Post by hatter_in_macc on Sept 1, 2015 14:46:29 GMT
My Match Report for COWS follows. Unavoidably delayed as the game itself was, this will hopefully also still be worth the wait...
Happy reading!
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AFC FYLDE v COUNTY: MATCH REPORT (31/08/2015)
By Hatter in Macc
One To Be Fylde Under ‘Fantastic’, As Hatters Finish First Month In Fourth
The course of true love never did run smooth. And there had certainly been a good deal of heartache as a result of the nine-man Hatters’ defeat by Stalybridge just two days earlier.
But a pulsating Bank Holiday Monday fixture at Kellamergh Park - and, moreover, a last-gasp victory, by the odd goal in five, against one of the National League North’s most-fancied sides - did much to remind us why it is that we get so animated and enthralled about Stockport County.
It was a late, late win - and not just in the sense that Jake Kirby’s decisive strike was fired home close to the very final minute of play. For, in addition, clocks and watches around the country by then were approaching 5:30 pm.
Not there had been an inordinate amount of added time played, you understand. (In fact, the match did not see Referee, Peter Gibbons, brandish a single card of either hue.) But, rather, kick-off, earlier in the afternoon, had required a delay of thirty minutes following a lunchtime incident on the M6, adjacent to the junction with the M55 that headed towards the Fylde Coast. This had seen the former closed in both directions, just as County’s team coach, a number of the home team’s players, Mr Gibbons and, of course, droves of travelling Twelfth Man representatives were approaching the affected motorway-section.
Not the ideal preparation for a contest. But with the game’s start already put back to 3:30 pm, and all players and officials present and correct an hour ahead of that, pre-match arrangements needed no further adjustments - other than a quite welcome extended exposure to our hosts’ music-mix of the Modern and the Motown. With Bank Holiday weather that, not untypically, alternated between chilly grey skies and showers, the irony of their playing Martha Reeves’ Heatwave was not lost...
Neil Young had made no secret ahead of Stalybridge’s visit to Edgeley Park that there would be some squad rotation between the two long-weekend fixtures. And so it was that the County line-up featured no fewer than six changes from that which had taken to the field in SK3 on Saturday. Danny Morton, Gareth Roberts, Kay Odejayi, Lamin Colley and Karl Ledsham were all recalled, while Kirby was also selected for his first start. Calum Dyson, Lewis Montrose and Jordan Thorniley, having begun every League match to date, each dropped to the bench - and Sefton Gonzales, following his tireless efforts as a lone striker forty-eight hours previously, was also rested. Joe Garvin and Andy Robinson were the other two players whose names were missing from the starting eleven - having both been injured in the course of the Saturday fixture.
Danny Hurst and Glenn Rule, whose respective suspensions following their red cards against Stalybridge had yet to come into force, were both named to start. And Ian Ormson’s inclusion among the substitutes marked the first occasion of the campaign on which a replacement goalkeeper was in the sixteen-player squad for an away-trip.
The Coasters, for their part, included two ex-Hatters in Richie Baker and Danny L Rowe - each of whom took his place as a Fylde starter, full, no doubt, of eagerness to impress against his former team.
County, donning their turquoise shirts and adopting a 4-4-2 formation, enjoyed the greater share of possession in a first half that was, nevertheless, relatively short on chances. Such opportunities as did arise were blasted high and wide of goal - with Sam Finley, for the hosts, and subsequently, Colley (after taking advantage of a slip by Dom Collins, just outside the home area) both firing off target.
With fewer than five minutes remaining before half-time, Abs Baggie, having proved a constant menace to Fylde in the centre and on the right flank, threaded a ball forward to Odejayi, who, in turn, played in Kirby. The Tranmere loanee’s ensuing run into the box was halted by the outstretched leg of Tom Hannigan - and, without hesitation, Mr Gibbons pointed to the spot.
Baggie stepped up to take what was the first penalty awarded to County since that converted by Scott Spencer at Lowestoft over five months ago, and cooly sent Ben Hinchliffe the wrong way with a low side-footed effort to the ‘keeper’s right. In doing so, the Sierra Leonean also became the first player to score in a League fixture between the Hatters and the Coasters, given their pair of scoreless stalemates during the 2014/15 campaign.
