Hatters march
COUNTY continued their Cup exploits on Saturday, easing into the First Round of the FA Trophy with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Bradford Park Avenue.
Sam Minihan stretched to flick home the opener for The Hatters from a Danny Lloyd cross in a lively first half, before the relief was felt all around Edgeley Park as attacking midfielder John Marsden finally broke his goalscoring drought with a stoppage time strike to seal the victory.
Minihan and Marsden were both reintroduced to the starting line-up following last Tuesday night’s 2-2 league draw at Tamworth, with captain Mark Ross – who was replaced immediately following Tamworth’s late leveller in that game – and midfielder Jimmy Ball dropping to the bench.
Centre-back Michael Clarke, who has featured in every Hatters game so far this season, took the captain’s armband for the afternoon with Ross on the sidelines.
After the frustrating 1-2 reverse against the same opposition last weekend in the National League North, Jim Gannon’s side got off to a much more promising start; Lloyd predictably at the heart of the action to see two close-range efforts tipped behind by Avenue keeper Jon Worsnop early on.
Mark Bower’s side were perhaps weakened by the absence of last weekend’s match-winner James Knowles, as well as former Hatter Oli Johnson, both of whom were not granted permission to feature from their parent clubs.
County’s 4-2-3-1 formation seemed somewhat more impressive in the first half with the three attackers Lloyd, Marsden and home debutant Kaine Felix playing behind inform target man Kay Odejayi - and it was Odejayi who came mere inches away from providing the hosts with a welldeserved lead in the final qualifying round of the Trophy just moments later.
After the veteran forward started the move himself with a skilful flick to find Lloyd, the 34 yearold showed a perhaps surprising turn of pace to make his way into the penalty area to get on the end of a Max Cartwright cross - only to send his header agonisingly wide of Worsnop’s near post.
But just after the halfhour mark, County did get their opener - and in no small part due to the intervention of Gannon.
Minutes after Lloyd had been rather easily halted on one of his trademark left-wing runs, Gannon switched his two wingers over - and County’s player of the season so far popped up on the right hand side just moments later as the tactical switch paid off.
The 24 year-old cut inside onto his favoured left foot to cross for the onrushing Minihan to get the deftest of flicks on the ball and send it nestling into Worsnop’s goal.
It was a remarkable 13th assist of the season for Lloyd, adding to his 11 goals in 23 appearances making the pacy winger one of The Hatter’s most productive performers since the drop into nonleague back in 2011.
Lloyd himself went close to doubling County’s lead just before the interval when he cut in again from the right from a superb Gary Stopforth through ball, but Worsnop impressively tipped the fierce strike over the crossbar.
After their hard-fought three points at Edgeley Park last weekend, Avenue had failed to really test Ben Hinchliffe in the County goal, and the home side continued to press in the second half eager to avoid throwing away a lead for a fifth consecutive game.
Minihan acrobatically flashed a cross from substitute Scott Duxbury making his first appearance since the sickening head injury suffered against Fylde in September - well wide, before Marsden fired two longrange efforts wide as he sought to find the net for the first time since August.
But, as a second goal proved elusive for County, Avenue suddenly burst into life and found themselves unlucky not to be on level terms on two occasions.
After Nicky Wroe’s freekick was cleared by County, striker Emile Sinclair flicked the ball back into the penalty area where Luke Dean slotted home - only for the offside flag to deny the defender.
Wroe then struck the foot of Hinchliffe’s post with a bouncing half-volley which bobbled through a crowded penalty area - before Sinclair spurned the best opportunity of the afternoon for the visitors.
One long ball from Dean caught Michael Clarke cold, and Sinclair’s outstanding first touch made the space for the former Altrincham striker to find himself one-onone with Hinchliffe; only to drag his strike embarrassingly wide.
After a spate of Avenue chances in quick succession, County re-established control of the tie, with both Marsden and substitute Jimmy Ball contriving to miss a glorious chance to put the result to bed.
Marsden, tenacious typically despite his goalscoring drought stretching back over 15 games, chased down Dean before shrugging his man off the ball and finding himself in on goal.
The forward shot straight at Worsnop from point blankrange, before Ball fired wide of the unguarded goal to the groans of the home supporters.