Promising signs
FOR the second time in four days County turned in a promising pre-season performance at Edgeley Park against opponents from a higher league, before conceding a goal after the break that was to prove decisive.
The Hatters suffered defeat by their latest opponents, League One Rochdale, courtesy of a penalty that Calvin Andrew converted in the 73rd minute.
County often matched the visitors – and enjoyed a greater share of available chances during the first hour of the game against a side that featured eight members of Dale’s senior squad.
Visiting trialist Timothy Dieng was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half. And he did well to parry behind a goal-bound Lewis Montrose shot four minutes ahead of the break, after the County midfielder had weaved his way into Dale’s area.
Sam Minihan, Courtney Meppen-Walter and John Marsden all fired efforts over the Railway End goal in the opening 45 minutes. And the pace of impressive debutant Danny Lloyd frequently kept the visiting defence on its toes.
The County goal was subject to greater siege after the hour-mark. And Ben Hinchliffe had to be at his best to keep out venomous shots by another trialist, Theo Robinson, and by Reuben NobleLazarus.
Robinson went closer still when his curling shot from the left beat Hinchliffe, before striking the woodwork at the corner of the bar and far upright.
A challenge by Adam Thomas on former County youth player, Andy Cannon, led to the award of the spot-kick with just over 15 minutes remaining. And Andrew showed composure in calmly placing his penalty down the middle to give Rochdale the lead.
The Hatters made no fewer than seven substitutions and forced several corners in the final halfhour, but their first meeting with the visitors since County’s historic 2008 League Two Play-off Final victory at Wembley saw the friendly honours go back to Spotland.
The game against Rochdale came three days after the first of three friendly workouts at Edgeley Park saw County match a strong Barrow side for long spells, only for the National League visitors to triumph courtesy of an early second-half goal.
The Bluebirds’ closeseason signing from Chester, Ross Hannah, scored from close range following a corner in the 54th minute - to something of a muted reception all round, when the officials initially appeared unsure as to whether the ball had crossed the line.
But despite the result, the Hatters were able to take plenty of positives from a performance which was all the more commendable given that the team’s formation required change after an injury, on just 14 minutes, to striker Josh Amis.
Hannah sought to take advantage in those early stages, as he first beat the offside trap before cutting in from the left and firing into the side-netting, and then stung Ben Hinchliffe’s fingers with a low drive from the edge of the box.
County, however, went closest before the break with John Marsden’s snap-shot striking the near post around the halfhour mark, following excellent work on the right by Sam Minihan.
Trialist Godwin Abadaki entered the fray