This contribution to proceedings - hugely valuable as it was - proved, alas, to be Baggie’s last one of the afternoon. Moments later, while chasing a ball near the touchline, he pulled up with a recurrence of the hamstring problem that had blighted much of the campaign for him already, and was replaced by Micah Evans just ahead of the break.
HALF-TIME: Fylde 0, County 1 (Baggie, 41 (penalty)).
The Coasters, having re-emerged following the interval, looked as if coasting was the very last thing on their mind, as they immediately went on the offensive with a view to getting back on level terms. And Hurst had to be at his best soon after the re-start, in arching himself to palm over a venomous shot by Danny Lloyd from twenty yards out.
The reprieve for County was, however, to be extremely brief. From the resulting corner, a mêlée in the area saw a County-old-boys act lead to an equalizer - with Rowe going to ground, and then the ball falling to Baker who hooked home from close range.
The Hatters proceeded to hit back - enjoying a spell of concerted pressure and, in due course, several scoring opportunities: during a series of successive corners at the home end, one was awarded County’s way following Hinchliffe’s fingertip-deflection of an Odejayi header; Sean O’Hanlon almost went one better by heading goal-wards, and beating Hinchliffe - only then to see his effort cleared from the line by Rowe; a fierce shot by Kirby ricocheted off the advancing defence, before dipping just over the bar; Colley fired straight at Hinchliffe from the left of goal, after being played in by Kirby; and, perhaps most agonisingly of all, Odejayi headed a looping effort from an Evans cross that narrowly evaded both the right-hand post and the feet of the on-rushing Colley.
Colley was replaced shortly afterwards by Dyson, who, within five minutes of his introduction, put County back in front. Following a short free kick taken by Rule to Morton, the latter delivered a pinpoint-perfect cross from the right for the Everton Youth-loanee to drive home from six yards.
The hosts, duly stirred, reassumed the initiative, as they sought to recover from behind again. Baker went close with a free kick from twenty-five yards that flew just wide of County’s left upright, before Matty Blinkhorn, as part of a lively substitute’s cameo, fired past the opposite post after running onto Baker’s through-ball.
With a little under five minutes of normal time left on the clock, they succeeded. And - as if the script needed writing - it was once again the work of a former Hatter. Presented with a free kick beyond the County ‘D’, and directly in line with the centre of goal, Rowe took charge - and let fly with a thunderbolt of a delivery that rocketed past anyone brave enough to venture close to its unerring course of flight, skimmed the underside of the bar and came to rest in the top-right corner of the net.
The game’s second forty-five minutes had been little short of exhilarating. And five more were announced by way of added time. In what was for him a rare foray upfield, right back, Caspar Hughes, was the first to try his luck during this final spell - although his audacious chip from distance looped well clear of County’s bar.
And so to the dramatic finale...
With the last minutes turning into last seconds, the ball found itself in Fylde’s box, whereupon it was played around before landing at Kirby’s feet. Jinking past one opponent to his left, and seeing the defence back off, Kirby unleashed a shot from fifteen yards that beat a path all the way through to the back of the net.
Cue an outbreak of joy from behind the goal. (Not that it was the away-end, mind; just one of several sizeable County fan-gatherings around the unsegregated stadium.) And cue, too, the immediate online-trending of vacuum-cleaner puns, thanks to the potency in front of goal of Messrs Kirby and Dyson... not to mention (dust) Baggie!
The hour may have been late when the final whistle sounded. But it was more than worth the wait. The southbound motorways were clear by then, too - although this mattered little. So far as happy Hatters were concerned, we would simply be flying home!
FULL-TIME: Fylde 2 (Baker, 47; Rowe, 86), County 3 (Baggie, 41 (penalty); Dyson, 73; Kirby, 90 + 4).
Team: Hurst, Morton, Roberts, O’Hanlon, Rule, Connolly, Baggie (Evans, 44), Kirby, Odejayi, Colley (Dyson, 68), Ledsham (Montrose, 90).
