Stockport County 1 Blackpool FC 0 ( Football League 1) Saturday 11 October 2025
County`s season, and their League 1 push for promotion, received a neat boost today as their 1-0 win against the visiting Blackpool side saw them climb to fourth place in the division just 3 points behind leaders Stevenage.
A good effort you will say, and you would be correct , but the Seasiders made them work harder than anyone thought that they might ,County claiming the points via a typically opportunist header from close in by Joseph Olowu.
Brad Hills took the M.O.M award, and he did have another good game, and Ollie Norwood was involved in most of County`s good work, but as in other games recently our finishing was off and attention to the basics ( throws, corners, clearances ) served to rather undermine the good football DC`s men produced at times.
But, logic together with a sense of proportion demands that I limit any criticism whilst acknowledging at the same time the real progress made in what is by every available yardstick , a tough….tough league!
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Another massive crowd were in position ready to give their respective heroes the support the situation demanded, as the game got underway.
Over 1000 took their place in the Railway End , now blessed with a temporary roof and some truly appalling roof supports .
Fuzzbox on Marionsboard ,thought the moniker `The Barrow Holker Street Tribute Away End` was an apt title for the stand ,and I go along with that- it`s not a great look!
Notwithstanding the above, we had a match on our hands and County were quickly on the attack- Lowe `s path to goal blocked solidly by Oliver Casey.
County were clearly very much in charge at this juncture, their football directed by Ollie Norwood , we just needed a suitably sharp response on the end of the neat moves , but instead we saw Blackpool`s keeper Franco Ravizoli in action to smother Wootton`s header from Bailey`s probing cross.
A foul by Lowe allowed County`s opponents their first view of the grass at County`s end via the free kick, but it also gave Hills an early chance to show us what he could do- cutting out CJ Hamilton`s efforts to make headway , clearing the danger.
The game continued with County resuming their attacking posture- a really good move set up by Norwood, executed initially by Diamond.
However, when Diamond`s ball across the box reached Lowe he sent his header wide with the goal gaping.
We reached the 10th minute with County`s attacking play interrupted as CJ Hamilton was allowed to dart clear , although well offside, making it to the by-line in no time at all, as we screamed impotently at the Danny Stand liner who by now had made up the several yards he was behind play- we were sadly going to have our well known benign view of officials put to the test once more!
This looked iffy, but Norwood hooked CJ`s cross clear under pressure and it no longer was!
County went back on the attack after that last action, driven on by Norwood, who was having another impressive game. O`Keefe , in for Onyango, was not ducking the action either, his good work moving the ball , sent his way by Norwood, on to Lowe who sadly could not progress matters further.
On it went, County still pushing forward – Norwood in the van of the action but seeing his snapshot thump into a Blackpool hand on the edge of the box.
The free kick was in a belting position…central and on the edge of the box, thus scoreable!
It was too, and Norwood`s kick was right up there with his best, but then so was Franco Ravizoli`s response as he flung himself to his left to tip the ball round the post for a corner – a terrific save!
The keeper then made light work of smothering County`s efforts to make the corner count to earn further kudos from temporary Manager Stephen Dobbie.
It continued with County playing some good football but looking , unsuccessfully, to take full advantage of this good play- Osborn ending one raid with a cross that needed to be much better than it was, and Lowe again unable to apply a finish when picked out by a ball from Diamond.
On it went….Wootton and then Lowe both thwarted trying to force the ball home…….Norwood having got in behind the visitors back line, then watched as no one in blue ventured to add a finish to his handywork.
It was frustrating, but worse threatened next as John Bowler and Dale Taylor surged clear forcing their way through, deep into County`s last third.
For all intents and purposes ,it looked County 0 Pool 1 to me now, when Bowler`s pass set Taylor up for the opening goal. It looked something of a `shoo in` but the moment overcame Taylor who swung a boot at the ball only making partial contact with it scuffing his effort goal ward where Hinchliffe made light work of ending County`s angst!
That was an escape- it was also Taylors last action of the afternoon as he was clearly injured being subbed , Tom Bloxham coming on in his place.
Bloxham was soon in the thick of the action- sent clear by a long ball but denied by prompt work from Hinchliffe who was quick to thwart him at the very extremities of his defensive patch.
County had failed to take advantage of a blooper by the Pool keeper just before that last action.
Wootton headed over the bar on the end of a probing ball by Diamond next , but more disappointment awaited the blues in the final action of the half….
Blackpool were attacking until Hinchliffe was able to grab the ball before throwing it into Diamond `s path deep in the County half. He had Coulson for company but the County number 7 skinned his man quickly making his way up the park with precious few orange shirts twixt him and the whites of Franco Ravizoli`s eyes.
He had the freedom of Edgeley Park ,until he reached the box whereupon he hesitated just long enough for Andy Lyons to make the essential saving block for Pool.
Lyons cleared partially , but it mattered not as the ball landed with Osborn whose follow up effort did not hit the target.
The half was over – somehow it was still 0-0!
