Defensive lapse
TRANMERE ROVERS ..... 4 COUNTY ............................ 0
ADREADFUL defensive display saw League Two leaders Stockport County crash to a 4-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, as key absences continued to wreak havoc with The Hatters’ campaign.
With influential centreback Fraser Horsfall ruled out on the day of the fixture due to illness, a rather patched-up Hatters defence crumbled as the hosts ran riot and helped themselves to three setpiece goals courtesy of defenders Tom Davies and Jordan Turnbull, who grabbed a brace.
Former County striker Connor Jennings then capped a miserable afternoon by sliding home the fourth for Nigel Adkins’ men on a chastening afternoon for Dave Challinor’s side.
Challinor, making his second trip as the Hatters’ boss to the club where he had begun his playing career three decades ago, brought in Odin Bailey, debutant Rhys Bennett and Neill Byrne to replace Ibby Touray, skipper Paddy Madden (who both dropped to the bench) and the unwell Fraser Horsfall, as well as handing Ryan Croasdale the captain’s armband in Madden’s stead.
And, among the substitutes, there was a welcome return for Will Collar who had been sidelined by injury for almost three months.
Bennett was called into action after four minutes, after a cross from the left by Regan Hendry arrived in County’s six-yard box – but the Manchester United loanee cleared the danger and, courtesy of a deflection off the lurking Harvey Saunders, earned a goal-kick.
At the other end, five minutes later, a good move initiated by Nick Powell culminated in a low delivery from the right by Lewis Cass that was banished from the area by the outstretched leg of home goalkeeper Luke McGee.
Three minutes ahead of the half-hour, Rob Apter released Jennings through on goal – but, in a coming together of players turning out against their old clubs, the former Hatter was blocked by Byrne, off whom the ball deflected beyond the right post.
The contest was still awaiting its first clear-cut chance as the half-hour approached – but when it arrived, it resulted in the hosts taking the lead, with captain Tom Davies bundling home from close range, after connecting with Brad Walker’s freekick from the right.
Powell was fed by Connor Lemonheigh Evans, before his low shot was deflected behind by Walker – but the Hatters, having minutes earlier conceded following a free-kick, came dangerously close to doing so again when Saunders latched on to Hendry’s delivery from the left and produced a looping header that dipped to force a Ben Hinchliffe upward stretch and catch on the line.
Hinchliffe did well again to parry a wellstruck Apter volley from the edge of the box, before Antoni Sarcevic, on the stroke of half-time, saw an effort from distance deflected into the arms of McGee.
The Hatters, ahead of kicking towards the end housing more than 2,000 travelling fans, brought on Collar and Touray – and the former was soon in the thick of the action, as he connected with a Sarcevic cross from the right byline to head towards goal, only to see his attempt palmed away by McGee.
McGee’s opposite Number One had to be at his best half a dozen minutes into the second period, after Tranmere won possession just inside the County half, and Keiron Morris was played through on goal by Hendry – but Hinchliffe stood firm to beat out the shot.
Bailey went close for County with a low strike that narrowly evaded the left post – but the next opportunity fell to the hosts, who duly doubled their advantage. Once more, too, a free-kick was involved – again from Walker, but this time from the halfway-line – as the Hatters failed to clear from their box, before Jordan Turnbull volleyed in from six yards.
County introduced Madden and Kyle Wootton on the hour, in the hope of boosting the attack – but within three minutes, Turnbull had a second goal, and his side a third, as he headed into the net from Walker’s corner on the right.
The hosts were denied a fourth when Hinchliffe dived to catch cleanly a Saunders strike from just outside the area – and also came close to scoring through Apter, who blasted into the right sidenetting, before Hinchliffe kept out Saunders again, and Turnbull headed over whilst on a hat-trick.
The Hatters sought to reduce their arrears through Wootton, who headed over; Sarcevic and Madden, whose respective shots fizzed past the left upright; and Bristow, who fired into the upper reaches of the away end from distance.
But whilst a goal arrived before the end of proceedings, it did so – with almost crushing inevitability on
such a disappointing afternoon – for Jennings, who made it four without reply against his old club, after being teed up by Apter, to leave the Hatters beaten by such a margin for the first time since suffering the same scoreline at Hartlepool in the leadup to Christmas 2020.
As Morris, in added time, saw one shot tipped over by Hinchliffe and another fly over County’s crossbar, there was at least a crumb of comfort for the Hatters through the knowledge that, thanks to second-placed Mansfield’s loss at Walsall, they remained at the top of the table by a point.