MATCH REPORT: Nantwich Town 1 v 0 COUNTY

By Chris Larkin

County's pre-season tour of Cheshire came to an end with another defeat on Saturday.

The Hatters took on Cheshire cousins Nantwich Town - once again trying out a handful of trialists in the match.

And there definitely seems to be a pattern emerging now with opponents playing in Green and White - they're County's kryptonite.

So, sticking to the norm for the pre-season, County started the game poorly, with a few decent runs and chances for the Dabbers.

One of the rare County attacks ended badly for trialist, Paris Bateman as he went down during a Sortie into the box. Physio Rodger Wylde scampered on to the pitch clearly worried about the player. And on-pitch treatment lasted for a good 10 minutes or so.

After-match reports indicate that unfortunate Bateman seemed to have broken a bone and is unlikely play again, certainly in pre-season. He was replaced by the impressive Ian Howard.

County did start to get into the game a bit more after Howard came on and a few decent attacking moves promised much but resulted in little - maybe the players apparent fear of shooting when on the edges of the box had something to do with that.

And so, inevitably, the first half petered out somewhat uneventfully.

Nantwich Town's winning penalty

Ian Craney came out of the half with much credit though, his passing and calmness on the ball is to be really admired and he could be crucial for the Hatters in the coming season.

The second half started similarly to the first, with Nantwich on top.

Within 10 minutes a silly foul from County trialist Ross Fisher saw the ref point to the spot to give Town a penalty, which the impressive Aaron Burns squeezed home despite a full stretch dive from Ian Ormson.

Just a minute later it appeared County had leveled as a flowing team move resulted in the ball crossing the goal-line. The linesman, though, had other ideas. And much to the displeasure of the County players, staff and fans alike the goal was chalked off.

In the dying minutes, County had a free-kick on the edge of the area which gave them a great chance to draw level.

But they took it quickly and wasted the chance when the referee waved play-on after a Nantwich interception.

Within seconds we had the best moment of a fairly dour encounter thanks to teenage County prodigy, Rhys Turner.

He picked up the ball from the Nantwich clearance, ghosted through a handful of Nantwich players and brilliantly unleashed an incredible piledriver of a shot and that smashed against the post. So unlucky.

The ball landed at the feet of County's forwards from Turner's drive though, and they obliged by putting the ball in the net only for the linesman to, once again, deny the Hatters a goal via the offside flag.

The game ended just a couple of minutes later and the team's tour of Cheshire saw County rack up one win and two losses.

Ian Bogie said after the game that he'd seen enough of the trialists to make a final call on their County futures. And, to be frank, it doesn't look like any of them will be getting good news from the gaffer.


Still, another game, another step closer to full match fitness for those players who are already signed up to next season's Conference North campaign.

AN ACE UP THE SLEEVE

Alan Lord on the new Stockport County

By Alan Lord

Anyone who has watched Kristian Dennis and Rhys Turner in the pre-season friendlies will be excited about the coming season.

Kristian has so much potential and has showed glimpses of that in the games he has played so far.

Rhys? Well he's so fast and is already a very good player - unbelievable for his age. He has pace to burn and I can't see many defenders living with him this season.

Then you look at Kyle Jacobs. He's been so solid in pre-season. Just watching him I already know he is a player who is going to give us 7/10 or 8/10 performances every game this season.

But, for me, one of the little gems we've uncovered this season is Iain Howard.

He is the kind of player who often doesn't get the recognition he deserves. He is the fittest player at the club and puts in a double shift every match. He has a phenomenal work-rate. He gives us a solid base on what is usually a weak side of the pitch.

Jordan Fagbola could have an amazing season for us. He had an amazing season for a newcomer last time out and will be even better for us this season - he's already showing the signs of it and will be a major player for us.

Stephen O'Halloran is a traditional left back but can also be used as a marauding wing back and is equally as comfortable in either role. He's a very versatile player.

Kieran Charnock has a wealth of experience and is the best competitive close-marking centre-back we've seen here for some time. We will get a competitive, stable and solid performance from him every match - he's our Mr Dependable.

James Tunnicliffe will show us his versatility this year too - while he's a centre back, potentially a sweeper in a three-man centre-back line-up, he can also play as a holding midfielder and maybe used in that role at some point this season.

Iain Howard

Ian Craney is all set to be a major player at the club this year. He gives us solidity in the middle of the park, is a great passer of the ball and is Mr Lively in the dressing room. He has incredible experience of the leagues too - invaluable to pass on to some of the younger lads.

Jamie Hand will add the 'devil' we need in the centre of the park. He absolutely hates an opponent getting the better of him and will never, ever give up. He gives us a real competitive edge.

Phil Jevons is a constant goal threat. He's a target man, a back-to-goal centre forward who will bring the young strikers around him into play and link many of our attacking moves.

"We'll continue to look at the trialists...because you never know when the next Alex Kenyon may just pop out of the barrel"

Brandon Windsor started out life as a centre half and converted to a centre forward. He's only 18 and gives us that versatility that we want from many of our players this time around.

We've got two great shot-stopping goalkeepers too. Ian Ormson has great hands and gets down quick and there's a lot more to come from him this year.

Lewis King is like having a goalkeeper and a sweeper rolled into one because he reads the game and the balls over the top or into the channels so well and is always there to clean up - a real smotherer of a keeper.

