Stockport County 0 Cambridge United 0 ( 4-5 on pens) FA Cup Round 2 ( Saturday 6 December 2025)

 

 

 

County exited this season`s F.A. Cup with a dispiriting whimper today  at  Edgeley Park  where League 2 Cambridge United held them fairly comfortably at 0-0 through normal and extra time before dispatching us 5-4 with a clutch of expertly executed penalties ,in front of an incredulous Cheadle End!

Whilst not wishing to overdo the criticism of County, or sell Cambridge short , and United did not look at all outclassed throughout , but I cannot dispel the conclusion that this was the worst display from a County side I have witnessed this season-it was beyond dire !

Corey Addai was County`s M.O.M by several miles in my opinion – a string of excellent saves by him keeping the blues afloat and still in the competition before the penalties, but  the visitors spot kicks were all perfect ….error free  and gave Addai no chance at all of keeping any of them out!

So, we concentrate on the League, and that`s a big ask judging by what we saw today, but I am guessing that County supporters will respond as they always do , starting with Doncaster on Tuesday where the team will need their support more than ever, and they will get it- but we will look for a response from the team better than we saw today!

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  There was a tentative start by both sides , and it was 5 minutes before either defence was tested ,and it was County who sought to do the testing, as  the ball went from Hunt to Diamond and on to Lowe in the box where the visitors` backline held firm and snuffed out the threat.

That was about the only flicker in the first 15 minutes neither side troubling the other to any extent- County did win a corner on 12 minutes but made nothing of it.It fell to Mothersille to have the first real tilt at glory , on 15 minutes- again Hunt and Diamond were involved in the build up and Mothersille provided the oomph at the end of it.

 

 

 

 

It was a decent effort that Eastwood the United keeper kept out – it took him 2 go`s but keep it out he did!

Eastwood did well again next to keep Diamond from a Fevrier through ball, but this was 7 minutes later, nothing of note had occurred in the intervening period.

There were a few `testy` moments in the game and the first of these came next as  County`s Hunt was carded after a brief `bru ha ha with United`s Brophy.

Meanwhile, Fevrier was doing his best to get amongst the visiting defenders and rouse the crowd , forcing United to foul him to keep him out. But when we got our free kick, we could not make it count- Diamond crowded out when attempting to size up a shot on goal.

 

 

 

 

Smith came closest for Cambridge , nearly 10 minutes later, but Addai made light work of saving his header.

Then ,just 2 minutes later, the visitors went closer still – Pye working wonders to stop the rot for County as a lethal looking one/ two twixt Brophy and Kachunga threatened for United.

Yes, County did reply but without conjuring a shot of any note- allowing United to break siege and hit us on the break and again the damage was done by Kachunga who sped up the park from deep before picking Kaikai out in the box with a neat ball. It looked a shoo-in to me, but no one told Addai, and the County keeper did excellent work keeping Kaikai`s fiercely driven shot out with a fine diving save.

We entered added time on a bit of a downer as Connolly had to be substituted having picked up a leg injury- Olowu coming on in his place.

County attacked for the remainder of the half- Mothersille getting a shot on target but not able to ruffle Eastwood`s feathers- the teams going in at half time with the score still 0-0 !

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It was almost 5 minutes before anything of note happened after the break, and it was Fevrier who provided it with a dazzling run into the box that laid waste to the left side of the visitors defence. Fev`s ball onward was excellent, but so was the response from Bennett for United who did an impressive job keeping Diamond from the ball near the back post.

County kept trying ,but without showing any real zip where and when it mattered- Diamond unable to concern Eastwood with a shot on 51 minutes…..a superb flick on by Fevrier totally wasted on Mothersille a minute later……Jobe for Cambridge, spoiling things for Mothersille , 4 minutes after that last action, as he strained to make something of another Fevs offering………..Fevs  disappointed again a few minutes later as Bailey dawdled on the ball before losing it , with County`s number 10 waiting for a pass.

 

 

 

 

This was not good, and DC rang the changes, bringing O`Keefe and Wootton on for Mothersille and Hunt.

It was time for a reply from Cambridge, and it came from Kachunga, but Addai stood his ground and made the save !

