Bristol Rovers 1 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 1) Tuesday 11 February 2025

 

 

 

County`s thoughts of climbing to third position in League One were dashed today along with their excellent run of consecutive wins ,at the Memorial Ground where a silly foul under minimal pressure by Odin Bailey, saw the blues forced to share the points when the needlessly conceded free kick  ushered in  Rovers equaliser by Sil Swinkels .

That was so disappointing after County had proved to be the better of the 2 teams for much of the game- playing some excellent attacking football in the second half that was poorly served by that single moment of slackness and the unaccountable inability of an otherwise immaculate County defence to defend the kick that resulted from it.

Of course….”you cannot win them all” but we really should have claimed all the points here!

The error that cost us the win came via one of a plethora of County substitutes and I would question why we needed to again make so many( with Tanto in the first raft again)- probably because Rovers had just brought on a shed load – County were firmly in control at this point ( hence  Rovers haste to change) but I would say we needed to maintain  our attacking rhythm, not potentially cast it asunder with multiple changes!

There`s plenty to debate on this point , and quite obviously this report will be , to some measure, coloured  with post-match emotions which I admit still prevail, but we do need to learn lessons from this chastening experience and move on !

…………………………….

 

I had quite forgotten what a grimly inhospitable place the Memorial Ground is- I was soon reminded as a sort of low budget Stephen King scenario( minus the blood and gore) took hold as County fans asked in vain for some food…any food..( the suits at the Memorial Stadium were clearly unaware we were coming today) .

On reflection though Stephen King would have struggled to reach the heights of the almost perfect torture achieved  here as, the tempting odours from the food vendors van stationed just outside the turnstile gates that we had walked passed, wafted over those gates to our nostrils!

I found myself wondering if the EFL suits and battalions from Sky had fared as badly- I certainly hoped so!

The food , when it eventually arrived was  barely edible !

I looked to forget today`s  Bristolian gastronomic horrors  as the game started – County continuing with the back 3 of Hills, Connolly and Pye but with Diamond providing width along with Touray- Knoyle consigned to the bench surprisingly!

County went on the front foot though from the start looking lively and very much in charge- the away end`s  `oooh` probably heard in the next County as Brad Hills shot crashed into a defender and came out!

The first hint of a response from Rovers came 12 minutes in as Referee David Rack set the home side up nicely via a free kick. This picked out Chris Martin well enough, but his header flew wide.

Matters then threatened to get out of hand as Collar seemed to clip the ankles of someone in Rovers blue and white.

The Referee saw the action, gave the free kick whereupon Hunt took the opportunity to seek retribution on Collar. Both ref & liner bottled it, contenting themselves with the original free kick- that County cleared without undue concern.

County went back on the attack after that- Collar close with a header , from Diamonds cross, that keeper Jed Ward tipped over the bar.

For a time , County were down to 10 men- Collar off for treatment no doubt resulting from the earlier fracas- Luke Thomas fluffing a chance for Rovers to profit from County`s numerical  disadvantage – his header flying wide  with Hinchliffe exposed.

For some reason Touray was the butt of the local `boo boys` but a foul on him saw Rovers struggle to contain County`s steady relentless pressure, but they survived!

On it went- County having most of the attacking possession- Norwood having lots of time on the ball- a shot from him earning a corner- this was blocked as was another that followed quickly after as County refused to ease off.

Hills meanwhile was still showing up well- cutting Ruel Sotiriou `s run off as he sought to hit County on the break.

We were nearing half time now, and it was still 0-0, there being no sign of County getting a goal from all the good football- and it was more concerning that we were shipping free kicks by the shed load- not all valid of course, including the next one which saw  Lino Sousa give us a vaudevillian feast in the shadow of the away end roof – falling to earth as dead after ducking down and rather understandably coming close to being decapitated by Norwood`s swinging boot.

Please note dear reader the `coming close` bit- said swinging boot missed him by enough for there to be no question of a free kick, but Mr Rack unaccountably thought otherwise putting County under the cosh notionally anyway.

And it was indeed notional, as County defended the incoming kick , and the follow up from Rovers with impeccable style.

Add a totally absurd `corner` awarded to Rovers  next , and I was beginning to think ill of the Referee!

Taylor got his head to this one for Rovers only to see the ball fly wide of goal with Hinchliffe largely unconcerned.

We were into the half`s last 5 minutes now and County were back on the attack with a flowing move that oozed class but also  begged someone to apply a finish on the end of it.

Enter Jack Diamond with a tasty run as the move eventually reached him wide right.