Unused Subs: Ormson, Thorniley.
Attendance: 1,077.
Happy reading!
*****************************************************************************************************
AFC FYLDE v COUNTY: MATCH REPORT (31/08/2015)
By Hatter in Macc
One To Be Fylde Under ‘Fantastic’, As Hatters Finish First Month In Fourth
The course of true love never did run smooth. And there had certainly been a good deal of heartache as a result of the nine-man Hatters’ defeat by Stalybridge just two days earlier.
But a pulsating Bank Holiday Monday fixture at Kellamergh Park - and, moreover, a last-gasp victory, by the odd goal in five, against one of the National League North’s most-fancied sides - did much to remind us why it is that we get so animated and enthralled about Stockport County.
It was a late, late win - and not just in the sense that Jake Kirby’s decisive strike was fired home close to the very final minute of play. For, in addition, clocks and watches around the country by then were approaching 5:30 pm.
Not there had been an inordinate amount of added time played, you understand. (In fact, the match did not see Referee, Peter Gibbons, brandish a single card of either hue.) But, rather, kick-off, earlier in the afternoon, had required a delay of thirty minutes following a lunchtime incident on the M6, adjacent to the junction with the M55 that headed towards the Fylde Coast. This had seen the former closed in both directions, just as County’s team coach, a number of the home team’s players, Mr Gibbons and, of course, droves of travelling Twelfth Man representatives were approaching the affected motorway-section.
Not the ideal preparation for a contest. But with the game’s start already put back to 3:30 pm, and all players and officials present and correct an hour ahead of that, pre-match arrangements needed no further adjustments - other than a quite welcome extended exposure to our hosts’ music-mix of the Modern and the Motown. With Bank Holiday weather that, not untypically, alternated between chilly grey skies and showers, the irony of their playing Martha Reeves’ Heatwave was not lost...
Neil Young had made no secret ahead of Stalybridge’s visit to Edgeley Park that there would be some squad rotation between the two long-weekend fixtures. And so it was that the County line-up featured no fewer than six changes from that which had taken to the field in SK3 on Saturday. Danny Morton, Gareth Roberts, Kay Odejayi, Lamin Colley and Karl Ledsham were all recalled, while Kirby was also selected for his first start. Calum Dyson, Lewis Montrose and Jordan Thorniley, having begun every League match to date, each dropped to the bench - and Sefton Gonzales, following his tireless efforts as a lone striker forty-eight hours previously, was also rested. Joe Garvin and Andy Robinson were the other two players whose names were missing from the starting eleven - having both been injured in the course of the Saturday fixture.
Danny Hurst and Glenn Rule, whose respective suspensions following their red cards against Stalybridge had yet to come into force, were both named to start. And Ian Ormson’s inclusion among the substitutes marked the first occasion of the campaign on which a replacement goalkeeper was in the sixteen-player squad for an away-trip.
The Coasters, for their part, included two ex-Hatters in Richie Baker and Danny L Rowe - each of whom took his place as a Fylde starter, full, no doubt, of eagerness to impress against his former team.
County, donning their turquoise shirts and adopting a 4-4-2 formation, enjoyed the greater share of possession in a first half that was, nevertheless, relatively short on chances. Such opportunities as did arise were blasted high and wide of goal - with Sam Finley, for the hosts, and subsequently, Colley (after taking advantage of a slip by Dom Collins, just outside the home area) both firing off target.
With fewer than five minutes remaining before half-time, Abs Baggie, having proved a constant menace to Fylde in the centre and on the right flank, threaded a ball forward to Odejayi, who, in turn, played in Kirby. The Tranmere loanee’s ensuing run into the box was halted by the outstretched leg of Tom Hannigan - and, without hesitation, Mr Gibbons pointed to the spot.
Baggie stepped up to take what was the first penalty awarded to County since that converted by Scott Spencer at Lowestoft over five months ago, and cooly sent Ben Hinchliffe the wrong way with a low side-footed effort to the ‘keeper’s right. In doing so, the Sierra Leonean also became the first player to score in a League fixture between the Hatters and the Coasters, given their pair of scoreless stalemates during the 2014/15 campaign.
