Stockport County - Hattering Heights

2014-06-10 06:48#179459 AlexTHFC : Well done on 200 replies

Cheers Alex!

Notice

Just a quick notice to say that my story will NOT be updated until this WEEKEND. This is due to a congested week of exams which I cannot afford to fail, sorry for the inconvenience, it's just that these exams are probably the most important things I'll do for my life so I need to get good grades!

Josh_MU.

This was probably our biggest month yet due to playing our rivals, Oldham, in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Quarter Final, we are edging really close to our first piece of silverware this season, but we also need to focus on the League as there are yet many more fixtures to go through!

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Results

Our first match this month was away at Dagenham and Redbridge, which ended 1-0 to us as our young midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey snatched a last minute winner with a stunning free-kick 25 yards from goal, which curled around the wall and hit the inside of the post and bounced in to help us take all the points possible back to Edgeley.

Jake Forster-Caskey.

Next was the much anticipated tie against our local rivals Oldham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Quarter Final which we progressed in after a goal from our on-loan forward Euan Smith, who combined nicely with Ryan Hall before taking a neat touch past an Oldham centre-half before firing the ball into the bottom left hand corner to give us a huge win over our rivals but more importantly sent us through to the semi-final!

Euan Smith.

After two great wins we went to Morecambe with high spirits but they completely out-classed us and we went back to Stockport without any points. We did our best and that's all I could have asked for but their front four completely blitzed our defence and scored the winning goal just after the start of the second half.

No-one deserved this award.

After that disappointing defeat to Morcambe, we were back in Edgeley for another League 2 tie, this time we were facing Northampton which proved to be a very entertaining game due to the amount of goals scored. Solly March got the first goal as he ran half the length of the pitch and struck the ball sweetly underneath the keeper to make it 1-0. Euan Smith then made it 2-0 shortly after from a corner which he headed into the top right hand corner. Then Paulo Jorge made it 3-0 as he curled in a good shot into the left hand corner. However they gave us a right good game in the second half as they pulled back 2 goals but we held on to earn yet another 3 points!

Paulo Jorge.

Then game the biggest game of the month against current league leaders, York City. We were bombarded with crosses in the first half but they just couldn't get any shots of target so we went in at half-time relatively happy with our performance, however in the second half, Ryan Hall broke away on the counter from a York corner and made it 1-0 with a calm and composed finish! They kept attacking and really gave us problems but near the end of the game York committed so many men forward that Jake Forster-Caskey was practically one-on-one with the goalkeeper in his own half and sweetly finished past him to make it 2-0 and win us the game! What a win!

Ryan Hall.

Finally we finished the month with a comfortable victory at home against Carlisle. It was a fairly boring game with the only action being the goal which young Euan Smith put away in emphatic style. Another huge three points which will aid us in our promotion campaign.

Euan Smith.

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League Table

We've overtook York and sit at the summit of League 2! We're only going into December but we are doing extremely well for our first season back in the Football League. Let's hope we can continue our good form and possibly get promoted come the end of the season.

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Player of the Month

Euan Smith



Yet again the young forward has been vital this month scoring lots of our goals. As I said last month, hopefully we can tie him down to a permanent deal soon as he's proving to be an inspired loan signing.

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Slater's Verdict

Another great month from the lads, some important results such as the Oldham game and the York game really defined just how good we played this month. Euan yet again has been exceptional but overall the team have been exceptional. Morale is high and if we continue our good form, we could see ourselves getting promoted in May.

The Month Ahead

We have yet more tough games to come, with the most notable one being Doncaster in the FA Cup Second Round but we also face a strong Fleetwood team in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Semi-final! Exciting times lie ahead for the Hatters!

Plug.

Nicceeeeee, going very well in the league!

@Pauks: Gtfo.

@Walt: Thank you! :-)

David Beckham accepts coaching role at County

David Beckham has joined Stockport County as a coach in a three year deal which will see the former play have his first spell in coaching.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder has decided to accept his first role in coaching at Stockport County and hopes that he gains 'much needed experience' at the club and helps them aim for yet another promotion to Sky Bet League 1.

Beckham is a huge icon in world football and this appointment has come as a shock to both County fans and Beckham fans alike, but Beckham has said that he's 'relishing the chance to develop his coaching talents at an ever-growing club which is currently on the up'.

"I'm very happy to be here as this club is currently on the up, they have some exceptional players here who I hope I can develop into even better footballers. I'm relishing the chance to develop my coaching talents here as it's hard to find a club who believe that you can do well in coaching, so I'd like to thank Josh Slater on giving me this chance even though I'm in-experienced."

Beckham had a glorious playing career, notching over 500 appearances in total and he will be a big part of Stockport County's plans for the future.

Top quality addition there, Josh. Great update as wel

Should provide experience and knowledge to your backroom!

o rly?

@Jack: Thank you very much Jack, I appreciate your kind words. :-)

@Walt: That's exactly why I hired him!

@Pauk: ys rly.

Very nice month, great to see you top of the league!
Beckham should be a good addition too. But, Becks at Stockport County...wow

THEY'RE EVERYWHERE, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

Club Archive: 2008 Play-Off Final

As County are deep in the promotion race, we look back at one of the greatest moments of our club's history, the 2008 play-off final.

After an exciting season, Stockport County made it into the play-off final against local rivals Rochdale at Wembley, with the winner going up into League 1 and the loser spending yet another season in League 2, it was going to be a very emotional encounter.

Both teams enjoyed early periods of possession but found it difficult on the greasy Wembley surface. It took a considerable period of time for the final to come to life, with neither side able to make much of an impression on the other's goal in the opening 20 minutes, which made both sets of fans rather edgy and wanting their team to attack more often.

And after the start we had, the first goal came through a set-piece as Chris Dagnall saw a long-range strike deflected inches wide of Conrad Logan's goal, and from the corner which Dagnall took, McArdle climbed highest at the near post and connected with a thumping close-range header which the Dale fans celebrated with huge joy and at that moment in time it looked like County were facing an uphill battle to keep their promotion dream alive.

McArdle scored the first goal of the tie with a close-range header giving Rochdale a 1-0 lead.

Stockport, who won both league meetings against Dale, were stunned into life and Pilkington came within inches of a leveller with a curling free-kick, however it was from County's first corner of the game that Gannon's side equalised.
Rochdale's Nathan Stanton who was under pressure and put the ball into his own net
Rochdale failed to cover a short corner routine and Stanton diverted the ball into his own net from Tommy Rowe's teasing cross.

And then County took the lead with Pilkington showing excellent technique to head Michael Rose's cross into the net from 12 yards after the ball bounced off the skiddy turf. This made 2-1 to County and the players and fans were going crazy knowing that this could well be the chance to get promoted up to League 1.

Pilkington scored with an excellent header to put County in the lead for the first time in the match.

Pilkington was becoming an increasingly influential figure for Stockport and it was his pass that led to Dickinson striking the decisive third for the Hatters.
Dickinson had been relatively well marshalled by Stanton but the Stockport striker stole a yard and struck the ball crisply first time with his right foot past Tommy Lee at the near post.
The tie appeared to be beyond Rochdale but Rundle struck the ball beyond Logan from 18 yards to ensure a nervous finish for Stockport and a sense of drama until the final whistle.



Let's hope that Slater's men can lead County back up to League 1 like Gannon did for us back in 2008!

COYH! Let's replicate the 2008 result!

#InSlaterWeTrust