Stockport County 3 Leicester City 4 Football League 1 ( Saturday 12 September 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

County will come away from this one disappointed…perhaps even feeling hard done by – a feeling borne on the wings of incredulity as having come back from 1-4 down to within a goal of Leicester, they were denied 2 hard earned and thoroughly legitimate goals via the upraised flag of a linesman who spent most of the time prior to these calumnies slumbering seemingly unconcerned with piffling trifles like `keeping up with play`- well he found his mojo , twice in 5 minutes to ensure  ex-Premier League Champions City were not denied by Jimmy Mac`s northern upstarts!

But, as I warm to the above, I am almost tempted to hurl my battered old titfer to the ground , wincing whilst forcing myself to remember a raft of defensive deficiencies on County`s part , that set up the 4-1 lead mentioned above !

If we are to do as well as we think we will this season, we will need to launch our attacking salvoes( and we do this rather well most of the time) from a much more solid defensive base.

We could have won that…we should have won that…we didn`t ……and that hurts!

 

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The old place was packed out for the occasion, but the pace to start with on the park was fairly sedate, not a lot happening at all in the first few minutes.

It livened up 3 minutes in, as Diamond and Wootton won County a corner, but any excitement soon dissipated as Gordon`s header beyond the back post flew out over the bar.

It was another 4 minutes before we had our first alarm at the Cheadle End  where Lewis Page surged into the box unhindered by an intervention by anyone in blue- a pass on to his left where Riis was positioned offered City chances, but O`Connell managed to block the forward`s shot and the danger was averted.

Not for long however as County, unable to clear their lines efficiently did it badly- Gordon , who otherwise had a decent game, putting a poor clearance midst a clutch of brown shirted ( surely not!)City men and in a flash County were dished as Liam Cullen latched onto the ball before drilling it home with startling ease.

We were 0-1 down and arguably deserved to be, but we had a chance to draw level 3 minutes later   as Referee Tom Kirk allowed advantage as Wootton was hauled down unceremoniously, waving the breaking Harry Wood on.

Chance? For sure! But having been set up, Wood could not beat keeper Alex McCarthy.

You might be tempted to think, dear reader, that I am thinking kind thoughts about this referee, but he was to desist from stopping play and awarding free kicks numerous times to come as Wootton felt the brunt of City`s  lack of defensive subtlety, so no!

Wootton got free of the shackles next, getting on the end of a superb free kick delivered by Ollie Norwood from way out wide . It was all or nothing as he dived towards the incoming ball in front of goal, and he made good contact…too good perhaps…and the ball flew up and over the bar into the crowded Railway End.

Leicester`s number 2 Jayden Joseph seemed to have been assigned an attacking role, but so far, he was getting no change from Ben Osborn, who robbed him of the ball again midway through the half. Osborn then quickly picked out Wood who in turn passed on to Bate, and he looked on to do the biz before releasing the ball into Jack Diamond`s path- and the job was done as Jack slotted a neat finish in the net at the back post- County were level!

County gave every impression of this now being where they took charge again- their best chance coming 5 minutes later Glover teeing Wood up nicely from a long punt from Whatmuff. It was a chance but then it wasn`t as Wood could not hit the target with his shot.

That was sad, as within 3 more minutes County were behind again and it all seemed so very  avoidable- started by a long ball from Louis Page that , alarmingly, rang no alarm bells for County as Riis latched onto the ball before lobbing Whatmuff to give his side the lead again.

County tried to get back to level terms in what remained of the half- McCarthy making a comfortable save to deny Glover at one point…….County winning a free kick for a foul on Diamond but making nothing of it 4 minutes later.

Leicester might have had their moments had they been more alert, but having been allowed freedom of movement just outside County`s box , John Lundstrom hurriedly sliced a poor effort wide of goal.

The half may have ended quietly, but not without some excitement, with 4 minutes to go where County lay siege on the City goal- the maddest of scrambles ensuing in front of Mc Carthy`s  goal- the ball caressing the bar twice via Glover`s head and finally Norwood`s boot- and it stayed out- the half ending with it still 2-1 in City`s favour.

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The first 45 minutes were not all that brilliant from a County point of view, but it took just 4 minutes for the game to reach an even darker hue viewed through County spectacles…….

When Will Alves drifted a yard or so forward with the ball all seemed OK , and again as he sent the ball wide to Riis, as he was a tidy way from goal so no threat then…accept nobody had told Riis this rather shaky theory  , and he built firmly on that fact by beating Whatmuff with surprising ease.

