Doncaster Rovers 0 Stockport County 2 ( Football League 1 ) Tuesday 9 December 2025

 

 

 

 

 

County `s travelling supporters  turned out in noisily supportive numbers on not the greatest day nature has produced for us to will their apparently stricken side on out of the doldrums , and they received an early Xmas present from their team in return , as County secured a vital win with those fans behind them to bring   3 vital points back with them from their visit to Yorkshire  where they laid waste to Doncaster Rovers with some relish and 2 fine goals last night.

It was a well worked  and brilliantly executed win-against an awkward but decidedly second best Rovers side.

Grant McCann`s side were not greatly particular with their tactics throughout the game- an approach that received  considerable assistance from Mr Woods the Referee and his assistants who allowed County`s opponents far too much leeway at times.

Up until half time this   worked a treat for Rovers , but it is a certainty that Dave Challinor`s half time word in his team`s collective ear was of far greater value to them than any verbals Grant McCann might have treated  his team to ,as ,  where  County  had struggled to turn their superiority into goals in the first half, the second half saw them firing on all cylinders from the off-  Ben Osborn`s absolute worldy on 59 minutes setting the away end alight, the second from Wootton sealing the win for the blues.

They were well worth the win , even taking into account the quality of the opposition, with our recent problems taken due not of,  it was a win to savour and celebrate, and boy did those present on the away end take that to heart, and they deserved to( example below sees johnscsc doing the biz for County)!

 

 

 

 

Individual accolades are maybe  superfluous with such an obvious team performance in mind, but I want to mention  Tayo Edun ,Ben Osborn and Che Gardner . Both Edun and Osborn , to differing degrees already have established careers in the game and showed us their very best last night whereas Che was given a rare chance to shine out wide on the right and he showed us just what a real prospect he is with a showing that included 2 assists and fully rewarded his manager`s confidence!

Great stuff then, and if that doesn`t fill the Flyer, and all the other coaches  for Mansfield and Northampton nothing will !

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County piled forward on the attack from the off, but despite good work particularly from Edun, Diamond and Osborn   County could not test Lo-Tulala in the home goal.

It took Rovers until the 7^th minute to reply , and when they did Gibson lifted the ball high and beyond Hinchliffe`s far post.

I will probably make great play about Rovers iffy tactics later in this piece, and if I don’t, I really should have, but the 9^th minute saw the boot on the other foot as a poor foul by Olowu put Bailey the Rovers captain on the deck for a while. The Referee flashed yellow in Olowu`s direction, but I thought he was fortunate to escape the ultimate sanction.

County had a  free kick to defend for that last action ,but Rovers again failed to use the kick to their advantage – the kick being laid off to Molyneux who dragged his shot harmlessly wide of goal !

The next 10 minutes or so saw County take charge  -Edun unlucky surging deep into home territory in the best move, but this broke down and Hills , and at least 1077 of those present, felt with some passion that he had been fouled( to be precise leaned on and pushed down from behind) by Bailey who had made the break.

Hills had covered that break  and definitely been fouled ,but not as far as the near side liner was concerned, he incurred the absolute wrath of the way end , turning truth on its head by  indicating  a `corner`.

Thankfully the corner was dealt with well by County and no further  damage was incurred, but it was annoying!

We were in the last 15 minutes of the half now- it was still 0-0 and likely to stay so as the game was a b++++r to watch at times- the football doing anything but flow on the back of a constant welter of free kicks with Rovers going down to order and the ref duly obliging them with a raft of free kicks, but thankfully County`s back line were in decent nick and with Ben eyeing another clean sheet we were quids in.

And Olowu had his timing sorted now- doing well to block an effort from Gibson with 10 minutes left of the half.

Bailey and Gibson, who had arguably been Rovers key players , at least until reaching the box, combined to mess up what to me looked like a real chance , unable to penetrate the apparently impenetrable to test Hinchliffe.

Then we saw a shot from the Rovers Bailey drift wide of the target, and the away end erupt in annoyance after the liner had allowed the home captain to proceed despite the ball having gone a foot out of play before it was crossed !

Defending for County was a team effort -all hands called into action when required- Edun , Garner then Diamond and Mothersille getting important interventions in late in the half.

