Stockport County 3 Barnsley 1 ( Football League 1) Saturday 10 October 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

County came back from 1-0 down to Daniel Stendel`s surprisingly forceful Barnsley side to win 3-1 via a brace of goals from Kyle Wootton and another from Mika Mandron at Edgeley Park today.

It was another game where it took the blues 45 minutes plus before they had warmed up sufficiently to set about denting the Yorkshire team`s confidence, but by that time Barnsley were 1-0 up and very good value for their lead .

A herculean effort was required of Jimmy Macs boys to turn the game around, and thankfully County had the men to enable them to do just that- excellent performances from their substitutes, particularly Jason Adigun clinching matters for the blues, Fiorini being a distinct improvement on Lewis Bate who looked to be a weak link in a midfield that should be shining brightly.

The goals were priceless……2 from Woots – the first a cracking back post header on the end of Ollie Norwood`s corner, the second another nerveless finish after Jason Adigun`s brilliantly executed floater to the back post had picked County`s top scorer out. Mandron added a third with classic strikers cool close in late on.

That was a result for sure, a good one too, but hopefully we will learn from what went down in the first 45 minutes- as County`s passing ( particularly Ollie Whatmuff`s)constantly fed into Barnsley`s growing confidence- added to as, under pressure, our discipline suffered and we had to defend too many free kicks as a result.

Fortunately, we sorted it after the break, but it would be so good to see us do it for 90 odd minutes!

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Barnsley had us attacking the Cheadle End first- I told myself that it would not matter and we would make them pay , but I was way out with that, at least it seemed I was at half time!

For now though, County headed for goal through Ben Osborn , but a good run from him and a decent cross , saw Glover kept from the ball by Kay beyond the back post.

County were under pressure for a time after that early exchange but, urged on by Jack Diamond who seemed fully motivated , a break was engineered and it looked really good as Diamond surged into the box before releasing a nicely weighted pass into the path of Lewis Bate who had tracked the County number 7 into the box. The pass was a beaut…..Bate was in…but then he fluffed the chance!

Had that been taken the game would have taken on an altogether different course to the one it did, and inside 10 more minutes we were behind!

 

In the interim- Barnsley had need to employ 3 men to block a second sortie deep into Barnsley territory by Diamond ………Whatmuff had pulled off a fine save to deny Kay as he burst into the County last third, and Barnsley had wasted a free kick as County struggled under pressure.

They sought to relieve the pressure and played some decent football whilst doing so, but having done the hard part and sorted a real chance- the normally reliable Osborn failed to add the required finish to a top-notch cross from Gordon.

Midst all this…. the glaring deficiency in County`s passing stood out annoyingly- their discipline under threat beginning to creak – defending a free kick one moment….picking the ball out of their own net the next as Patrick Kelly punished County`s profligacy with a cracking finish that had the Railway End up in celebration.

That was awful, but worse threatened via a rank bad clearance from Whatmuff that found a red shirt – the ball ushered quickly on to Tyrese Noslin who really should have done better, but instead he pulled his shot wide!

County had a chance to get back on level terms ,and it came via a Norwood free kick, that put the visitors defence in a quandry with Wood and Osborn vying to get the ball then seeing it bounce to Wootton almost on the line- he could not force the ball home!

We were around 30 minutes in now, and Barnsley were still looking good value for their lead – County`s Whatmuff saving his sides bacon keeping a header by Cameran McGeehan out with his legs- a good save that!

The last 15 minutes of the half did see County up their game slightly- Diamond was still looking sharp, and Glover offered assistance taking his pass and sending a low / hard cross to the sharp end where no one in blue attacked it….chance gone!

Glover was working hard, getting the ball into dangerous areas, but the 35 th minute saw his hard hit cross kept from Wootton by excellent defending from Jack Shepherd.

It went on…….Diamond`s run snuffed out by Kay a minute later……Wood in the box and seemingly obstructed as he looked to ping a cross in( no penalty )….Norwood`s free kick headed goalward by O`Connell  but cleared by Barnsley.

With 5 minutes of the half left to play we got another potentially pivotal moment in the game, and it fell to Bate who really should at least have got his shot on target- instead he hit a County forward with it!

Perhaps buoyed by that escape, Barnsley hit the blues on the break and with some speed-we looked toast as Amani Richards laid the left side of County`s cover waste and got a shot off- he really should have scored, but, having beaten Whatmuff he looked on as the ball flew wide of the far post and out of play.

