MATCH REPORT: COUNTY 1 - 4 Boston Utd

Dennis - notched his first League goal

By Chris Larkin

County came down to earth with a huge thud as they were given a wake-up call by Boston United who welcomed them to the Skrill North with a 4-1 thumping at Edgeley Park today.

Remember when you were a kid, the anticipation on Christmas Eve, the excitement and joy at getting the toy you REALLY wanted?

Well in the familiar surroundings of a rain soaked Edgeley Park, it was more akin to the feeling of being excited on Christmas Eve and then waking up to realise that your present is actually a kick in the bollocks - it wasn't a good feeling.

The opening day of the season always brings hope and excitement, that this year is the year, that this player is going to be a star, that it can't possibly get any worse.

Well for the opening few minutes you could be forgiven for thinking things may turn around, we were playing some decent stuff and looked like we could do something going forward, the fans were also playing their part with a fair amount of noise coming from the 3,317 people inside Edgeley Park.

That all ended in the eighth minute when young Ian Ormson failed to claim the ball in what should have been a straightforward bit of goalkeeping and Scott Garner capitalised on the mistake to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Chin on the floor.

County didn't let the set back affect them too much and were soon back on the attack. In fact only 10 minutes later, the referee judged that a cross from Kyle Jacobs was handled by a Boston player and awarded County a penalty, which Kristian Dennis diuly dispatched to score his first league goal for County.

Things were pretty even until half-time, Boston having a couple of good chances at the end of the half, one requiring an outstanding last ditch tackle from Fagbola to take away an excellent goal-scoring opportunity.

The expectant Cheadle End hoped they could help suck the ball into the back of the net once the second half kicked off but, it was Boston who did all the pressing. With just 10 minutes of the second half played, an excellent weighted through-ball found Marc Newsham who comfortable slotted under Ormson to put the Pilgrims 2-1 up.

Barely 2 minutes later and it was 3-1. Spencer Weir-Daley saw Ormson hesitate and backtrack, then took his opportunity and swiftly doubled his side's lead.

Edgeley Park has rarely been so hushed in disbelief.

Ormson may have been hanging his head in shame but the defence will also have a lot to answer for after a gift of a goal.

In a bid to get back into the game, Ian Bogie took off Kieran Charnock (already the recipient of a yellow card which may have swayed Bogie's decision) for the attacking flair of Rhys Turner and in search of a bit of creativity in a County team which had run out of ideas.

With 25 minutes left, the visitors put the game out of reach after yet another goalkeeping error from the calamitous Ormson, who failed to hold onto the initial shot and placed the ball nicely in the path of on-rushing United player, Ricky Miller.

Three goals in just nine minutes had wiped out any hopes County had of realistically getting anything from the game.

Bogie played the only card he had left and shortly after the goal brough on Adriano Moke for Ian Craney.

To County's credit they didn't give in and at least battled a little bit more. The change in tactics from the inexplicable 3-5-2 the team had begun the match with made a big difference too - most of the Cheadle End clearly thought the experiment of playing three centre backs and two wing backs had been attempted and written off as a dead-loss in the pre-season but, mysteriously, Ian Bogie had other ideas.

The cries of exasperation could be heard echoing around the entire ground. Let's hope Bogie realises that playing 3-5-2 with this squad is a three-point gift for any half decent opposition team playing a traditional 4-4-2.

County did go close once the changes had been made -  Dennis saw a fantastic effort from a free-kick thump off the post and in the closing minutes Turner came close with a towering header only to be denied by a great piece of goalkeeping from Timms in the Boston goal - but it was all too little too late.

There was one final bit of excitement as Charley Sanders was sent off for elbowing James Tunnicliffe just seconds after coming on the pitch.

A bad day at the office for County and Ian Ormson in particular.

Despite the catastrophe on the pitch the attendance of 3,317 was a fabulous effort from the County faithful. And on a note of hope for those amazing Royal blue fans -  Kidderminster Harriers didn't win any of their opening five games last season and ended up only missing out on the Conference title by goal difference. There is still 41 games to go - but performances will have to improve substantially if County hope to progress.

Ian Ormson, Kyle Jacobs, Stephen O'Halloran, James Tunnicliffe, Jordan Fagbola, Kieran Charnock (Rhys Turner 59), Jamie Hand, Ian Craney (Adriano Moke 69), Aman Verma, Phil Jevons (Iain Howard 78), Kris Dennis.

Unused Subs: Lewis King, Brandon Windsor

MATCH REPORT: FC Halifax Town 1 - 3 COUNTY

By Hatter in Macc

County walked away from their latest pre-season encounter with another win under the belt and the growing feeling that a real team is starting to develop.