County were 3-1 down and struggling, and their troubles increased again within a few more minutes as a fourth City goal ruffled the netting behind young Whatmuff`s back.

It came via a rare Leicester corner which should have been cleared….it wasn`t however being delivered to the back post where Lundstrom, ruinously unattended , headed home to the great joy of over 1000 travelling supporters behind Whatmuff`s goal.

4-1 down was bad news, and with everyone expecting a welter of County substitutions imminently, there wasn`t any just an obvious effort from those in blue still on the park to rectify matters.

And the County push was aided as the referee at last awarded     County a free kick for a foul on Wootton!  It was worth a shot for sure and with all and sundry expecting Norwood to oblige by pinging a fizzing whiz bang in at the far post, the County captain wheedled it in at the other post- another top-quality free kick…..wow….it was 2-4 now but would County respond again?

And here`s Simon George`s image of that goal :-

 

 

 

 

Well ,they were trying  and the visitors back line was exhibiting signs of panic here and there, but County were not cashing in- unable to capitalise on the panic one moment….Wood a whisker away from getting a third goal on the end of a fine cross by Gordon.

Then pandemonium….as, with City distinctly rattled, County made it 3-4 as Osborn picked out Wootton with a beautiful ball – County top scorer doing the biz again beating McCarthy from close in.

County were firmly ain control, and the old place was rocking with excitement as Leicester wilted before them to the accompaniment of a cacophony of supportive sound!

Have I said that Leicester were rattled? Well, they were and then some, and they had a free kick to defend after a foul by Lundstrom on Bate. The kick was a good way outside the box ….. but Norwood produced his magic again -the ball landing on Wootton`s head- the ball flying into the net- we were level and EP went wild!

Then reality struck as we noticed that the dozing liner of earlier was on his toes his flag waving brazenly towards the sky- offside he would have us believe- the ref was a believer, and it stayed 3-4!

 That was an absolute travesty- but County redoubled their efforts laudably- Glover and Gordon combining to shred the left side of City`s defence- teeing up a corner that saw McCarthy deny Wootton with a fine save.

Then we thought County had again clawed their way back to parity as, with 20 minutes left, as Harry Souttar   ushered a Diamond cross out for a County corner. This caused maximum panic in Leicester ranks, and the defence was no where as the ball was headed back across the goal and then back again to where Wood applied the necessary finish.

It was 4-4 for sure, until again the liner came to the ex-Premier League Champions aid with a wave of his flag.

Again, County had been dished …thwarted a second goal of theirs had been ruled out in circumstances most dubious!

The wave of subbings started soon after…..starting with Adigun & Mandron followed in due course by Jobe, Ennis & Andresson.

Adigun was in the mix from the off but perhaps a tad overanxious - - making it to the by-line ..winning a corner, but blocked when seeking to get a shot in.

Meanwhile Jobe and Ennis were making a good impression – Ennis making good ground down the right flank, getting some decent crosses over, while Jobe looked ready to nick O`Connell`s place with a look of real solidity about his work.

County kept working at equalising without a shred of good fortune- Ennis picking Adigun out -his shot clearing the bar……Osborn continued to persevere pinging crosses over- planting one on Wootton`s head with 4 minutes left – McCarthy pulling out all the stops to deny Woots by tipping the ball over the bar at the last gasp.

County corners came….McCarthy flapped at one such very late on but survived….Andresson, on for his usual 4 minutes…headed over from close in at the death after appeals for a late penalty had been ignored by the referee- as for that linesman…..`nuff said!

That was disappointing, Jimmy Mac has definite defensive issues to tackle but he has material at his disposal to sort and I think he will.

Let`s get to Hillsborough and give em the support they will need if they are to sort matters!

See you there then!

Stockport County line up :-

 Whatmuff , Gordon, O’Connell (Jobe 78), Pye, Glover (Ennis 78), Bate (Adigun 70), Norwood , Osborn, Diamond (Andrésson 86), Wood (Mandron 70) Wootton.

Unused Subs: Dacres-Cogley, Fiorini.

 

Leicester City line up:-

Mc Carthy , Joseph , Souttar , O`Hora  ( Aluko 86), Thomas , Lundstrom , Page , Braybrooke ( De Cordova 70) , Alves ( Kangasniemi 86), Cullen (          Burns 86), Riis(Watson 75).

Unused subs ; Ravizzolli , Howell.

Attendance: 10,411 (1160)

hedgegrower

Additional Crowd Gallery from @machinsports ........