County coming together for Jim
STOCKPORT County manager Jim Gannon believes the supporters are starting to develop a real connection with his players.
The Hatters have had back to back games at Edgeley Park in all competitions, with another coming this weekend.
Gannon thinks the fans have made a real impact in those two games, especially the 2-0 victory over Salford City in the FA Cup on Saturday, and he has thanked them for their efforts.
“The atmosphere was great against Salford. Something has happened that is making the players and fans connect. The crowd were fantastic from the off,” he said.
“The respect the fans showed was well received by the players so they were willing to put the effort in and play exciting football.
“I’m proud of the players for the energy they have put in. We were brave in our shape and it was a good team performance.”
Stockport ran out comfortable 2-0 winners in the match thanks to goals from Danny Lloyd and Michael Clarke, and Gannon was impressed with his side for overcoming a tough opponent.
“We managed the game really well and I don’t think anybody can deny us what we think is a deserved victory,” he said.
“We knew that Salford were one of the toughest opponents we could have got in the FA Cup, especially due to the experience they have from last year, so we did extremely well.
“There had been a lot of stress in the week because of the size of this game, so the pressure was on to make sure that the squad was right for the game.”
Stockport and Salford won’t have to wait long to lock horns again, as the teams will now meet in a league game on Saturday.
With Gannon’s side currently holding bragging rights, the County boss admits he is happy to stick with the same team.
“We don’t change things for the sake of changing them and we know we have players who are good enough to compete at any level,” he said.
‘There had been a lot of stress because of the size of the game’
“We have got a bit of a programme now to help them sharpen up, so we now need the players to keep making overall contributions to the game.”
The Hatters head into that match in 11th place in the table, while Salford are in sixth spot, one point outside the play-off positions.
Stockport’s reward for defeating Salford in the FA Cup is a home match against Northern League Division One side Bishop Auckland.
The County Durham side booked their place in this round after picking up a 1-0 victory against Farsley Celtic.
The match will take place at Edgeley Park on Saturday 15 October, with a place in the first round proper up for grabs.