Post by hatter_in_macc on Jan 9, 2016 22:40:43 GMT
Probably reading matter to leave until tomorrow, if you happen to be having a good evening! But here it is, in all its misery, nonetheless...
*****************************************************************************************************
COUNTY v AFC TELFORD UNITED: MATCH REPORT (09/01/2016)
By Hatter in Macc
Hatters Topped Off By Late Buckshot From The Spot
The incessant early January rain abated sufficiently for County’s first match of 2016 to go ahead nine days into the new year. But, by full-time, conditions over Edgeley Park were decidedly gloomy, following a home defeat at the hands of the League’s bottom club.
A poor game between two out-of-form sides was settled in favour of the ‘Bucks’ two minutes from time. And, following a contest which had featured only one corner apiece and few meaningful attempts on goal at either end, it may not come as a surprise that it took a penalty to separate the teams.
Earlier in the afternoon, when brief glimpses of the Winter sun could be sighted and the world, to many Hatters, felt ever-so-slightly more full of hope, Neil Young had made three changes to the line-up which took to the field, and performed well, at Stalybridge on the Bank Holiday Monday after Christmas.
With Andreas Arestidou having left EP, Ian Ormson returned once more to don the goalkeeping gloves. Paul Connolly, meanwhile, was handed a first start in over a month, after recovering from a hamstring injury. And the recently-signed winger from Witton Albion, Jamie Menagh, made his debut, initially on the left, as part of a 4-4-2 formation - which also saw Chris Smalley move over from central defence to occupy the right-back berth.
Connolly and Menagh replaced Dale Tonge and Charlie Russell - both of whom were named among the substitutes - while the bench also included, at least potentially, a second debutant in striker, John Marsden, who had left Colwyn Bay for County earlier in the week.
Telford’s squad for the reverse-fixture at the New Bucks Head Stadium less than five months earlier had included no fewer than four players once of the SK3 Parish. But with Danny Glover suspended for an alleged breach of contract, Mark Lees now plying his trade back in the North West with Ashton United, and neither Kyle Brownhill nor Greg Wilkinson selected, there was not, on this latest occasion, a single former Hatter to be spotted among the visitors’ ranks.
Some continuity from mid-August was, however, provided by the Bucks in the form of their Watford-lookalike change-kit. They had, rather unusually, been forced into wearing the yellow and red garb at home against the Hatters, as their newly-produced first-choice strip was not available at that time.
So much for all this preamble from those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer... or, rather, thank Heaven for it. Because there was precious little about which to write home in the first thirty minutes of the return-match! Sean Clancy had drilled in a shot from the left straight at Ormson; Menagh, fed by Lewis Montrose, had hit the side netting from a tight angle; and a Ryan Rowe free kick from twenty-five yards out had flown wide of County’s right post. But these were very much isolated incidents in an opening half-hour that was generally short on quality.
Proceedings livened up a little within the fifteen minutes leading to half-time: Jonny Margetts, who was playing the final game of his loan-spell, got on the end of a Menagh free kick to head just wide of the left upright; Ormson parried behind a venomous shot by Rowe; and Richard Peniket headed over from one of Thomas Tonks’ trademark long throws.
The otherwise-uneventful contest even conspired to leave a talking-point of sorts for the interval, when, in the first half’s dying throes, Ormson, who had just safely gathered another free kick, saw his clearance blocked by Clancy - with the result that the ball rebounded to trickle over County’s goal-line. But Referee, Alf Greenwood, was quick to award the Hatters a free kick, together with a few choice words for the protesting Telford Captain, Jack Rea.
HALF-TIME: County 0, Telford 0.
The arrival of the second half saw Marsden take his bow in a County shirt, as he replaced Abs Baggie - whose departure resulted in Menagh’s switch from the left of midfield across to the right.
And both debutants were to look lively during the opening exchanges after the break. Menagh unleashed a low drive that Harry Burgoyne, dived to smother. Then, Marsden, just ten minutes into his County career, forced Burgoyne into an even better save as Telford’s loan ‘keeper - who, less than a month previously, had turned out against County at Corby - finger-tipped a shot by the new forward around the visitors‘ left post. Marsden followed that up moments later with an attempt from beyond the area - although, on this occasion, he was to fire rather higher and wider.
Each side proceeded to go close by means of a free kick. Telford’s - taken by newly-arrived substitute, Lucas Dawson - was deflected by the County wall, albeit to the feet of Rowe, who thankfully shot wide. And County’s, for which Joe Garvin took responsibility, fizzed narrowly over the bar following a well-struck effort by the left-footer.
The game remained without a decisive moment, or any hint of an obvious winner, when, with three minutes left on the clock, Ormson brought down Isaac Reid in the County box while to the left of goal. Mr Greenwood showed no hesitation before pointing to the spot, and Dawson blasted the resulting kick home.
Added time almost saw one of the County substitutes emulate their scoring Telford counterpart, but Glenn Rule, having homed in on goal from the left, was blocked by Burgoyne - who will have ended this match a rather happier loanee than he did when retrieving the ball from Corby’s net on four occasions against the Hatters in mid-December.
FULL-TIME: County 0, Telford 1 (Dawson (penalty), 88).
Team: Ormson, Connolly, Garvin, Smalley, O’Hanlon, Menagh (Rule, 73), Baggie (Marsden, 46), Montrose, Brewster, Margetts (Odejayi, 73), Ledsham.
Unused Subs: Tonge, Russell.
