County round off unbeaten September | Accrington Stanley 1-3 Stockport County
By Alasdair Perry
2nd Oct 2023 | Local Sport
County rounded off their unbeaten September with a win over Accrington Stanley away.
The Hatters piled up the pressure early on, with the reds floundering after just eight minutes. Defenders struggled with a series of botched clearances, and Louie Barry rifled a threatening shot towards goal which was, ultimately, blocked by the keeper.
The reprieve did not last long, however, as Tanto rolled a sneaky low shot into the corner of the net from just within the box, making it 0-1 just before the 12 minute mark.
A mere few minutes later, Sarcevic collected the ball from a throw in, eluded his pursuers and threaded an immaculate assist forward to Will Collar, who put the ball through the keeper's legs to make it 0-2 in 15 minutes.
The misfortune continued for Accrington Stanley in the second half, when Joe Pritchard failed to convert what had been the best chance of the game for the Reds thus far.
Commentator Jon Keighren described the attempt - which saw the Pritchard deflect the ball away from goal rather than towards it - as "one of the most incredible misses [he'd] ever seen".
In the 57th minute, Accrington's Tommy Leigh gave away a penalty after a foul on Odin Bailey.
Louie Barry scored comfortably and stylishly from the spot, making it 0-3 and seven goals in seven games for the promising youngster.
It was only in the 86th minute that Accrington grabbed a late goal, with an impressive long range strike from Jack Nolan.
Ultimately, however, it was too little too late, and it was County who took home three points from the fixture. Final score: 1-3.
In his post-match interview, manager Dave Challinor was happy with the result, but remained measured and realistic.
"I felt we could have had lots more control", he said of the game. "We need to be better on the ball technically, and be braver in terms of what we did. [...]
Speaking of record-breaker Louie Barry, Challinor said: "He's in a good place. He's enjoying his football, he's playing with a smile on his face. He's a huge threat."
The gaffer was critical of the late stages of the game, particularly after so many substitutions. He said the side looked 'frantic' and disjointed.
"We should have been comfortable in those last 20 minutes, and it didn't feel like that", he said.
Nonetheless, County can head into their next two home fixtures bolstered by a fair degree of confidence.
~
Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.
To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.
Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or Twitter
New stockport Jobs Section Launched!!
Vacancies updated hourly!!
Click here: stockport jobs
Share: