Jim hails County after Cup shock
BOSS Jim Gannon hailed a ‘great day’ for Stockport County as they pulled off one of the shocks of the weekend.
The National League North side claimed a famous 3-1 win at League Two Yeovil Town in the FA Cup first round.
And they came from behind to do it after Alex Fisher put the home side ahead in the eighth minute. But two goals in four first-half minutes put County into a surprising 2-1 lead.
Matty Warburton curled a free-kick past Yeovil goalkeeper Nathan Baxter and into the right corner of the net, before Nyal Bell tapped in from close range to put County in front.
Yeovil pressed for an equaliser in the second half, but it was Stockport who found the net after a horrible mix-up in the Glovers defence.
Goalkeeper Baxter and defender Shaun Donnellan failed to deal with a long clearance, and County substitute Frank Mulhern had the simple task of rolling the ball into an empty net to double his side’s advantage.
Two leagues and 44 places separated the sides going into the game, but it was County who secured a memorable victory to qualify for the second round for the first time in nine years. The Hatters hadn’t beaten Football League opposition in the FA Cup since putting five past the same side at Edgeley Park in 2008, and manager Gannon said it was a sign of things to come from his players.
“For the club this is a great day because it shows we’re perhaps on the up and working our way back,” he said.
“More importantly for these players who are trying to establish themselves as full-time professionals or work their way back into the game, for them it’s a massive day.
“I said to them that this won’t be the highlight of their careers, this is just a taste of what can come if you work really hard.
“I’m really delighted for the fans and the players for all the effort we put in today because for us it’s a real highlight.”
The win is huge for County financially too, with Stockport director Steve Bellis saying: “I’m so delighted for the fans. Seeing them jump around, they’ve travelled a long way and it’s nice to see them have something to be genuinely happy about.
“It’s worth about £38,000 but it’s more than that, it’s the profile. It’s about reminding people that we’re still around and on the way back.”
Speaking about a potentially televised second round tie – and the financial boost that would bring – Bellis added: “It makes a huge difference to a club like ours. All the money that comes in that’s extra that goes straight to the manager for players.”