Stockport County 2 Barnsley 1 ( Football League 1) Saturday 8 February 2025
County secured another good win today by beating Barnsley 2-1 at Edgeley Park .
The blues started the game like world beaters , and looked to be cruising at the break ,leading by two smart goals- the first a belter from Tanto, the other a well taken penalty from Will Collar.
But the Yorkshire side made the blues work hard for their win thereafter in a second half where Darren Clarke`s side came back from the dead in commendable style nicking a goal in the 90th minute from arch County angst provider Davis Keillor- Dunn.
Thankfully County had just about enough gas in the collective tank to see them home with all the points, but it was closer, in the end , than anyone in the 10000 + crowd ever thought it might be.
However, a glance at the League 1 positions tells us that we are now just 2 points adrift of 3rd placed Wrexham, and 4 points clear of Huddersfield in fifth place, so we take the win and look to doing the same in breezy Bristol on Tuesday!
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New signing Brad Hills for injured Macauley Southam -Hales was the only change on view when County took the field at the unconscionable hour of 12.30 courtesy of our EFL / Sky masters.
It was apparent that Hills was lining up in the back 3 with Knoyle pushed up the park providing width ( and some oomph as we again found out).
Both were involved in much of what happened at this point – Hills looking cool and capable at the back, Knoyle seemingly enjoying his longer leash – somewhat unlucky not to nick an early one when put through by Collar.
County looked on fire- their football carrying on from where it left off darn sarf last weekend – Knoyle again featuring heavily as he picked Tanto out with a neat pass that saw him turn beyond his man in sniffing distance of Joe Gauci the Barnsley keeper , whereupon he was penalised for an apparent hand to ball moment.
Two minutes gone, much to like about County`s work- lively in attack , alert at the back and it went on in the same vein for a while- being another 5 minutes before Barnsley could look to reply , and Touray did well to nullify the break by Carrie O`Keefe & Adam Phillips.
Touray featured again 3 minutes later, after excellent work by Lewis Bate, and Tanto set him up, but this time he disappointed by lifting his shot high into the well populated Railway End.
Bate and Tanto looked a threat for the blues, but it was a Norwood pass that saw the County number nine just contained winning a corner, that teed Bate up for a shot on goal that Gauci smothered effectively twixt the sticks for the reds!
County continued to play their football , keeping the visitors fully stretched in their last third.
We needed to be spot on with our passing, but a wayward ball by Norwood ushered in a response from Barnsley most notably, recent signing Clement Rodrigues, that Hinchliffe fortunately snuffed out with an alert intervention.
County pressed for much of the next 10 minutes but without causing Gauci any real issues – and we had gone beyond the midway point of the half with Barnsley not yet recording a shot on target- Jon Russell who I saw as possibly their most useful performer, gets an honourable mention with his side footed effort 26 minutes in from the edge of the box, but it flew wide.
Not long after , with County again mounting concerted attacks – Hills showed another side of his game with a run that took him inside the visitors` box – it looked good, as he brought Touray into it , but his cross was headed wide by Wootton.
Then….suddenly all the hard work and decent football paid off via Bates` alert approach to the game as he snaffled possession from nothing spotting Tanto hovering menacingly on the halfway line.
One step forward by Tanto and Bates found him unerringly with a lovely pass. Tanto was off- a fair way from goal and with company but, totally undaunted , County’s number nine made light of the defender`s challenge before beating the keeper with a fierce drive that brooked no arguments!
County had the lead, Tanto had done the deed and how the Cheadle End saluted him for it- what a moment, what a goal !
Tanto was clear again on a run within a minute, this time electing to send Knoyle in, but a screamer from him cleared the bar keeping it at 1-0.
But County had the whiff of success in their nostrils now and they were hard to deny- Bate and Knoyle terrorising the left side of Barnsley`s defence with some top-notch play, that ended with Knoyle nipping into the box where he was tripped by Josh Earl.
Jacob Miles the Referee took little time to award the anticipated penalty , that was clinically put away by Will Collar to acclaim from County fans!
Both defences dominated in what remained of the half- Barnsley winning a corner via the good work of Adam Phillips , with 3 minutes left, that County saw off with excellent defending.
Meanwhile , County rather went into cruise mode heading to the break – winning a rather fortunate corner almost smack on half time, via a defender’s miscue- a colossal melee ensuing from this that promised much but eventually ended disappointingly as Bate missed the target with a first-time effort.
Barnsley had thus not had a shot on target when the teams went in at the break- this would change in the second half!
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The change in the games direction and complexion did not come about straight off- for the most part early on in the second half County were on the front foot – missing out within a minute of the re-start when Touray miss read a decent ball from Collar.
Not much of any note occurred for 5 or 6 minutes after that action- the next seeing County unlucky when Wootton was flagged offside as County broke clear following some probing runs by the visitors.