There was just time for another pot at goal by Barnsley , this time from Patrick Kelly, but his volley cleared the bar- the teams heading in at the break with County down by 1-0.

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         Lewis Fiorini was on for Bate when the teams returned for the second half, but the first 10 minutes of the half were uneventful, except that Whatmuff increased his own workload by finding a red shirt with his clearance- the ball heading back with interest – the only up side being that McGeehan `s shot lacked venum and the County keeper was able to make the save.

If that was a bit of an iffy mix as far as Whatmuff was concerned, he quickly enabled me to also point out that his shot stopping is top notch , and it had to be with Reyes Cleary seemingly hell bent on ruining County`s day – Whatmuff doing well to make the save and keep a powerful effort from Cleary out.

Barnsley kept trying to increase their lead- McGeehan failing to profit from another gift from County- failing to control the ball as he reached the box……Cleary thwarted by a neat Pye/ O`Connell combo around the hour.

Then County won a corner, but with a number of players seeking treatment, an annoying delay ensued before the kick was taken , and for once this sort of nonsense did not penalise County, instead when eventually Norwood took his kick ,sending the ball to the back post where Wootton hovered ,  he met it with the firmest of headers giving Rogan Ravenhill, the Barnsley keeper, no chance equalising the score at 1-1.

The goal delayed the introduction of Jason Adigun who eventually came on for Harry Wood with just under 25 minutes left to play.

And Jason went close almost straight away, making a crucial intervention not long after lifting a brilliant ball over a clutch of defenders to Wootton who did what Wootton does, planting his header beyond Ravenhill into the net- County now led 2-1!

Back came Barnsley- but Glover did well back defending to block Cleary despite a bit of a tangle with Whatmuff. Cleary was really looking to mess with County- running County`s back line ragged, with just over 20 minutes left, in combo with Kelly- but County were bolstered by Norwood`s presence and he cleared their lines averting the danger!

Whatmuff continued to shine stopping shots- keeping an effort by Kelly out a minute later, making a fine save to deny the goal hungry Cleary - the flag went up for offside for this one, but a good save is a good save !

With 4 minutes of normal time left, we saw Diamond & Glover replaced by Mandron & Dacres- Cogley , and  Mika again showed us his striking consistency . It started with Wootton winning a corner – County proceeding to pen their opponents in their last third.

The corner was half cleared but the ball went to Norwood who sent it back into the box where Adigun proved his value again by forcing the ball onwards to Mandron who made it 3-1 from close in.

Another excellent finish by Mandron and a second assist from Adigun who I hope now gets a start.

Into added time we went then- a shed load of it…………..with Barnsley, to their credit, trying to get back into it- surely an outrageous proposition?

Nevertheless they kept at it……Cleary forcing a corner that O`Connell headed clear…..Richards seing his cross fizz menacingly across Whatmuff`s goal with no one attacking it or getting a touch.

Mayhem ensued at one point -Jobe and Whatmuff both getting last gaspers in to keep it at 3-1 and it was close at times I can tell you with red shirts threatening in numbers!

In the 102 minute,Barnsley were still trying- Sam Gale`s cross pinging over almost as the ref blew for the end of the game.

In the end County came out of this one with much credit, so well done to the team  but we clearly still have much to sort out- our passing – our midfield needs to sharpen up – maybe Fiorini or one or more of our new players could sort….or Che  Gardner – our attacking and defensive manpower looks good – the midfield not so much, and Ollie Whatmuff will improve his kicking with the right tuition surely!

Meanwhile I`m off to Sandbach on Tuesday for the Cheshire Senior Cup- the match starts at 19.45 and I am sure the County team would benefit from a good turn out of County supporters- see you there then!

Stockport County line up :-

Whatmuff, Gordon, O’Connell, Pye, Glover (Dacres-Cogley 86), Norwood, Bate (Fiorini 46) Osborn (Jobe 90), Wood (Adigun 66), Diamond (Mandron 86), Wootton.

Unused subs: Ennis, Andrésson.

 

Barnsley line up :-

 Ravenhill , Kay, Shepherd, O'Riordan (Gale 69), McGeehan, Noslin (Okedina 1), Richards, Cleary, Kelly, Brownlie (Bland 69), Yoganathan (Reid 82).

Unused  subs: Flavell, Taylor, Alker.

Attendance: 9,790 (1,160).

hedgegrower

 

 

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