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County might have made amends in the early minutes of the second half- certainly Norwood was doing his best, so was O`Keefe except that when he took the pass and ran with it down the right, he then neglected to cross the ball instead electing to track back and the moment was gone!
Blackpool looked a busy side but one not overly blessed with exciting talent- but could County suss out how to dish them ?
They were certainly trying- Osborn`s lob , 4 minutes into the half, kept from the heads of umpteen men in blue shirts by Oliver Casey.
Another minute and O`Keefe did the biz getting a cross into the danger zone . Initially no one latched onto same, util Diamond did ,getting a shot off that sadly drifted wide.
On it went with more of the same- Lowe itching to get to an incoming cross only to be thwarted by Andy Lyons` prompt action.
It was around this point when Pool looked to be upping their game a touch- County`s Hinchliffe forced into a fine diving save to keep a shot by Lee Evans out!
That was a warning, Seasider Zac Ashworth dragging his shot wide when well-placed shortly after – less of a warning, but definitely an indication that the visitors thought they had chances in this game.
A rare poor pass by Norwood offered Blackpool their opportunity on the hour, but they fluffed their lines allowing Hinchliffe to gather the ball under pressure and sort the danger.
That was another warning maybe, but County were not pondering over long on life`s hard knocks, they were piling forward – a neat move ending with O`Keefe passing to Odin Bailey who then leathered a peach of a shot that scorched its way towards the top corner of the net….goal…. surely…but no…..Franco Ravizzoli had other ideas flinging himself backwards, twisting his body improbably to enable him to tip the ball over the bar at the absolute last gasp!
Wow a fantastic save and this lad is not their first-choice keeper !
For sure Franco did not deserve what followed, but we simply do not care do we…..Norwood did his bit sending a veritable rip rap of a corner fizzing its way to the back of the box where everyone and his mate wanted some of the action- none more than Hills and O`Keefe and both got headers in, the latter`s finding it`s way towards where Joseph Olowu lurked and the old place erupted in joy as County`s number 5 headed home from close in to give County the lead!
That was a relief but Blackpool were pushing forward more than was comfortable for us and County needed to be on their toes at the back , and sharper going forward, but Fevrier , who had come on earlier for Lowe, could not apply the necessary finish when sent clear on 68 minutes being bullied off the ball when about to shoot by Pool`s Michael Ihiekwe – Diamond lifting his follow-up shot over the bar from this.
We went into the last 15 minutes of normal time with the Seasiders upping their revs still- County fortunate to escape punishment when CJ Hamilton was fed a perfect pass by the County keeper.
Hamilton was a busy lad for sure and in County`s face big time at this point- just the finesse was missing- the effort was there in heaps- Hamilton watching as his shot was blocked en-route to goal!
Then I looked up to see him on the deck appealing for a penalty- top marks for work rate , but he was not obliged by the Referee- or indeed the Pop Side liner who flagged him offside in the very next Blackpool attack!
Connolly came on for Hills but not before County had to go for a few minutes defending a resolute Blackpool team , with 10 men.
County were under pressure and Connolly was in the thick of it heading clear once…twice….then County looked to lift the Blackpool siege, only for Diamond to be upended on halfway as he sought to dart up field with the ball.
The free kick saw Diamond deep inside Pool territory – a goal looked on ……but Diamond hesitated, and the chance was gone , it stayed 1-0!
Much pressure came County`s way in the remainder of the match as free kicks and corners ratcheted the tension up - Pye and Connolly making vital saving tackles late on – Bloxham managing to evade that duo’s attentions but then lifting his effort over the bar when well set.
Six minutes added time saw Blackpool continue to seek an equaliser- Bloxham again closest for the Lancastrian team – his shot deflected for a late corner that Olowu cleared.
Hinchliffe was a busy lad in the games dying embers- claiming loose balls…..watching as Lyons darted clear only to lift a poor shot high and wide…..in the thick again going up with 2 or3 orange shirted players to claim the ball from a lofted free kick- impressive stuff!
That was more or less that.
A hard-fought win in the end that sees us within sniffing distance of the leaders.
There`s still lots to do for the Manager of course, but it was ever thus, and we know by now that he is well capable of sorting any matters that need sorting, so we let the Manager Manage and do our bit to support our team!
Stockport County line up:-
Hinchliffe, Olowu, Hills (Connolly 80), Pye, O'Keeffe (Moxon 80), Norwood, Bailey, Osborn, Lowe (Fevrier 59), Diamond (Camps 89), Wootton
Subs not used :
Fiorini, Addai
Blackpool FC line up:-
Ravizzoli, Lyons, Ihiekwe, Casey, Coulson (Ashworth 45, Bowler (Brown 70'), Evans, Morgan, CJ Hamilton, Fletcher (Hansson 78', Taylor (Bloxham 35' )
Subs not used:
Horsfall, Bardsley, Upton
Attendance: 10,091 (1,158)
hedgegrower
Crowd shots courtesy of @machinsports ......
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