By Hatter-in-Macc
County wrapped up their pre-season preparations, with their second Saturday away-win on the bounce - courtesy of a brace from...oh, go on, guess!
The West Lancashire College Stadium was this afternoon hosting one of our warm-up games for the third time in three years. I missed out on the six-goal extravaganza of a draw twelve months ago, but did go along to witness the 2010 fixture.
Not one to be forgotten, either: it had featured an extraordinarily unique collector's item that was a Barry Conlon goal! His cheeky, lightly-struck chip for a penalty could have gone embarrassingly wrong (as was to be the case with pretty much everything Baz did in a County shirt thereafter), although, amazingly, it worked as well for him that day at Skem as it had for Maradona on the world stage.
Halcyon days...well, kinda.
What I had not remembered quite so well from my previous visit was how to find the ground. Hidden within a mini-forest around the once New Town's Green Belt, and lacking either tall floodlights or signposts to guide the unfamiliar traveller, it presents a challenge akin to fighting one's way through to a jungle clearing.
Or perhaps I just need to concede defeat once more to modern times and get a Sat-Nav...
With this being the last chance for our regular players to enjoy some match action before the season-proper, today's line-up and bench was unsurprisingly dominated by them - with Moke the sole remaining trialist:
Ormson, Jacobs, O'Halloran, Hand, Fagbola, Charnock (Captain), Moke, Verma, Dennis, Craney, Howard.
Subs: King (not used), Tunnicliffe (for Howard), Turner (for Moke), Windsor (for Dennis).
Today's hosts enjoyed a much more successful 2012/13 campaign than County - although that certainly isn't to damn Skem with faint praise! They finished up as Champions of the Evo-Stick First Division North - on a much tighter budget than many of their opponents at that level - and will this season be competing at just one level below the Conference North, alongside Nantwich and FC United, a couple of the sides who County met in earlier friendlies this Summer.
This, then, promised to be another decent test of a game for County, and Skem's young side looked to have lively pace a-plenty as the hosts made the early running. What their forwards didn't appear to have on, however, were shooting boots, and Ormson was rarely troubled in the opening exchanges.
County, meanwhile, were not looking particularly uncomfortable. With Craney executing his now-trademark precision passes, as well as Howard and Moke showing some nice touches on their respective left and right flanks, the fifty or so representatives of The Twelfth Man were feeling increasingly optimistic about the chances of a decent counter-attack. And, inside the first half-hour and a busy penalty-area, Dennis produced a smart swivel and shot to put County one up and continue his own astonishing pre-season goalscoring record.
Half-time: Skelmersdale 0, County 1.
When the match resumed, Skem were intent on giving it another go up front and testing the County defence. Charnock, Fagbola and, following his introduction soon after the break, Tunnicliffe each stood impressively firm, however - and, again, for all the hosts' pressure, Ormson was not called upon to take any significant action.
With around twenty minutes to go, Moke was replaced - without it being entirely clear whether he might have done enough in his pair of trial-appearances to impress sufficiently - and, almost immediately afterwards, Dennis, again from close range, tapped in to make it two for County. He seems to be able to score goals of any description - spectacular volleys, rocket shots, delicate lobs and instinctive strikes within the box - and is surely going to be a key player in SK3 this term. Let us pray that he hasn't peaked too soon! Although, personally, I doubt that - he is an absolute natural.
The game was drifting towards its close, with both clubs' thoughts soon to focus on their league campaigns a week hence, when Skem - having had a couple of earlier second-half penalty shouts waved away - were awarded a spot-kick. While no-one would have begrudged the hosts a consolation goal for their spirited efforts, Ormson had other ideas, as he dived the right way to push the penalty out for a corner.
Full-time: Skelmersdale 0, County 2.
So, there ended the pre-season. Not that results of friendlies mean very much, but County can be well pleased with the way that a practically new squad has been gelling over the course of the last ten matches.
For the record, six of these fixtures have been won and four lost. Twelve goals were conceded, and twenty-three scored...although we do rather have the Cheadle Heath Nomads game to thank for boosting the difference in our favour!
With the Hors d'oeuvre now out of the way, we're now in for the Skrill. Enjoy the feast to follow!
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