Stockport County win first game under Jim Gannon against Brackley Town

STOCKPORT County provided Jim Gannon with his first league victory since his return to the managerial hot-seat at Edgeley Park against Brackley Town.

But they had to mount a concerted rearguard action for much of the second half, after getting their noses in front just before the interval.

The first half had been showing a tendency towards stifling in midfield, with the occasional break by both sides, when, six minutes ahead of half-time, County went in front.

The Saints felt that they had been sinned against in the build-up, as Junior English went to ground in the home box – but, in the absence of any whistle, the ball was worked to the left byline, from where Karl Ledsham crossed for Obi Anoruo to stab home from close range.

Having shaded the opening 45 minutes, the Hatters were forced to play much of the second half in their own half, as the hosts, playing with the wind on their backs, launched attack after attack.

Courtney Cameron, Steve Diggin and David Moyo all saw shots saved or blocked, while home captain, Joe Clarke, hit the bar with a looping effort.

The Hatters, to their immense relief, held on to secure a much-needed three points. In doing so, however, they had Lewis Montrose sent off for a second bookable offence in added time.

County took to the field in royal blue – with the exception of the one player, sporting a lighter shade of aqua, who had not featured in the starting line-up at Bradford Park Avenue seven days earlier.

Ian Ormson (for it was he) returned to the side and reclaimed the gloves, consequent upon the recall by Manchester United of loanee-goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, who had gone back to Old Trafford on the eve of the match following an injury to David de Gea. And County, in turn, had brought back to Edgeley Park, on non-contract terms, Dane Smith, by way of cover between the sticks.

While much of the rest of Vanarama National League North-land was having to contend with a day of incessant rain, this more southerly venue remained a little less wet – albeit rather gusty. And the match certainly went like the wind as proceedings got underway – with, first, Richard Brodie seeing a shot deflected behind for an early County corner, and then home captain, Joe Clarke, firing a shot over at the other end.

Sam Hornby, in the Brackley goal, twice had to have his wits about him in beating Brodie to the ball – following an under-hit back-pass by Junior English and, subsequently, a Jamie Menagh cross from the right. But, for much of the game’s opening quarter, the tendency was towards a stifling of play in midfield, with occasional breaks by both sides.

As the Hatters, in a 4-4-2 formation, settled down, they began to carve out a slightly greater share of opportunities. Menagh’s turn and shot from the right – forcing Hornby to dive and smother – was the contest’s first effort on target. Karl Ledsham went close with a speculative attempt from 40 yards out. And Lewis Montrose fired a volley wide of the right post.

Not that the hosts were averse to creating chances of their own, mind. Recent signing, Courtney Cameron, shot high and wide, after being teed up from the right by-line by David Moyo. And Ormson did well, whilst under pressure in a crowded box, to punch away a dangerous cross from Clarke.

Six minutes ahead of the break, County went in front. The Saints appeared to feel that they had been sinned against in the build-up, as English went to ground in the home area and his team-mates stopped to await a whistle.

But not a peep was to be heard – and, instead, the ball was worked to the left by-line from where Ledsham crossed along the goalmouth for Obi Anoruo to stab home from close range.

Brackley fashioned a move with a view to getting back on level terms just before half-time, but Matt Lowe headed over following a cross by Cameron from the right.

HALF-TIME: Brackley 0, County 1 (Anoruo, 39).

Jim Gannon’s side had the wind against them, as they re-emerged, a goal to the good, after the interval. They did, however, manage to give Hornby two lots of catching practice following the re-start, as he clung on to a deflected Montrose punt and, minutes later, an angled shot by John Marsden from the right.

But these efforts – at least in open play – were to prove the full extent of County’s forays into the opposing half after changing ends. For the remainder of the game, they had to defend their lead resolutely as the Saints became well and truly alive.

Cameron initiated the first in a seemingly never-ending series of attacks, when he had a shot deflected for the first of six Brackley second-half corners. And a subsequent effort of his was blocked, before being claimed by Ormson.

Moyo was next up – and shy of the right post on two occasions, as he headed wide and then saw Ormson dive to fingertip a low drive behind. Clarke went closer still with a looping effort that rattled the County bar. And the woodwork was struck again when Steve Diggin, who had earlier forced Ormson to save a well-directed header, had a shot cleared off the line by half-time substitute, Dale Tonge, and out for another corner via the left upright.

Still, the Saints kept coming – intent on putting the skids under County. Lowe and Cameron both fired efforts over, and even Hornby got in on the attacking act when his free kick from the home half caught the wind and travelled all the way to the waiting arms of Ormson.

In the first of five minutes of added time, nerve-ends – already stretched to their limit – really began to ping. A skirmish originating between Lowe and Montrose led to both players receiving yellow cards – although, with it being the second of the afternoon for Montrose, the County midfielder also saw a red one to be filed alongside that which he had picked up when dismissed against Chorley in November.

As five minutes increased to six, the Hatters, remarkably, came close to doubling their lead again – with a Ledsham free kick being driven narrowly wide of the right post. And the drama continued until the contest’s dying seconds, when Ormson punched out a Clarke free kick with such force as to find the halfway-line – before spilling the ball under the watchful eye of Moyo, and being grateful to Tonge for reacting quickest to clear it upfield.

Relief at the final whistle was palpable, among County players and supporters alike. The fans, on this occasion, included the longest-living ex-Hatter still alive – as well as, it is believed, the oldest surviving former professional footballer in the world. George Haigh, who turns 101 in June, had once again made the short trip from his Oxfordshire house to watch the team that he himself first joined in the 1920s.

His post-match journey might have been considerably shorter than the rest of us who had travelled, but there would have been no happier Hatter making the trip home.

Teams:

Brackley Town: Hornby (GK), English, McDonald, Clarke (C), Slade, Graham (Ndlovu, 75), Cameron (Winters, 86), Lowe, Moyo, Diggin, Walker.

Stockport County: Ormson (GK), Connolly, Roberts, Montrose, O’Hanlon (C), Smalley, Menagh (Tonge, 46), Anoruo, Brodie (Odejayi, 85), Marsden (Russell, 64), Ledsham.

Bookings: Brackley: Lowe (90 + 2)

Sent Off: County: Montrose (90 +2)