This contribution to proceedings - hugely valuable as it was - proved, alas, to be Baggie’s last one of the afternoon. Moments later, while chasing a ball near the touchline, he pulled up with a recurrence of the hamstring problem that had blighted much of the campaign for him already, and was replaced by Micah Evans just ahead of the break.
HALF-TIME: Fylde 0, County 1 (Baggie, 41 (penalty)).
The Coasters, having re-emerged following the interval, looked as if coasting was the very last thing on their mind, as they immediately went on the offensive with a view to getting back on level terms. And Hurst had to be at his best soon after the re-start, in arching himself to palm over a venomous shot by Danny Lloyd from twenty yards out.
The reprieve for County was, however, to be extremely brief. From the resulting corner, a mêlée in the area saw a County-old-boys act lead to an equalizer - with Rowe going to ground, and then the ball falling to Baker who hooked home from close range.
The Hatters proceeded to hit back - enjoying a spell of concerted pressure and, in due course, several scoring opportunities: during a series of successive corners at the home end, one was awarded County’s way following Hinchliffe’s fingertip-deflection of an Odejayi header; Sean O’Hanlon almost went one better by heading goal-wards, and beating Hinchliffe - only then to see his effort cleared from the line by Rowe; a fierce shot by Kirby ricocheted off the advancing defence, before dipping just over the bar; Colley fired straight at Hinchliffe from the left of goal, after being played in by Kirby; and, perhaps most agonisingly of all, Odejayi headed a looping effort from an Evans cross that narrowly evaded both the right-hand post and the feet of the on-rushing Colley.
Colley was replaced shortly afterwards by Dyson, who, within five minutes of his introduction, put County back in front. Following a short free kick taken by Rule to Morton, the latter delivered a pinpoint-perfect cross from the right for the Everton Youth-loanee to drive home from six yards.
The hosts, duly stirred, reassumed the initiative, as they sought to recover from behind again. Baker went close with a free kick from twenty-five yards that flew just wide of County’s left upright, before Matty Blinkhorn, as part of a lively substitute’s cameo, fired past the opposite post after running onto Baker’s through-ball.
With a little under five minutes of normal time left on the clock, they succeeded. And - as if the script needed writing - it was once again the work of a former Hatter. Presented with a free kick beyond the County ‘D’, and directly in line with the centre of goal, Rowe took charge - and let fly with a thunderbolt of a delivery that rocketed past anyone brave enough to venture close to its unerring course of flight, skimmed the underside of the bar and came to rest in the top-right corner of the net.
The game’s second forty-five minutes had been little short of exhilarating. And five more were announced by way of added time. In what was for him a rare foray upfield, right back, Caspar Hughes, was the first to try his luck during this final spell - although his audacious chip from distance looped well clear of County’s bar.
And so to the dramatic finale...
With the last minutes turning into last seconds, the ball found itself in Fylde’s box, whereupon it was played around before landing at Kirby’s feet. Jinking past one opponent to his left, and seeing the defence back off, Kirby unleashed a shot from fifteen yards that beat a path all the way through to the back of the net.
Cue an outbreak of joy from behind the goal. (Not that it was the away-end, mind; just one of several sizeable County fan-gatherings around the unsegregated stadium.) And cue, too, the immediate online-trending of vacuum-cleaner puns, thanks to the potency in front of goal of Messrs Kirby and Dyson... not to mention (dust) Baggie!
The hour may have been late when the final whistle sounded. But it was more than worth the wait. The southbound motorways were clear by then, too - although this mattered little. So far as happy Hatters were concerned, we would simply be flying home!
FULL-TIME: Fylde 2 (Baker, 47; Rowe, 86), County 3 (Baggie, 41 (penalty); Dyson, 73; Kirby, 90 + 4).
Team: Hurst, Morton, Roberts, O’Hanlon, Rule, Connolly, Baggie (Evans, 44), Kirby, Odejayi, Colley (Dyson, 68), Ledsham (Montrose, 90).
Unused Subs: Ormson, Thorniley.
Attendance: 1,077.