 

 

 

 

We were well within the last 15 minutes of normal time now but still there was no sign that County would fix matters any time soon- it was disappointing to see Fevrier worry the  visitors back line …force them to foul him….and then have to watch as the resultant free kick flew out of play.

That was poor but more followed – Moxon lifting the ball high into the Cheadle End to lay a County raid thoroughly to rest!

Then , 5 minutes later, it was `hearts in mouths` time as a slip by Olowu allowed Hoddle and Monday to snaffle the ball laying it to Mpanzu who saved County`s blushes by shooting wide.

I know I am repeating myself , but the next minutes before the end of normal time were of minimal interest- Lowe and Dodgson  giving way to Osborn and Edun.

I have written `pure torture` - maybe I exaggerate, but not by much!

So, added time it was  then, surely, we would shape ourselves better in those extra minutes!

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But my thoughts in the previous para  were answered with clanging great brass  knobs on next, as County had defending to do and Addai was called into urgent action to keep a thumping drive by Mayor out with an excellent diving save on 93 minutes!

Then O`Keefe lost his footing on the wet playing surface allowing the alert Hoddle onto the ball , and he sent Kaikai clear- another shoo-in it seemed , but with the same result as with the previous one as Kaikai`s perfectly executed shot was kept out by a brilliant save by Addai with his legs- simply excellent stuff from the County keeper!

It was the 99-minute  mark now, and it was time for a response from the blues for sure , but when Diamond looked likely to open the scoring, he didn`t…stopped in his tracks by a thumping great last ditcher from Mpanzu!

But the half ended with another belting save by Addai to deny Mayor, keeping it at 0-0!

Addai got a richly deserved ovation from the Cheadle End as he made to change ends for the 2^nd half of extra time.

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Things got a touch tetchy in the 2^nd half of extra time , County irritated no doubt at some of their opponents work – a particularly iffy example coming almost 20 minutes into this last period when Wootton was hauled to the ground unceremoniously by United`s Watts- right in plain sight of the ref, who donning his Pontius Pilate hat opted for a yellow card which hardly felt like a fitting redress!

Handbags ensued of course but not with any of the verve and will that I remember real get to`s in the past had treated us to!

There were no further casualties though ,so we move on…..

United were under pressure immediately  after this fracas- Jobe & Gibbons doing vital deeds in their teams cause to keep County out as corners fizzed over their way.

It stayed 0-0 – County`s were now getting the free kicks they weren`t getting earlier  but were making nothing of them still !

Even into 1 added minute tagged on the end of extra time, County could do no better……Diamond`s legs stuck in treacle as he tried in vain to force the ball home….Edun seeing a shot charged down….Wootton somehow kept from the ball as it was swung over from our right flank.

 

 

 

 

Game over then…err……..oops no…..we had penalties to contend with now ,and it started well enough ,the pens being taken at the Cheadle End, but thereafter it went awry for the blues.

Put simply , Cambridge did the biz to the letter -all their 5 kicks put away with superb expertise- County scored 4 of their five to go down 5-4.

The Cambridge fans will have enjoyed that and deserve to, and we wish them well in the Third Round!

For County it`s Doncaster on Tuesday in the League and I fancy many if not most of you reading this will be there urging them on!

See you there!  

 

Stockport County line up :-

Addai , Hunt ( O`Keefe 58), Connolly( Olowu 45) , Pye , Dodgson  ( Edun 85), Moxon , Mothersille  ( Wootton 58), Bailey , Fevrier ( Gardner 118), Diamond , Lowe( Osborn 85).

Subs not used: Hinchliffe , Hills , Edwards.

 

Cambridge  United line up :-

Eastwood , Watts , Brophy ( Monday 68), Kachunga ( Mayor 68), Kaikai( Smith 102) , Knight( McConnell 82) , Mpanzu ( Purrington 102), Bradshaw ( Bennett 19) , Jobe , Gibbons , Hoddle.

Subs not used: Hughes , Ibsen- Rosi , McKoy .

 

Attendance : 5105

hedgegrower

 

Crowd shots from @machinsports...

 

 

 

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