Stevenage FC 0 Stockport County 1 ( EFL League 1 Play Off Semi Final -1) Saturday 9 May 2026
What a match……what a performance by County…what an amazing finish to the game -as another `half the length of the field` break away by Icelandic phenomenon Breki Andresson started a frenzy of excitement in front of the Stevenage goal as Ben Osborn sent County`s loud travelling army home happy ignoring the frenzy around him to force the ball home.
The stadium erupted in a solid wall of ecstatic noise as County supporters gave vent to emotions pent up all afternoon as the blues plugged away at a Stevenage defence that took advice from no one at all when it comes to doing what needs to be done when the chips are down, as they were many times for Stevenage with Ollie Norwood in supreme form directing County`s forward push.
Into added time we thought we would be settling for 0-0 ,and that would have been an excellent position to be in when we returned to Edgeley Park for the second leg, but we reckoned without Breki Andresson and a last throw of the managerial dice by Dave Challinor who brought the Icelandic striker on 1 minute into 3 added minutes at the death!
Boy, how he was rewarded, and our team is now set up nicely for the second leg on Wednesday!
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The game started as it was destined to continue with County attacking – within seconds they had a corner- but when Norwood delivered this to the back post ,Wootton was unable to force the ball home.
It went on, with County mostly on top- their best move- a sweet / sweet one 7 minutes in, deserved better than the upraised liners flag it received indicating `offside`.
This went on for 10 or so minutes before anything of note came back from Stevenage who by now had made a good fist of establishing their bona fides as defensive masters.
A throw-in and then a corner from the home side pushed County back – Addai doing well to make a save under pressure allowing Norwood and Stokes to usher the ball clear.
By the 18th minute I was getting seriously wound up, as Referee Charles Breakspear managed to penalise Wootton for being fouled by Goode. The free kick put more pressure on County, but Pye got his head to the incoming kick sending the ball out for a throw-in to Alex Revell`s side that then somehow morphed into a corner . County cleared their lines from the kick but did not calm my anger at the official!
I calmed down a tad only to get uptight again on 26 minutes when Barry ran onto a neat flick on by Sidibeh, only to see play halted as he set up a shot…..for a County free kick some way back which of course came to nought!
County were under pressure for a while; a situation halted in dramatic fashion by Ollie Norwood who threw a wonderful `worldie `of a pass up the park to Sidibeh who was kept out by excellent work by Piergianni.
The amazing Piergianni made his mark again at the other end of the park, his header deflected for a corner that Addai dealt with magisterially to the joy of the packed away end.
Things got a touch end to end next- Sidibeh breaking clear for County but unable to pick out Barry with his final ball 30 minutes in……Addai in action 5 minutes later keeping a header by Roberts out, and again almost on half time as an even better save saw him tip another Roberts effort over the bar at the last gasp!
Stevenage kept plugging away in what remained of the half- Piergianni still central to their efforts – his late header flying wide as the teams went in with the score still 0-0.
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The second half started quietly- the first real chance emerging on 51 minutes and falling Stevenage`s way, but having done the hard bit to set the chance up ,Dan Kemp dragged a poor effort wide.
County had their moments – Norwood disappointing with an early free kick – Piergianni twice in action blunting solid County moves.
But Norwood looked on a mission and was pulling the green shirted blues strings majestically – a brilliant move just after the hour seeing a Sidibeh effort miss out by inches.
The pressure from County started to build from that last action- Norwood joined by Bailey as County began to get free kicks with the home sides discipline fraying badly at the edges ( and by no means always punished by the Referee !)
Sidibeh and Bailey surged clear only for the latter to be upended by Saxon Earley who would run the gauntlet of constant abuse from County for multiple ( unpunished) fouls.
This teed up some splendid football theatre involving Bailey and Norwood who would repeatedly line up to keep all watchers wondering which of the 2 would take the kick. The angle of this one told me `Bailey` but there was a gasp from around me as the ball flew from Norwood`s educated boot towards goal going out off a defender on the line!
More pressure followed and 2 corners but somehow Stevenage survived !
Then a slip by Edun put County momentarily in peril- and even more so as Kemp, who had surged clear on the break, went down under pressure from Edun- only to have his penalty claims waved away by the Referee.
That was just a break in the County pressure that continued with Sidibeh denied by more good work from Piergianni….and then another monumental County free kick after a foul on Osborn on the edge of the box. Again, we got the Bailey/ Norwood mime….and Bailey did take it this time – an excellent kick that inspired an excellent save in reply as Borough keeper Fillip Marschall dived to tip the ball around the post brilliantly!
We were into the last 15 minutes of normal time now and Alex Revell had substantially refreshed his playing resources in the minutes before, a fact that did nothing to diminish the zest of County`s forward thrust- somehow though a goal eluded us- the ball fizzing centimetres in front of Barry as he was sought by Sidibeh!
Both Sidibeh and Barry were substituted shortly after- Diamond and Tanto Olaofe coming on in their place.
It went on- Borough winning a free kick that saw a header by Piergianni carry the County bar on 80 minutes.
Then it was back to the Bailey/ Norwood free kick theatre- as another foul by Earley ushered in another County free kick smack on the edge of the box.
Again, it appeared that the angle favoured Bailey`s left foot, but Norwood took it the ball thundering towards the top corner of Stevenage`s goal until a brilliant dive by Marschall saw him somehow keep the ball in play and his team in the match!
We were almost into added time, and crosses were raining in on the home goal from County- Bailey lifting a shot over when well placed.
With just 2 minutes of added time left to play DC brought Andresson on for Stokes who had worked his socks down and up again game long!
By way of sharp contrast Breki had 2 minutes to produce another late miracle………….
Well, it did not take long at all for history to appear to be about to repeat itself as Andresson ran clear from half way, much as in our previous game.
As in that encounter , he had company to his shoulder and that is maybe what made him slip as he made to cut inside – the ball flying off ahead of him towards goal – mayhem was let loose around the Icelander -as the home defenders realised where the ball was heading, but not before it was too late and Ben Osborn had latched onto it to usher it over the line.
The away end went AS and rightly so, what a moment….what a goal…what a performance !
The Referee found a couple of minutes more to play from somewhere but it mattered not….County had their win which they can take to Edgeley Park on Wednesday – a far better result and situation that anyone imagined would emerge from a match with a monumentally difficult opponent to battle with.
County`s work is not yet all done- but DC will have them in the right mental state to do the job- with our backing!
Stockport County line up :-
Addai, Dacres-Cogley, Wootton, Pye, Edun, Bailey, Norwood , Osborn ,Stokes (Andrésson 91), Sidibeh (Olaofe 75), Barry (Diamond75).
Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Mothersille, Dixon, Fiorini.
Stevenage FC line up:-
Marschall , Piergianni , Kemp , Roberts , Earley , Goode , Pattendon , White , Reid , Thompson , Phillips M.
Subs:-Ashby-Hammond , Wilkin, Rutter , Houghton , Sweeney , Phillips D , Phoenix.
Attendance: 7,321 (1,339 ).
hedgegrower
Crowd Shot Gallery by @machinsports
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