This week in County History 1995

 

 

 

Firstly apologies for the lack of an article last week- circumstances meant I ran out of time to put one together.

 

This week, which my phone tells me is week 46, I am looking back to a year that saw a remarkable performance by one of the lesser lights of the County squad of 1995-96.

 

Before getting down to the facts, in checking my notes I was drawn to a mention in the most recent edition of the club newspaper 

 

 

 

The Edgeley Park Echo - issued with the Stockport Express Advertiser - some interesting info to modern eyes as it reported the current admission prices as Vernon Stand (Pop side) £8, Cheadle Stand £7, Main Stand £9, Children and pensioners pay £3 in any stand.

 

Just as in 2026 the club had two Cup matches although back in 1995 the first match of the week was in an EFL Trophy game. The competition was then known as the Auto Windscreen Shield, and the Hatters travelled to Notts County on Tuesday 7th November.

 

We had drawn at home to Chesterfield in our first group game and in the welcome days before the Premier League youngsters were added to the competition we just needed a good result on the banks of the Trent to progress to the knock-out rounds. That was not to be as a regular tormentor of the County side around that time, Paul Devlin, popped up to net the only goal in the first half of the game (repeating his feat in the recent League match between the sides), and County did not make any progress this season for the first time since the arrival of Danny Bergara.

 From memory and the match report the failure to score was not for want of trying. A decent crowd for those early stages of the competition of 2,015 saw the following teams match up that night:

Notts Co: Darren Ward, Gary Mills, Andy Legg (Chris Short), Steve Nicol, Gary Strodder, Michael Galloway (James Hunt), Tommy Gallagher, Michael Simpson, Paul Devlin (Devon White), Vinny Arkins and Tony Agana

County: Neil Edwards, Sean Connelly, Lee Todd, Tom Bennett, Mike Flynn, Jim Gannon, Chris Beaumont, Michael Oliver, Jeff Eckhardt, Alun Armstrong (Martyn Chalk) and Ben Thornley. Unused Subs: Tony Dinning, Paul Ware

 

Thornley was a rare loan signing from Manchester United, then a very exciting prospect, if a little naive. A newspaper later reported that Ben had said that whilst at County he had to take his own kit home to get it washed. If true it sounds like a bit of a wind up by the more experienced men, and like most clubs there were men at County that would be more than willing to try such a trick.

 

He had signed the day before and another incomer that day would be an important piece of the club's progress as winger John Jeffers joined permanently from Port Vale after a two game reserves loan on trial.

 

Next up was the FA Cup and the programme for that game perhaps offered some background as to why we struggled to score at Meadow Lane. Apparently all four of the club's main strikers were currently in the treatment room. Amongst them was Ian Helliwell who had just returned after a medial ligament injury but then he had to leave the field just ten minutes into the most recent League game with a broken arm.

 

The shortage of strikers meant midfield man Jeff Eckhardt had to play up front against the Imps and he had a very good day in that position.

 

His opening two goals came in the first half after 21' and 33 and an own goal by Lincoln defender Jason Barnett just before half time gave us a 3-0 lead at the interval.

 

 

 

On 56 minutes the make shift forward notched up that hat trick goal and his strike partner for this game Alun Armstrong finished the scoring with eleven minutes left.

Just for good measure Eckhardt also donned the goalkeeper's jersey whilst Edwards was getting treatment for five minutes, achieving the rare if not unique feat of a hat-trick and a clean sheet in the same game.

 

County: Neil Edwards, Sean Connelly, Lee Todd, Tom Bennett, Mike Flynn, Jim Gannon (Tony Dinning), Chris Beaumont, Michael Oliver (Paul Ware), Jeff Eckhardt, Alun Armstrong (Adie Mike) and Martyn Chalk

Lincoln: Barry Richardson, Jason Barnett, Jon Whitney, Jason Minett, Shane Westley, Grant Brown, Gareth Ainsworth, Udo Onwere, David Johnson, Kevin Hulme (Phil Daley) and Steve Brown. Unused Sub(s): Paul Mudd, Paul Wanless)

Keeper Richardson had played a couple of games for County reserves back in 1991.

 

 

In the next round County were drawn to play Blyth Spartans at home, and the North Easterners U18s are in town soon for the FA Youth Cup second round tie at EP.

 

Ian Watts