Stockport County 1 Leyton Orient 1 ( Orient won 1-4 on pens)Football League 1 Play Off Semi Final 2nd Leg ( Wednesday 14 May 2025)

 

 

 

County were consigned to another season in League 1, exiting the play-offs on penalties to Leyton Orient at Edgeley Park last night.

Orient are to be congratulated on a well-constructed nerve-less performance that left County chasing the game almost from the off- struggling against a team that had brought something akin to their A Game with them to SK3.

County looked to be constantly `on edge` and affected adversely by Orient`s press that saw us a goal down within 3 minutes of the start.

But, and there`s always a `but` isn`t there? – despite everything, County made an effort late on to snatch the win, and after Tanto `s heartwarming solo effort went in, we could easily have taken the game and our place in the Final at Wembley had we taken one of a raft of real chances that opened up for us at the death of normal time, and again as extra time neared its end.

Sadly, they all went begging , and we are left cursing Ben Speedie`s incompetence!

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Everything was in place come 8pm – the old stadium was packed to the rafters, noise levels were suitably  ratcheted up, as the Tifo display  in the Cheadle End greeted the County team onto the pitch.

Yes, it was a marginal bummer that Orient had turned us around for the kick-off, but I told myself that this would be counter productive for them- I was wholly wrong!

There was an early example of Ollie Norwood’s ambition as he tried in vain to reach Woots or Fev`s with a through ball, but it took no time at all for it to fall apart for County who already looked distinctly fazed by Orient`s urgent press.

The visitors defending was correspondingly urgent too, but if we remained disciplined, perhaps we might prevail, but instead we gave them relief via a free kick.

Worse followed as the kick was played long and  behind us by Ethan Galbraith and we were toast as Touray was by passed and the blues one behind as Ollie Oneill beat Addai at his near post.

Meanwhile it was clear Orient had done their homework, as Fevs had Currie , O`Neill  & Clare on him as he strove to reply for County- the raid ending with visiting keeper Josh Keeley dealing comfortably with a shot by Touray.

If it was mainly Orient  taking the eye, County did have Fevrier and Norwood to look to, and good work by them, 8 minutes in, saw Tanto on the end of it heading the ball back across goal from near the back post , but Woots could not apply that vital final touch close in.

By way of contrast Richie Wellens` side looked completely composed- Donley to the fore alongside Ethan Galbraith who was central to all Orient`s ambitions, forcing County to concede a worrying number of free kicks – O`Neill sent the latest right down Addai`s throat  but we needed to cut out this area of opportunity for the visitors.

But things looked a tad brighter on 16 minutes as Collar and Wootton exchanged passes productively enroute   the Orient box. County settled for a corner from that and thought their moment had arrived when Horsfall met Norwood`s delivery perfectly heading the ball goal ward, but it was not to be as it crashed into the angle of bar and post with a sickening `thud` - it was still 0-1!

Charlie Kelman and Dan Agyei pushed County back in the period that followed- the blues indebted to Ethan Pye`s intervention particularly as Kelman sought to chase another long ball sent to the heart of the blue back line by Orient.

Then we saw County respond- Collar sent clear from a defensive position, but upon reaching the box he ran out of gas and the chance was gone.

A corner 5 minutes later gave County another glimpse of what might just be, but when Horsfall headed the ball back across goal from this ,Tanto`s header cleared the bar.

I told myself that County were looking to show us their best game , but after a Norwood shot had been deflected for a corner – Horsfall headed this wide disappointingly.

The last 10 minutes of the half  largely saw County defending as though their life depended on it as Orient `s pressure started to tell on them again via a raft of conceded free kicks and corners that did nothing for the nerves- Pye again rescuing County – hooking the ball clear under the cosh after Kelman had rattled the bar with a header!

County looked ragged at times as the pressure from Orient built and I was relieved to see the Pop Side liner raise his flag for offside with the blues stretched massively.

 County were trying to respond- Hills overhitting  his cross with Woots well positioned in front of goal , but the half ended disappointingly for County after they had gained a free kick in a decent scoring position on the edge of the box , when Norwood sent this straight into Keeley`s waiting arms ensuring it stayed 0-1 as the teams went in at half time.

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Ryan Rydel and Kyle Knoyle were on for Ibby Touray and Brad Hills when play resumed after the break with County attacking.

But it all went askew firstly as County appealed for and did not get a free kick they thought they deserved, and while they were debating that point they allowed the dangerous Kelman to slink clear and head for goal- we looked about to go 2 down as he entered the box firing his shot goal ward , until Corey Addai stepped up tipping the ball up and over the bar!

The corner was cleared by County but not without some difficulty as Orient continued to look to increase their advantage.

