on the opposite flank and he ferreted his way into the box…to the by-line before….with white shirts in a confusion of sweat and anguish all around him, he slipped a beautiful ball into the path of Will Collar who slotted it home to give County the lead they craved!

It continued with a Rydel block and much good work by the men in blue in particular Lewis Bate , but Bolton were able to close ranks and clear their lines.

Rydel was not done- beating Dacres- Cogley decisively as he went to a dangerous ball slung to the back of the box by Johnston. The corner that followed was cleared comfortably by County.

To their credit, Bolton kept trying to play football, and in the blue half of the pitch too, but whilst the football from them was good at times , I kept hearing the plaintiff cry in my head from `that man` namely “ where`s the beef?” and their plainly wasn`t any , yet anyway!

It was good to see County fan Stuart Lockett `s memory honoured so well on 42 minutes- fantastic County Supporters- well done !

Then 2 minutes added time came and went blessed by some decent football from the blues and a late shot by Collar that caused Baxter , in the Bolton goal, no trouble.

No matter, County went in 1-0 up….so far…job done!

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The second half started with County on the attack – Connolly and Collar forcing a corner. This brought more pressure and a shot from Bate but it seemed to smack into Horsfall and stay out, but it did not matter as Barry latched onto it before lifting a nicely weighted floater to the back of the box where Wootton ushered the ball home from close in!

We were 2-0 up and for 5 minutes or more Bolton looked shellshocked in response ,unable to respond and clear their lines in the face of repeated County attacks.

Touray was to play a key roll in the next action – first off seeking Wootton with a probing ball into the box which Santos put out for a throw that morphed into a corner following insistent play from Touray again. That was good but what came after was a whole lot better as Norwood`s delivery of the corner was pretty much perfect picking out Horsfall at the back post- and it was 3-0 as he planted his firm header into the back of Baxter`s net.

At this point I would like to thank Simon George for this excellent image of the Horsfall goal- too good not to slip in here……..

Horsfall makes it 3-0 ( image Simon George )

County were scoring at a rate of one every 5 minutes now and they kept it up with another just after the hour .

The softening up process on the visitors back line came via a press initiated by Rydel and Barry who seem to have a good understanding that should serve us well. Rydel`s persistence won us a corner , and Horsfall`s head was found again by same, but he sent the ball flying over the bar.

The expectation was that Bolton would now make haste up the park with the ball, but not so, as Jay Matete went into doze mode allowing Barry to snaffle the ball off him – this time Baxter could not save the defender`s blushes as Barry delighted County fans by burying a fierce shot way beyond anything that the Wanderers keeper could produce in response, into the net , to make it County 4 Bolton 0!

In no time after this Southam- Hales and Rydel were subbed being replaced by Hughes and Adamarola- Bailey and Fevrier coming on for Barry and Collar about 10 minutes later.

County`s cohesion seemed to be affected , and almost inevitably I suppose they opted, or seemed to , for a more relaxed game plan defending deeper .

Fevrier down the right…Connolly , Bates and Bailey down the left kept Bolton honest but Connolly`s shot was saved nicely by Baxter midst the County raids.

But Bolton made a real effort to get something from the game most notably substitute Aaron Collins but having done the impressive….. hard part making his way into the box, he then rather ruined it all by coming over all RADA and crashing to the ground impressing no one especially Mr Rock the Referee who waved his penalty claims away .

Other than that, Hinchliffe`s workload around this time amounted to the odd cross and a late corner both of which he claimed with practised ease.

But with the games last embers approaching , so County kept their attacking lines greased- Bailey causing havoc for the visitors with a cross that fizzed menacingly in and across the face of goal.

Twice in this period Bolton defenders found touch in extremis- looking on helpless as Tayo Adamarola dazzled briefly- jinking menacingly into the box before eventually being blocked!

The EP faithful liked that, but they liked the next bit even better and just when we thought we would settle for 4-0 …we didn`t as Bolton again played themselves into trouble allowing Odin Bailey a sight of goal that he took with aplomb leathering his left footed strike beyond Baxter into the net ,spot on 90 minutes.

Four minutes of added time were never going to change anything- yes Bolton had a go , even won a late/ late corner, but County were in no mood to let a goal in and so it was – Mr Rock ending the game with County deserved 5-0 winners !

That was a handsome victory and no mistake, especially so when viewed through the prism of last Tuesday`s gruesome showing.

Top marks then to the team…the manager and his staff for making the effort and changing our frowns to smiles ( yes even me ..honest!) so swiftly!

Sets us up nicely for Wrexham next Saturday and of course Tranmere on Tuesday -plus tickets for Burton will fly out now for sure!

Well done County!

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchcliffe; Connolly, Horsfall, Touray, Southam-Hales (Hughes 63), Norwood, Bate, Rydel (Adaramola 63),Collar (Fevrier 69), Wootton, Barry (Bailey 69).

Substitutes not used: Addai, Diamond, Fiorini.

Bolton Wanderers line up :-

Baxter, Forrester, Almeida Santos, Johnston, Dacres-Cogley (Jones 58), Sheehan, Matete, Schön (Osei-Tutu 77), McAtee; Adeboyejo (Collins 58), Charles.

Substitutes not used: Southwood, Lolos, Williams, Artfield.

Attendance : 10342 ( 844)

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Additional Gallery -first a few from hedgegrower…….