A couple of steps and Diamond had sent the ball into the box where Wootton met it – his header blocked on the line.

Almost immediately County came at Rovers again, this time via Tanto who had the away end roaring loudly as he broke clear. His next action was to pass the ball wide to Diamond and await the return in front of goal- but the cross cum shot by County`s  number 7 saw the ball nestle in keeper Ward `s welcoming arms.

Have I said that Mr Rack was not winning any plaudits from me?

Well, he was at it again next, booking Connolly for…er…( let me know please if you really must). Again, the free kick was manna to Rovers – another notional chance to embarrass County- but Tanto cleared the kick in a heartbeat and that chance, notional or otherwise, was gone!

More cooperation ensued in the final minutes twixt Tanto and Diamond , but the score remained 0-0 as the teams went in at the break.

………………………………….

 

Despite County enjoying much time on the ball, overall, the first half was disappointing, but they would be attacking the away end in the second half, so we would see what comes of that !

An early County corner seemed to instil a measure of panic in Inigo Colderon`s team, but relief came their way when Collar lifted his shot over the bar.

But it was encouraging to see County playing some energetic expansive football again – and the away end lit up as the ball reached Diamond and he sent the ball heading towards goal- it was going in maybe , but Wootton tried to make sure the ball coming back off the upright to the predatory Tanto Olaofe who smashed the ball home to give County the lead they craved.

That stung Rovers but their attempt to upturn the County applecart fell foul of a terrific block by Brad Hills as Martin looked to hit back for the home side.

But the County applecart was anything but upturned , indeed the very next action saw a neat flick by Wootton unlucky to have to settle for a corner, after Tanto had made light with Rovers` collective equilibrium again!

We needed that action to end well, but instead the corner was not great , and Moxon had to look lively to cut off  the reply from Rovers that followed.

Moxon was doing useful  work at this point with Rovers sniffing for scraps, and Hinchliffe exhibited previously unknown skills as the neatest of body swerves under pressure sorted  what looked to be a difficult moment in front of goal.

From Hinchliffe the ball swiftly found its way to Collar who looked on for a crack at goal as he turned inside beyond his marker, only to be penalised for an apparent hand to ball moment during that action.

That again was disappointing but probably the ref called  this one correctly, so we move on….

There was a whole raft of substitutions by Rovers at this point which was not a real surprise as they were struggling to contain County.

I was less sure that County necessarily had to similarly shuffle their pack thus potentially  disturbing our rhythm and with it our control , and Tanto was again in the first raft hooked!

Cosgrove was on for a debut ,and  he looked interesting, but it was Brad Hills who shone brightest for County at this point a terrific shot from him being pushed over the bar by keeper Ward with less than 15 minutes left.

Then Bailey joined in – Ward doing well to beat a fierce drive from him out 4 minutes later.

I had said earlier about not wanting our rhythm disturbed by personnel changes, but I thought the new faces were making a good fist of taking the game to their opponents.

With added time approaching so County had a corner to defend , and they did it well turning defence into attack  to such an extent that Ward did well to beat the advancing Micah Hamilton to a rash back pass in the Rovers box.

Danger gone – we just had to stay on our feet and see off the 3 remaining added minutes, when Bailey , for whatever reason chose the moment to bring his man down .

The free kick offered Rovers a real chance , and Butcher`s neatly floated kick was met by Sil Swinkels head as County paid the full price for their folly as the ball went into the net off the post!

It was 1-1….the winning run was over….we would not go third in League 1.

True, there was time for another Rovers attack and for Hinchliffe to see that one off, and for Mr Rack to continue as he had gone on throughout by penalising  the busy Hills when he was brought down on the edge of the box.

Eventually the final whistle was blown, and it was time to head off home and think of what might have been.

There`s plenty left to come of this season though, starting with Wigan on Saturday , so the team learns from  today and we turn up in numbers to support them.

 

Bristol Rovers line up :-

J.Ward, Sousa (Senior 70), Wilson, G.Ward, Sotiriou (Lindsay 83), Thomas (Swinkels 70), Taylor, Martin, Hutchinson (Reindorf 70), Butcher, Hunt (Sinclair 70)
Subs not used: Roberts , Moore

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe, Touray, Diamond (Hamilton 86), Olaofe (Cosgrove 72), Collar, Pye, Connolly, Wootton  (Knoyle 72), Moxom (Bailey 72), Norwood, Hills.
Subs not used: Addai , Andresson, Rydel,

 

Attendance:6643 (526)

hedgegrower

 

Gallery.....