County went close though in  added time -Diamond unable to get that goal despite a typically determined run into the opposition box- Mothersille seeing an effort smothered by Lo Tulala in Rovers goal, and although an almighty melee ensued in front of the diminutive keepers goal it stayed 0-0 as the teams went in at half time!

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County opened the second half brightly, but we had to wait 6 minutes for a whiff of something lethal, and it came via Diamond who stole the ball from a clutch of seemingly slumbering men in red & white.

Slumbers ended ……the Rovers defence blocked Diamond who slid the ball on to Mothersille and he  really should have done better, but instead his shot gave the keeper minimum difficulty in keeping it out!

But Rovers had some disappointment also at this point-Brad Hills doing well to block a Gibson shot from Sharps pass with home specs getting unnecessarily excited at it all.

It was County though who were looking to be the likely lads , none more so than the excellent  Kyle Wootton who received a crude mugging for his pains as he made great progress to the by-line for County.

We did get a free kick for that and much to do bout greatly more than nothing followed from it- Hills just kept from the initial ball…..Olowu onto it but seeing his shot deflected for a corner. The County impetus only gazumped up from this as Osborn`s deliciously weighted kick drifted sweetly over to caress the angle of bar and post with the home defence rooted to the spot.

The moment passed with no goal but one was not long in coming and what a goal it was !!!!!

I was delighted to see Che Gardner get a game , he`s a real talent – I am sure I have said this before and probably in this article, but I make no apology for that or for enjoying seeing his part in an epic goal.

It started with young Che and the home back line totally failed to cope as he swung the ball in goalward. The ball ran loose to Ben Osborn , who was way out wide on the left, where he unleashed the most lethal of shots that screamed “ touch me if you dare !” to Lo Tulala and his fellow defenders…..they didn’t…. and the ball almost removed the goal netting from its moorings as the away end went communally  AS !

As I say- what a goal- I know I have done it scant justice here!

The away end were in joyous mood now ,as the Xmas carols pierced the cool evening air with suitably top-notch timing- the festive offering interrupted only by a second County goal and more celebrations …..

Again Che Gardner( who got a great reception late on when subbed from the away end) was involved combining with Diamond to feed Wootton the service he craves – a ball delivered on a plate to his head- end of…it was 2-0 as he sent the ball floating unerringly up an over the keeper into the net!

County were on fire now….Diamond dubiously ruled offside when about to shoot on 79 minutes……Odin Bailey seeing his shot clear the bar after a neat 1..2 with Woots a minute later…….Rovers back in numbers to defend a corner won by Diamond - successfully as it happens but it wasn`t pretty!

County`s game management came into play and kept the away end enjoyment levels suitably topped up- but buggeration…..9 minutes added time was announced- Rovers must have been delighted , but I rather felt that had the ref signalled 9 hours the home side would have struggled to nick a goal.

The highlight of added time, was County`s continued management of what was always looking to be a difficult game, and they were coming through well …..still looking robustly for a third goal but with a raft of subs now on for the blues and playing their socks down and up again, one of them Owen Dodgson was victim of an appalling foul by the Rovers Bailey as he nipped clear along the home by-line.

Yellow followed and Bailey was very fortunate indeed to not see red.

The free kick was defended by Rovers along with a raft of corners , the game eventually ending with the scoreline revealing a very creditable 2-0 win for County.

Well done County- a very impressive performance , and well done County supporters who could have stayed home , done the watch night…whatever……….didn`t….made the effort that the team benefitted from that greatly.

Well done all- see you at Edgeley Park on Saturday for the visit of Stevenage!

 

Stockport County line up:-

 Hinchliffe, Olowu, Hills (Hunt 67), Pye, C. Gardner (O’Keeffe75), Osborn ,  Bailey, Edun (Dodgson 84), Diamond (Lowe 84), Wootton, Mothersille (Moxon 84).

Unused Subs: Addai, Fevrier.

 

Doncaster Rovers line up:-

Lo-Tutala, Sterry (Clifton 74), O’Riordan, McGrath, Maxwell (Senior 74),Crew (Ajayi 74), Broadbent (Close 63), Molyneux, Bailey, Gibson, Sharp (Hanlan 63).

Unused Subs : Lawlor, Grehan.

 

Attendance: 7,929 (1,077 ). 

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