We'll continue to look at the trialists and maintain those links with Myerscough College - we had six Myerscough students in the team versus Cheadle Town - because you never know when the next Alex Kenyon may just pop out of the barrel. Most of them are maybe 12 months off the level we require but matches like the Cheadle Town game are perfect to blood them in and see how they cope.

For me they were confident and comfortable in that second half. And they all displayed good attitude too.

As for the team for this season - we are ahead of where I thought we would be training-wise. We have been doing lots of 'disguised running' in training and the players are all responding well. Over the next few games we will see the first team start to play more of those matches and the trialists start to filter away.

So that by the time of the St Mirren match most of the first team will be playing for about 70 minutes.

I think we need another defender, one that can possibly play a dual role and also be comfortable as a full back when required.

We need another midfielder too. And it would be nice to have another striker to give us competition up front.

One of the remaining signings may very well be made right towards the end of the window because sometimes you don't know what's available and out there till the major business of the pre-season is concluded. So it is wise for us to leave a little leeway to take that opportunity if it arises.

We are tracking a player right now, a forward, but I can't say much more than that because he is also being looked at by a couple of other clubs and I don't want to spoil our chances before the deal is done.

Animo et Fide

THE WORD OF THE LORD

Alan Lord - Cheadle End Punk columnist

Alan Lord has signed up as a columnist for Cheadle End Punk.

Today will see the Stockport County assistant manager's debut piece published on the new County blog - a look at the team's pre-season so far and Alan's unique insight into the development of our new players.

Alan also casts his eye over the current crop of trialists and reveals how he and Ian Bogie are looking at another new signing, to help lead the team to glory next season.

Come back later for the full detail of Alan's unique perspective on the Stockport County universe from his unrivaled position on the inside of Edgeley Park.

Match Report: Cheadle Town 1 v 2 COUNTY

Another County attack

By Chris Larkin

The players of Stockport County and welcoming neighbours Cheadle Town took to the pitch on a lovely Wednesday night for the friendly 'Stockport Derby'.

I say 'friendly' but, clearly, someone forgot to explain that to Cheadle Town's No5.

County lined up in the first half with a team of trialists, with a few first teamers thrown into the mix - Ormson, Jacobs, O'Halloran, Bateman, Fagbola, Windsor, Donegan, Turner, Dennis, Brooke and Howard.

County started on the back foot, Cheadle Town having a couple of decent chances amid the early exchanges but, the Hatters soon settled in and started to get a foothold in the game.

Eventually after 11 minutes the pressure paid off, Kristian Dennis getting the goal following some neat passing moves from the team to calmly play in the promising forward.

Just five minutes later poacher Dennis got his 3rd goal in just two games after the exceptionally lively Rhys Turner had a shot well saved by the Cheadle goalkeeper.

The Town defence simply weren't quick enough to the ball with Dennis nipping in almost unchallenged to score his second of the night.

By this point the game was threatening to turn into a procession and County had chance after chance, corner after corner.

Town had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in the match. And the Hatters really should have had more - three goalbound shots were cleared off the line as County desperately tried to put the game to bed against the plucky amateurs of SK8.

But the half ended 2-0, with County spurning a glut of chances.

The second half began with 10 changes for County - Lewis King, replacing Ian Ormson, was the only 'first teamer' left on the pitch.

And though County sacrificed some of their first half fluency, the Royal Blue pressure, as the trialists all fought for a contract, continued. Two trial players really stood out - the number 15 and the youngster playing left-back.

As a result, County looked at their most dangerous down the left wing and it was from here they threatened to add to their tally.

But, as County went in search of a third goal in the final phases of the game, Cheadle Town struck against the run of play with Andy Lindon scoring for the home team after the Hatters defence failed to clear lines following a free kick. That defensive hesitation left Lewis King stranded and ended in an easy goal for the hosts.

Remarkably, in a game County looked like winning comfortably at half-time they were now teetering on the edge of a familiar abyss, snatching a draw from the jaws of victory. Last season, blowing a comfortable victory became habit forming and, with that history still clear in the mind you really couldn't blame Hatters fans for suffering deju vu.

Ultimately, the fears of the traveling County fans were unfounded, as not only did County hold on, they continued their stream of pressure and really should have walked away with a more comfortable scoreline had the trialists not squandered so many chances.

Overall though, it proved a good run-out for the team, an equally good run-out for Cheadle against 'better' opposition and a nice payday for our friends at the Park Road Stadium.

Both sides of half time were dominated by County, with every trialist looking to stake a claim for a place next season. How many will get a contract? Maybe two, at most.

See you at Nantwich.

TRIALISTS GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT CHEADLE

Trialist Tom Donegan

Ian Bogie is giving four of the current trialists at County another crack at securing a contract in the friendly match against Cheadle Town tomorrow night.

Tom Donegan, 21, the midfielder released by Fulham, Paris Bateman, 19, the defender from Crewe, 21-year-old Ryan Brooke, a centre-forward from Altrincham FC, Ross Fisher, 20, from Kilmarnock, and Sam Hibbert, the former County youth team member, will all be given a second chance to impress Bogie and his assistant Alan Lord.

Aliou Traore, formerly of Stockport Sports FC and Champion FC in Vanuatu, Fiji, won't be offered a second chance though and leaves the club still looking for a permanent deal.

Fisher, who impressed the most in the run-out against Northwich Victoria last weekend, is not available for the Cheadle Town friendly tomorrow but will be given his chance to secure a contract in the friendly against Nantwich instead.

The others will all appear at some point during the Cheadle Town friendly.