County's pre-season journey today took a slight detour from the North West, venturing across the Pennines into West Yorkshire on a gloriously sun-drenched afternoon - the like of which I don't often expect to see when visiting Halifax.

This said, I was appalled to realise that it was, in fact, over twenty years since I had last set foot in The Shay to watch County. The ground, which now, on the approach-signs, gets to be called a Stadium, has undergone quite an impressive transformation in the meantime, too.

Gone is the slag heap that used to double up as an away end, and neat, covered stands - both seated and standing - now feature on all four sides.

The action on the pitch is brought closer to us, in the absence of the old speedway track. Halifax are an outfit back on the up.

And don't we Hatters know it?! Having recently swapped places with the Shaymen, following County's relegation and our hosts' success in the Conference North Play-offs, we found ourselves this afternoon with a fixture that was a mirror image of the friendly a year ago, as Jimmy Gannon's Blue and White Army prepared itself for what it hoped might turn out to be at least a top-half Conference Premier finish.

Our lower-level opponents disposed of us with some ease last Summer (which should have been a sign of what was to follow...) - and, twelve months further on, newly-promoted Halifax were coming to the end of an impressive build-up to life back in the Non-league Big Time. 

This promised to be a stern test, all right.

County took to the field, in front of a hundred-plus Twelfth Man representatives and to the theme of Hawaii Five-0 (nope...me neither), with the following line-up:

Ormson, Jacobs, O'Halloran, Fagbola, Tunnicliffe, Charnock (Captain), Hand, Turner, Craney, Jevons, Dennis.

With Matty Glennon (who received a generous reception from the away contingent) in goal for the hosts, Keith Briggs starting the game, and both Paul Marshall and Sean Williams on the bench, the match certainly had a feel of County Past v Present about it. Another interesting twist was provided by Tunnicliffe playing in front of the back four. Had that goal on Tuesday night gone to his head?! We would see...

Our defence was slightly the busier one in the early exchanges, which saw O'Halloran clear a goal-bound ball with an acrobatic clearance and, shortly afterwards, Halifax hit the back of the net...only to be ruled offside.

Not to say, however, that County - playing in their 'home' kit while the Shaymen opted for a snazzy red and black ensemble - were being overrun.

In fact, we were looking increasingly comfortable on the ball. And when, on 20 minutes, Dennis converted a Jacobs cross with a sensational volley to put County one up, it wasn't against the run of play.

Seven goals for Dennis in the friendlies, then - and pretty much every one of them has had the hint of spectacular about it.

Half-time: Halifax 0, County 1.

The Shaymen, no doubt with a few choice managerial words ringing in their ears, were sent out early for the second half.

Marshall and Williams were now among their number, while Briggsy was taking a rest. For County, two new faces - in Coppin (remember this name for future reference) and Verma - replaced Charnock and Turner.

Later in the half, Hand and Jevons were to give way for Bateman and Windsor. 

Within five minutes of the re-start, that man Dennis was at it again to put County two in front. 

A toe-poke from close to the goal-line? A lucky deflection off his backside? Nah...this man just doesn't seem to be interested in run-of-the-mill goals.

Number two for him today, and his eighth so far for County, was a scorcher of a shot from fifteen yards out.

Utterly unstoppable - and one that Glennon was wise not to get in the way of.

Halifax were by no means finished, and strove to push forward, forcing the increasingly impressive Ormson to make a couple of excellent, fingertip saves, before a cross from Marshall (didn't 'cha just know that a former County player wouldn't be able to resist coming back to haunt us?) was headed in by Roberts to reduce the arrears with fifteen minutes to go.

What threatened to be a rather tense closing chapter in the game, however, soon turned out to be anything but. The diminutive Kayde Coppin, who had shown some nice touches, and gone on a few good runs, since his introduction,  took everyone by surprise, ten minutes from time, when he unleashed a screamer to leave Glennon with no chance and restore County's two-goal advantage.

Full-time: Halifax 1, County 3.

A most impressive performance by a team, which, since half-time at Ramsbottom just under a fortnight ago, has been getting better with every game. Dennis will take many of the plaudits for his eye-catching goals today - and deservedly so - but there were many other plus-points. Ormson looks confident, the defence is a solid unit, Craney lasted the full ninety minutes (and had us in awe with his pin-point-perfect passes), and I am starting to warm to Tunni again! Dare I say, that I have begun to feel just a teeny bit excited about our prospects for next term, too?

Grateful thanks to my trusty apprentice camera-man, Macc Junior, for taking the matchday pics.