Then , we thought we just might have a lifeline as Orient`s keeper picked up a blatant back pass with Tanto on his case. The referee gave the free kick way inside the visitors` box – so arguably a real chance, but life`s cruel and with all 11 Orient players lined up on their goal line ,Norwood`s kick duly hit them amidships before being cleared.

Within a couple of minutes of that last action play switched ends as Addai had to act rapidly to keep Agyei out as County overdid the casual passing at the back before aimlessly kicking it long to their opponents!

I told myself that we would sort this, but a quarter of an hour later Addai again had to pull out a top save to deny Kelman after we again had passed possession away carelessly.

Norwood tested Keeley on 73 minutes , before County got the break they coveted and it came via Tanto Olaofe who added a glorious finish to Jack Diamonds approach play , delighting the massive County following with a deft strike!

That was excellent, but within  a minute we were in danger of giving the momentum away again as Knoyle gave away a needless free kick that put us under the cosh again- Addai saving us once more !

We were into the last few minutes of normal time and still not coping too well with Orient on the break- Diamond doing well to block a late break with a fine bit of defensive work.

Added time saw County looking to snatch the win, but after more  brilliant play by Diamond, teeing Moxon up nicely , the former Carlisle man could not  test the keeper with his shot.

And the chances continued to present themselves- Tanto`s run setting Norwood up  only for Ollie`s shot to clear the bar…….Tanto to the fore again a minute later evading several challenges before looking certain to score only for him to blaze the ball into the well populated Railway End with the goal gaping!

We clearly could ……no …should have won the game with any one of these late/ late chances but it wasn`t to be , indeed we ended normal time defending grimly as Knoyle again made a rash challenge to concede a free kick . He was booked and Moxon cleared the danger to send us into extra time.

 

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We might have had a penalty ,on 92 minutes, when the combative Omar Beckles hauled Horsfall down in the box, but the ref definitely did not see the action ( don’t ask about the liner!) so the moment passed without redress.

Twice Orient pushed County back and Bailey lifted a shot over the bar in what remained of the first half of extra time.

It was still 1-1 then when the last 15 minutes began with Helman catching County on the hop bringing a decent save from Corey Addai to keep the scores level.

A foul on Andresson , who had replaced Tanto , saw  Norwood`s kick lifted  to Horsfall whose header looked to be going in until Keeley flung himself to his left to make possibly his best save ( of quite a few) of the game to keep County out.

The latter minutes started to see Orient rack up bookings , but there was no change as far as Keeley was concerned- he just kept on defying the blues somehow keeping an effort from Andresson out with 8 minutes left.

On it went as another goal bound effort from Horsfall was met by another fine save from Keeley- I now found myself scribbling that this   save was his best of the night!

County , concentrating on attack at this point, might have paid the price as Markanday and Kelman hit us on the break- the blues recovered quickly however and prevented any damage being inflicted on them !

It was getting increasingly angst ridden now as both sides looked for a chance that might bring them fortune- Galbraith was still to the fore for Orient in that respect but kept out deftly by Ethan Pye with 4 minutes left.

Much of those 4 minutes took place in County`s half, but the last minute saw them  hit their opponents on the break and it looked like another shoo in for the blues as Bailey found himself in space and in on goal. Surely this was County`s moment! But it wasn`t as ,with Keeley decidedly second favourite on this one, the County substitute failed to put the chance away ,contriving instead to clip the post – perhaps we might have known at that moment that tonight was not going to be our night?!

But we did not know did we, and when Norwood put our first penalty away I actually felt , if not confident…… relaxed , but sadly that was the only penalty County managed to put away- Orient by contrast scored all theirs to take the penalties by a 4-1 margin, securing their place in the Wembley final at County`s expense.

 

On the balance of play over 120 minutes , Orient pretty much bossed County , but had Dave Challinor`s team taken the chances that came their way late in normal and extra time victory would have been theirs.

All conjecture of course and  subjective thinking too you possibly think, but what is beyond debate is that but for Ben Speedie`s deficiencies in the first leg ,tonight`s match would have been of academic interest only.

But we are back to conjecture and subjectivity I guess so I will leave it there and wish County and all their supporters happier times to come ….soon and a rip snorter of a 2025-26 campaign in League 1!

 

Stockport County line up:-

 Addai, Hills (Knoyle 45'), Horsfall, Pye, Norwood, Fevrier (Diamond 62'), Collar (Bailey 84'), Moxon, Touray (Rydel 45'), Wootton, Olaofe( Andrésson 105')

Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Bate.

Leyton Orient line up :-

 Keeley, Beckles, Edmonds-Green (Cooper 105'), Currie (James 65'), Galbraith, Brown (Ball 90'), Clare, O'Neill (Williams 67'), Agyei (Abdulai 77'), Donley (Markanday 112'), Kelman .

Subs not used: James,  Phillips.

 Attendance 10592 ( 1088)

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