Despite the absence of a third goal , there was still much menace in evidence when Tanto was on the front foot for County- it was so good to see him given time to strut his stuff- he was just prevented from getting to a tasty ball into the box from Knoyle , 10 minutes into the half, by superb defending by Josh Earl.
I had hardly had time to digest that disappointment when Barnsley set about making matters worse -hitting us on the break, Davis Keiller- Dunn was very much their man of the moment, on the ball and running at us. His shot flew wide, but perhaps we had been warned?
Now it was Barnsley who detected the whiff of something in the Edgeley air – pressing on, pushing County back but thwarted as Adam Phillp`s shot was dealt with coolly by Hinchliffe in the blues goal.
By the 58th minute Keiller-Dunn was stepping on the gas, but perhaps overstretching with a 25 yarder that fared no better than had Phillips`.
Wootton continued to offer real options to County with his unending willingness to chase the seemingly un-chasable- a loose final ball seeing off his break and cooperation with Knoyle on the hour!
But, within a minute we might have been wading thigh deep in the clingy brown stuff – a fate avoided via a superb one-handed diving save from Hinchliffe to keep Russell`s point blank header out on the end of another angst bringing Keiller- Dunn cross!
Barnsley were definitely having a go, and looking reasonably good doing so- thankfully County were defending with confidence , and then there was Tanto, but he was so unlucky on the break 3 minutes later.
That was Tanto`s last contribution as he was then substituted- Benony Andresson coming on in his place -Knoyle being replaced by Owen Moxon.
I was excited to see Moxon in a County shirt, and disappointed to see Tanto depart early again, but we now had a chance to have a slightly longer look at the Icelandic lad than we had at Palace!
The increase in tempo from Barnsley wasn`t immediately noticeable , but Hills did well nonetheless to get his head to a cross by Phillips with 20 minutes remaining of normal time.
Indeed ,there was a nice cooperation twixt Andresson and Moxon that only lacked luck and a sharper final ball.
But, another minute and the pressure was on from the Yorkshire side- Hills again to the fore for County preventing Keiller- Dunn induced mayhem.
A succession of corners followed for Barnsley – the final one seeing Hinchliffe in position to make a vital save to keep Russell`s header out.
Barnsley continued to press, fancying their chances for sure- Phillips wasting an opportunity by lifting a shot over the bar with under 15 minutes left.
Substitute Dexter Lembikisa was now on and doing a fair job of harassing the left side of the County back line- his handywork resulting in a ginormous melee in front of Ben`s goal that we somehow managed to survive.
We were into the game`s last 10 minutes now and Bates had just been replaced by Bailey, with Barnsley still looking to nick a goal , which would set up a distinctly uncomfortable last few minutes for the blues!
But County could still attack- Wootton doing so with a will 5 minutes from the end of normal time- a great break from him relieving the pressure on County but sadly fading with lack of support.
But…what`s this?........keeper Gauci got himself in a tizz – a loose ball enticing Wootts onto the keeper`s case. Gauci needed to be quick to survive this , and he was, and the moment passed!
It was not long before, driven by the energy and drive of Russell and Phillips, Barnsley were on the up again – the ball reaching Lembikisa who picked out Keiller- Dunn with pin-point accuracy. It was a real chance and then it wasn`t as his header flew wide.
That was a let off, and County looked to lift the pressure via Andresson and the apparently untirable Wootton. Passes were exchanged quickly leaving the Icelander in on goal and he got his shot off- the whole Cheadle End was willing it in…but instead Gauci flung himself left to push the ball around the post!
Then, with 3 minutes added time being announced, Barnsley finally got their reward- started by a break by Russell and put away by Keiller- Dunn whose header went in off a post making it 2-1 to County who now had a difficult 2 and a bit minutes to negotiate.
To be sure the` 2 and a bit` did not pass without some contribution from Keiller- Dunn , who looked to have got the jump on County again, only for Hinchliffe to stop the rot for County with a timely bit of work , falling on the ball in time honoured fashion.
County managed what remained of the game with their usual measured authority , claiming 3 valuable points , once again sending a large EP crowd home happy.
Next stop- Bristol on Tuesday- see you there then!
Stockport County line up:-
Hinchliffe , Hills, Connolly , Pye , Knoyle ( Moxon 69) , Touray , Bate ( Bailey 79) , Norwood , Wootton , Olaofe ( Andresson 69).
Subs not used: Addai ,Diamond , Rydel , Hamilton.
Barnsley line up:-
Gauci , Russell, Pines, de Gevigney, O’Keeffe, Phillips, Earl, Rodrigues (Farrugia, 46’, Keillor-Dunn, Connell , Nwakali (Lembikisa, 64)
Subs not used: Benson, Smith, Gent, McCarthy, Dyer
Attendance: 10148(1198)
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Additional Gallery by @machinsports
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