Booked: Connolly.
Man of the Match: Montrose.
Attendance: 2,765 (97 away).
*****************************************************************************************************
COUNTY v AFC TELFORD UNITED: MATCH REPORT (09/01/2016)
By Hatter in Macc
Hatters Topped Off By Late Buckshot From The Spot
The incessant early January rain abated sufficiently for County’s first match of 2016 to go ahead nine days into the new year. But, by full-time, conditions over Edgeley Park were decidedly gloomy, following a home defeat at the hands of the League’s bottom club.
A poor game between two out-of-form sides was settled in favour of the ‘Bucks’ two minutes from time. And, following a contest which had featured only one corner apiece and few meaningful attempts on goal at either end, it may not come as a surprise that it took a penalty to separate the teams.
Earlier in the afternoon, when brief glimpses of the Winter sun could be sighted and the world, to many Hatters, felt ever-so-slightly more full of hope, Neil Young had made three changes to the line-up which took to the field, and performed well, at Stalybridge on the Bank Holiday Monday after Christmas.
With Andreas Arestidou having left EP, Ian Ormson returned once more to don the goalkeeping gloves. Paul Connolly, meanwhile, was handed a first start in over a month, after recovering from a hamstring injury. And the recently-signed winger from Witton Albion, Jamie Menagh, made his debut, initially on the left, as part of a 4-4-2 formation - which also saw Chris Smalley move over from central defence to occupy the right-back berth.
Connolly and Menagh replaced Dale Tonge and Charlie Russell - both of whom were named among the substitutes - while the bench also included, at least potentially, a second debutant in striker, John Marsden, who had left Colwyn Bay for County earlier in the week.
Telford’s squad for the reverse-fixture at the New Bucks Head Stadium less than five months earlier had included no fewer than four players once of the SK3 Parish. But with Danny Glover suspended for an alleged breach of contract, Mark Lees now plying his trade back in the North West with Ashton United, and neither Kyle Brownhill nor Greg Wilkinson selected, there was not, on this latest occasion, a single former Hatter to be spotted among the visitors’ ranks.
Some continuity from mid-August was, however, provided by the Bucks in the form of their Watford-lookalike change-kit. They had, rather unusually, been forced into wearing the yellow and red garb at home against the Hatters, as their newly-produced first-choice strip was not available at that time.
So much for all this preamble from those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer... or, rather, thank Heaven for it. Because there was precious little about which to write home in the first thirty minutes of the return-match! Sean Clancy had drilled in a shot from the left straight at Ormson; Menagh, fed by Lewis Montrose, had hit the side netting from a tight angle; and a Ryan Rowe free kick from twenty-five yards out had flown wide of County’s right post. But these were very much isolated incidents in an opening half-hour that was generally short on quality.
Proceedings livened up a little within the fifteen minutes leading to half-time: Jonny Margetts, who was playing the final game of his loan-spell, got on the end of a Menagh free kick to head just wide of the left upright; Ormson parried behind a venomous shot by Rowe; and Richard Peniket headed over from one of Thomas Tonks’ trademark long throws.
The otherwise-uneventful contest even conspired to leave a talking-point of sorts for the interval, when, in the first half’s dying throes, Ormson, who had just safely gathered another free kick, saw his clearance blocked by Clancy - with the result that the ball rebounded to trickle over County’s goal-line. But Referee, Alf Greenwood, was quick to award the Hatters a free kick, together with a few choice words for the protesting Telford Captain, Jack Rea.
HALF-TIME: County 0, Telford 0.
The arrival of the second half saw Marsden take his bow in a County shirt, as he replaced Abs Baggie - whose departure resulted in Menagh’s switch from the left of midfield across to the right.
And both debutants were to look lively during the opening exchanges after the break. Menagh unleashed a low drive that Harry Burgoyne, dived to smother. Then, Marsden, just ten minutes into his County career, forced Burgoyne into an even better save as Telford’s loan ‘keeper - who, less than a month previously, had turned out against County at Corby - finger-tipped a shot by the new forward around the visitors‘ left post. Marsden followed that up moments later with an attempt from beyond the area - although, on this occasion, he was to fire rather higher and wider.
Each side proceeded to go close by means of a free kick. Telford’s - taken by newly-arrived substitute, Lucas Dawson - was deflected by the County wall, albeit to the feet of Rowe, who thankfully shot wide. And County’s, for which Joe Garvin took responsibility, fizzed narrowly over the bar following a well-struck effort by the left-footer.
The game remained without a decisive moment, or any hint of an obvious winner, when, with three minutes left on the clock, Ormson brought down Isaac Reid in the County box while to the left of goal. Mr Greenwood showed no hesitation before pointing to the spot, and Dawson blasted the resulting kick home.
Added time almost saw one of the County substitutes emulate their scoring Telford counterpart, but Glenn Rule, having homed in on goal from the left, was blocked by Burgoyne - who will have ended this match a rather happier loanee than he did when retrieving the ball from Corby’s net on four occasions against the Hatters in mid-December.
FULL-TIME: County 0, Telford 1 (Dawson (penalty), 88).
Team: Ormson, Connolly, Garvin, Smalley, O’Hanlon, Menagh (Rule, 73), Baggie (Marsden, 46), Montrose, Brewster, Margetts (Odejayi, 73), Ledsham.
Unused Subs: Tonge, Russell.
Booked: Connolly.
Man of the Match: Montrose.
Attendance: 2,765 (97 away).
