County head to the play-offs after a 1-1 draw at Edgeley Park against Hartlepool.

The first half saw a dominant performance from the Hatters.  

In the first four minutes, a corner from Kyle Knoyle was delivered to Callum Camps; the ensuing shot from the midfielder was smothered by Hartlepool keeper Ben Kilip, the first big stop from the number one and by no means the last.  

Kilip delivered for his side again in the seventeenth minute with a double save, first beating away a shot from Myles Hippolyte, and then similarly parrying the follow-up from Tanta Olaofe, who could not capitalise on the deflected ball.  

Controversy ensued from the resulting corner, where it seemed as though Horsfall had converted for County; in actual fact, the goal was disallowed for a foul on Kilip.  

After an all-out performance, though, County won a penalty after Camps was brought down by defender Connor Jennings in the box.  

Camps himself took the spot-kick, firing home a rocket into the top-right corner, to put the Hatters 1-0 up at half time. 

It was just after the 60-minute mark when Hartlepool drew level. Callum Cooke, eluding his markers, converted a pass on the edge of the box from captain Nicky Featherstone and dispatched a fierce shot into the top-left corner of the County net.  

The Hatters kept up the pressure, with a tantalising attempt by Madden being thwarted again by Ben Kilip at 70 minutes.  

The game steamed on into added time with little signs of abating from either end. A Hartlepool header from Tom Crawford was caught by Hinchcliffe, and at the other end Kilip saved a Camps shot from the edge of the box.  

In the final frenetic minutes, County were awarded a second penalty following a handball in the box from Matthew Dolan.  

Ultimately, Ben Kilip rounded off his emphatic performance by diving to his right and pushing away the spot-kick.  

According to the match report on the Stockport County FC website: "The day had begun with an unveiling in the mid-morning drizzle of a statue of legendary County manager Danny Bergara – the last Hatters' gaffer to lead the club to automatic promotion from the Football League's fourth tier. 

"Thirty-two years later, the Hatters can still make it up to the third, but will now have to do so through the same route as Jim Gannon's side of 2008 took, via the play-offs."

After a 1-1 draw, County now face Salford on Saturday 13 at the Peninsula Stadium in the play-offs. 

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