Oswell’s Gains at Borough

COUNTY kicked off their Bank Holiday Weekend with a well-deserved 1-0 win over struggling Gainsborough at Edgeley Park on Saturday.

In a dominant performance for The Hatters, which produced 21 attempts on goal to the visitors’ solitary attempt, leading marksman Jason Oswell headed home the winning goal ten minutes after the interval after brilliant work by winger Ben McKenna.

With captain Harry Winter sidelined through injury, midfielder Sam Walker came into the starting eleven to produce a man of the match performance.

Oswell’s second-half header also kept alive County’s impressive unbeaten run at Edgeley Park – which now dates back to last November – and a 2-1 defeat to Bradford Park Avenue.

And boss Jim Gannon was optimistic about the dominant win, admitting while County could and should have added more to their tally, his side showed “great professionalism.”

“Our downfall last season was games like this - Gainsborough, Telford, Nuneaton - where teams are happy with 0-0, and the onus is on us to break them down.”

“You have to have the right balance of going for the win without being overly risky, and we’ve had someone on Saturday in Ben McKenna who’s produced the bit of attacking play to break them down and help get us the goal,” Gannon said.

County’s three points did come at a price, however - both McKenna and Oswell suffered injuries in the build-up to the goal, and both were subsequently ruled out of the 1-3 defeat at Tamworth on Bank Holiday Monday.

But Gannon was pleased with the win, as his side had to “work incredibly hard” to break down a Gainsborough side which set up with a five man defence for County to overcome.

“I wouldn’t say they parked the bus - they were compact, and they have to protect themselves against conceding goals which you have to respect. It worked for them in terms of frustrating us, but we were able to switch things and we were well worth the win.”