Campaign ends
COUNTY’S season ended in heartbreak on Saturday, as a 1-1 draw with Gloucester City saw The Hatters miss out on a National League North play-off spot on the final day.
Danny Lloyd’s secondhalf penalty looked to have earned Jim Gannon’s side a shot at promotion back into the National League at the fourth time of asking via the play-offs – but, with rivals Chorley losing at home against Halifax, County were held by Zack Kotwica’s strike fifteen minutes from time and devastatingly missed out.
County’s disappointment was doubled by Chorley’s loss, meaning a victory for the hosts would have made certain of a play-off spot in the sixth tier for Gannon’s men.
Gannon’s side took to the field inside a rocking Edgeley Park with a crowd of over 5,700 breaking the National League North record of 5,630; also set by The Hatters earlier in the same season.
Gannon’s attacking 3-42-1 formation saw one change from the dramatic 2-0 win at Bradford PA the week prior, with defender Chris Smalley returning to defence from injury in place of the dropped John Marsden.
In one of the most electric atmospheres for years inside Edgeley Park, County went close to scoring on two occasions during a tense opening half.
Gloucester stopper Jasbir Singh was extremely lucky early on as he missed Jimmy Ball’s drive across goal, only for Kay Odejayi to incredibly poke the ball straight into the ‘keeper’s arms on the follow-up, and the visiting goalkeeper later tipped over Smalley’s header from a Danny Lloyd free kick.
But Gloucester were to go closer still - hitting the County woodwork on two occasions before the break.
Ed Williams struck the bar with a curling, rightfooted shot from 18 yards out, before Joe Hanks, just ahead of half-time, saw an effort deflected by Lewis Montrose on to the right post – and somehow blazed the rebound over.
It was misses like Hanks’ for Gloucester which looked like it may just be County’s day, and just over 10 minutes into the second half, County went ahead when Odejayi was brought down in the Gloucester box by defender Spencer Hamilton.
Top goalscorer Lloyd kept his nerve to send Singh the wrong way inside a tense Edgeley Park, and for over a quarter of an hour, the Hatters looked set for the play-offs – with the irony of former County target Tom Denton getting the goal for Halifax at Chorley, which looked certain to see the Magpies miss out.
But County’s visitors responded well to conceding, and proceeded to exert a spell of concerted pressure that saw Williams chip narrowly over the Cheadle End bar, Ben Hinchliffe deny Luke Hopper by diving at the leading scorer’s feet, and, after 70 minutes, Max Cartwright block a goalbound shot from Zack Kotwica.
But, as tricky Williams was allowed to ghost into the penalty area for County, with defensive nerves looking fraught, the onrushing Kotwica met the pull-back to fire high past the helpless Hinchliffe.
Despite County knowing only an onslaught in hope of a last gasp winner would move them into the play-offs following the powerful leveller, it was Gloucester – one of the league’s best sides away from home – who expertly ran down the clock and saw out their hard-fought point, to leave the packed home crowd in a state of stunned silence.