Hatters smile for cameras in fine display
WELL that was a pleasant surprise! After our recent run of defeats and poor performances we produce one of the best displays of the season to beat the Monkey hangers 2-1 and if I’m not sounding too biased, we possibly could have won by a much bigger margin.
Before the game we had news that Jim had once again pulled off another masterstroke and brought in two more quality loan signings, Devante Rodney and Tom Walker.
I don’t know if it’s the lure of Stockport County or Jim’s persuasion tactics that brought them here but if they deliver for us what they’ve delivered at their previous clubs then we’re in for some great football and that dear reader is exactly what we got on Wednesday evening against Hartlepool in front of the BT cameras and a national audience.
The first half was predominantly one way – ours.
Ash Palmer scored our first goal in ages after the ball from a corner landed at his feet and the man with the Magic Hat stroked the ball home imperiously, well, with an ever so slight deflection that wrong footed Killip the visitor’s goalkeeper.
We had other chances, Walker, making his second debut for us tested Killip from distance.
It was a “sighter” as my old man would say as a minute later Tom doubled our lead after some great wing play from Adam Thomas who delivered the ball to Nyal Bell, (who, it must be said, had a brilliant first 45 minutes). He laid on the ball with the deftest of touches into the path of Tom who struck, first time, with power into the bottom corner. The Cheadle End was in raptures and rightly so.
The second half was much more defensive for the men in blue but no less significant.
Hartlepool changed shape and pressed forward. Their main threat, Gime Toure, is one of the league’s top goal scorers and his threat was obvious but Palmer, Keane and Arthur proved man enough to deal with everything that came their way.
Joe Leesley had his best game yet and Sam Minihan was a constant threat down the right hand side.
Bell so very nearly added a third before, late in the game, the visitors grabbed a consolation (albeit off side as the BT cameras proved later). There was a mad last five minute but the County held out for a much needed and well won victory.