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Stockport County: Match Report

Posted by Kelly Gilchrist
Posted on Thu 26 Dec 2019
Posted in Match Report

FC Halifax Town were defeated 5-1 away at Stockport County on Boxing Day in the first of the festive games against the Hatters

Town boss Pete Wild made four changes to the side that faced Notts County with Liam McAlinden, Charlie Cooper, Cameron King and Liam Nolan replacing Danny Williams, Shawn McCoulsky, Nathan Clarke and Jacob Hanson

Stockport started brightly and straight from the kick-off, the ball was played up front, Matty Brown looked to have fouled him but the referee allowed play to continue and the ball fell to Elliot Osborne and his shot cannoned off the post

McAlinden won Townโ€™s first corner in the second half but the ball in from Cameron King was headed away at the near post for a throw

Tobi Sho-Silva brought the ball down on the right, laid the ball across the box and found Michael Duckworth and his effort was goal bound but saved by Ben Hinchliffe from distance

Good work down the left gave Stockport plenty of room and the cross in was a dangerous one but Michael Duckworth was in the right place to clear the ball to safety

Tyler Garrettโ€™s shot was deflected in the 16th minute and Sam Johnson had to be alert to keep the ball out

The play was stopped due to an injury following a challenge with Liam Nolan, a drop ball happened and Adam Thomas down the right-hand side, his cross was narrowly missed by Bell for what would have been the opening goal

Cameron King on his return to the starting line-up linked up with Liam McAlinden, back to King and his shot from the edge of the box was wide of the target bobbling out for a goal kick

The home side took the lead on 24 minutes, a corner from Tom Walker was put into the box and Festus Arthur rose the highest to head the ball under Sam Johnson

Three minutes later Jamie Allen down the right, checked back in, his cross was headed goal bound by Sho-Silva but deflected wide for a corner by Ash Palmer

A good run by Cameron King straight at the Stockport defence, the ball came to Allen and his shot was blocked at the edge of the box as Town looked for an equaliser

In the 35th minute, Duckworth found McAlinden winning a corner on the left hand side, the ball in was cleared and Stockport counter attacked finding Adam Thomas at the edge of the box and he dragged his shot wide of the target without challenging Johnsonโ€™s goal.

A quick throw was intended for Sho-Silva, King took it off, cut back and cross in was narrowly wide of the far post with Hinchliffe not sure where it was going to land.

Stockport doubled their lead in the 43rd minute, the cross from the left-hand side found Elliot Osborne who turned in the box and fired into the bottom right hand corner

Johnson had to be alert to parry a shot a minute later to deny Stockport a quick-fire double

The half finished with a speculative effort from Charlie Cooper which was never going to trouble Hinchliffe.

As the second half started, Town looked to put pressure on the home defence, King found McAlinden and his cross was put out for a corner by Sam Minihan. Allenโ€™s ball into the box found Staunton but couldnโ€™t get enough on it and Stockport cleared

McAlinden got another cross in but inches away from a Town man and Stockport held on

Tom Walker won a freekick on the left-hand side as Niall Maher obstructed the Stockport midfielder, Osborne ball, headed into the air and Town were able to clear

Allen on the right-hand side, cut inside and laid the ball off for Duckworth and another effort from the fullback was well wide of the target

Town were made to pay for missed opportunities as Stockport countered and Osborne fired under Sam Johnson for his second of the afternoon into the bottom corner for their third of the game

Wild made his first sub of the game with Jack Redshaw replacing Cameron King, Town then had a chance with a freekick, but Cooperโ€™s set piece was headed over the bar by McAlinden

Bell capitalised on a loose ball and his shot from the edge of the box was blocked for a Stockport corner, which saw Stockport make it 4-0 as Town donโ€™t deal with another set piece and looked like it bounced off a Town man

Town pulled one back through top goal scorer Liam McAlinden firing home into the bottom of the corner, it flew off the post with 25 minutes remaining

Redshaw turned and curled a shot wide of the target as Town pushed forward and look for a way back into the gameA freekick was given for a foul by Redshaw on the far side, the ball into the box found Arthur but his shot was straight at Johnson

However, Stockport werenโ€™t to be denied a fifth, Osborne shot came off Matty Brown wrong footing Johnson and into the empty net, the frontman will likely be claiming the goal for his hattrick

Redshaw had an opportunity at the back post, he had space but hit his shot straight at the goalkeeper

Town are back in action on Saturday with a home game against Chesterfield, 3pm kick-off

Stockport

Stockport County: 1 Ben Hinchliffe, 26 Tom Walker, 4 Paul Turnbull, 10 Elliot Osborne, 6 Jordan Keane, 7 Adam Thomas, 22 Tyler Garratt, 18 Festus Arthur, 5 Ash Palmer, 2 Sam Minihan, 16 Nyal Bell

Subs: 13 Ian Ormson, 3 Dan Cowan, 8 Sam Walker, 9 Frank Mulhern, 11 Joe Leesley

FC Halifax Town:

1 Sam Johnson, 2 Michael Duckworth, 5 Matty Brown ยฉ, 6 Liam Nolan, 7 Jamie Allen, 10 Cameron King, 11 Tobi Sho-Silva, 14 Josh Staunton, 15 Liam McAlinden, 22 Charlie Cooper, 31 Niall Maher

Subs: 12 Will Appleyard, 17 Josh MacDonald, 21 Danny Williams, 23 Jack Redshaw, 40 Shawn McCoulsky

Read more posts by Kelly Gilchrist

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