Notts County 1 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 1 ) Saturday 24 October 2026

 

 

 

County came back from being 1-0 down to share the points with Notts County in the Nottinghamshire rain this afternoon.

It was a rough old ride though, as County`s opponents did not spare the horses with the over vigorous tackles & interventions game long.

Referee Darren Drysdale and his team of liners will have had better days in charge of whistle and flag duties for sure- they missed an awful lot of iffy stuff from Notts today!

That said, the locals would have thought the goal , by Scott Robertson that gave his team a lead they held until the last 10 minutes of normal time, was worth the admission itself, but that was about it as far as attacking intent on Notts part was concerned, apart from a brief flurry late on.

County`s equaliser was a bit of a belter too, as Benoni Andresson surged clear to send Adama Sidibeh in- County`s  number twenty-nine resisting  monumental pressure from Notts last defender, to almost uproot the netting from its moorings in beating the keeper and levelling the scores.

In the end Jimmy Mac may have mixed feelings about how the match finished- disappointed not to win ( and with some of the refereeing decisions) but pleased that his team showed enough resilience to come back and share the spoils in difficult circumstances.

For myself I was again impressed by our Manager`s substitutions- spot on ……..turning the screw on County`s opponents with practised ease- great stuff!

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Back to the start, and boy was it wet out there, and my seat was in the rain belt!

But there was a nicely choreographed Remembrance  ceremony in honour of our services personnel, and it was observed immaculately by the whole 12214 present!

 

 

 

 

The match opened with County attacking and appealing for an early free kick but getting nowt from the officials.

The press continued from County as Bate stole possession feeding Jobe, but Wood saw his effort charged down when the ball was played on to him.

The first glimpse of a response from the Magpies came on 5 minutes, as Daniel Kanu scurried towards the box, but he then lost control of the ball and any chance was gone.

A foul by Pye upped the County angst a tad via the free kick, but Martin Paterson`s side contrived to lose their discipline in chasing a half chance and again the chance was no more.

Wood was looking lively for County- blocked on a run 7 minutes in – Jobe heading wide from a cross by Osborn 2 minutes later.

It looked a routine start to a game- County not overly stressing but working diligently to get an opening, so it was a shock when their opponents took the lead!

County were under pressure and paid the price for not clearing their lines- the ball landing at the feet of Robertson who smashed it into the County net on the volley.

County were 0-1 down and suddenly the rain felt wetter!

That was chastening for County, as was the fact that they were being subjected to a mix of the dark arts from their hosts- some of it but by no means all being picked up by the officials. - Diamond  and Wood both poleaxed by late challenges .

The ref did have a word in the ear of the home captain around this time, but I can not say I saw any noticeable change thereafter.

Glover and Jobe were instrumental in putting pressure on Notts – County were dominating possession but there seemed to not be the usual sharpness about their work in their opponents last third.

Probably County`s best effort came next- started by a fine long ball by Whatmuff to Osborn wide on the right. Osborn`s cross was spot on and Wootton met it in front of goal- sadly unable to force the ball home.

 Bate was working hard- winning possession sending Wood through to be brought down in the box- no penalty followed.

I winced again as the iffy tackles were still flying in- Sam Smith on Jack Diamond the latest. We got a free kick but that lack of sharpness I noted earlier came to the fore again and any chance was gone.

Even so, County were going close- Wootton for example on the half hour so close on the end of a neat cooperation twixt Osborn & Wood.

Notts were getting some chances to shine- Smith testing County with a run but bettered nicely by Glover`s excellent defensive play. Added to which County`s opponents wasted the corner that followed.

If County were still having the lions share of possession, and playing some neat football, it continued to lack a decisive edge, and eventually, as a result, Notts would nick a half chance, and one such arrived with 5 minutes left of normal time in the first half – Whatmuff doing well to make a save and keep a header by Luka Smyth out!

 

 

 

 

 

Both teams worked, in vain, at getting something out of what remained of the half, the teams going in with County still 1-0 down, but crucially their supporters were still loudly supporting them!

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County opened the second half playing some neat flowing football, that augured well for what might follow in the rest of the half, but within sight of goal Wood air-kicked as the ball reached him and Magpies cleared their lines.

It went on- Wootton teeing Wood up with a chance that saw the ball drift wide of goal.

Glover meanwhile was continuing his recent rich vein of form- His header, 10 minutes in, failed to overly disturb James Belshaw the home keeper, but he did well to win a corner shortly after – the move only foundering when Osborn fouled his marker easing Notts angst with a free kick.

Glover continued- turning defence into attack nicely – again disappointed to see Osborn`s cross from this not find anyone in an orange shirt on hand to apply a finish.

We were beyond the hour mark now, and for sure County were certainly trying to up their game  - winning corners but sadly not making them count…… working a shooting chance but not putting them away- Wood clear but unable to beat the home keeper.

But all was not done, Jimmy Mac began to ring the personnel changes bringing Andresson, Dacres- Cogley & Ennis on for Osborn, Diamond & Glover, but  I looked up to see Pye rescue County after a blooper by  O`Connell ( who had had a sound game in my view) .

That was not typical of how it was going- County were piling forward, but sadly still not finding that extra ingredient to beat Belshaw- the keeper saving confidently to keep Wood`s shot out with 22 minutes left of normal time.

Then again…maybe it was…as the next action saw Whatmuff having to pull off a vital save to deny Finneran who had boldly stolen possession in the County half.

By this time Adama Sidibeh was on, as Jimmy Mac responded to the almost game long singing of the striker`s name by the County faithful, and he would not disappoint!

Also around this time, Andresson was clattered from behind with play way away and the ref perhaps understandably oblivious, but the near side liner was right on the scene and chose to do…….nothing….the miscreant went unpunished! Perhaps unsurprisingly the only card shown was to Wootton -for verbals I assume!

No worries, it would soon all be put to rights…..

And it was quite a scene as Andresson surged clear down the middle. He had Sidibeh nearby and, as the Iceman fell, he sent a nicely weighted ball into the strikers path. He was marked closely, but he showed remarkable resolve and brilliant finishing skills to fire a rocket of a shot beyond the stricken keeper into the Notts net!

County had their equalising goal and were good value for it too!

Could they up their game another notch though and nick a winner?

We were into the last 6 minutes of normal time now and the home side`s discipline was disappearing fast before our eyes, but still the officials were largely unmoved.- Jobe crashing down under pressure in the box as County piled the pressure on- no penalty!!!

The press continued  Ennis looking a threat down the left, but hitting Andresson with his shot on goal when well placed ( 87 minutes) .

Another minute and Andresson saw a shot neatly saved by Belshaw, after O`Connell had worked the ball from defence to an attacking position with some style.

Then the 89^th minute gave County a warning shot across their bows as a deflected shot by substitute Darrius Lipsuic skimmed the crossbar.

Into 6 minutes added time we went, still hoping County could nick that elusive winner……

In this regard, Belshaw kept County out adeptly- dashing from his goal to snuff a break by Sidibeh out, on 92 minutes.

A Notts free kick came a minute later, but was promptly wasted by the home side.

They kept plugging away though through Lipsuik who was looking lively, but his pass on to Matt Palmer saw the ball fly wide of goal off the substitute`s head.

On it went- County still urged on by over 2000 wet but by no means down hearted travelling supporters- Norwood responding with a rasping drive that Belshaw handled with real aplomb snuffing out the danger.

Then into the 96^th minute we went, and after all I`ve said here, and the possession County had- the last real action occurred at Whatmuff`s end and it was stirring stuff to see the young County keeper in action with a massively vital diving -save to deny Hundolo Mustapha – a brilliant piece of work by Whatmuff with which to end the game.

Well done County, coming back to share the points made the trip and the wetness less of a pain- here`s to Tuesday and another good result!

 

Notts County line up:-

 Belshaw ,  Ness , McDonald , Bedeau ,  Tsaroulla (Lipsiuc 60),  Finneran , Robertson(Sanders 84)  Samuels-Smith , Smyth ( Ndlovu 73), Grant ( Mustapha 84) Kanu (Evans 60)

Unused subs : Gibbons , Roberts.

 

Stockport County line up :-

Whatmuff Jobe, O’Connell, Pye, Glover (Dacres-Cogley 63), Bate (Fiorini 73), Norwood , Osborn (Ennis 63), Diamond (Andrésson 63), Wood (Sidibeh 73), Wootton.

Unused Subs: Adigun, Mandron.

Attendance: 12,214 (2,206 )

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