Rivals miss chance to leapfrog Hatters
STOCKPORT County held onto second spot in League Two despite a weekend of inaction for the Hatters.
Following a pitch inspection at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday morning, the game at Colchester was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
The club was informed late on Friday evening by the U’s that there were concerns over areas of the playing surface following heavy rainfall, with referee Scott Oldham deeming the surface unplayable after a 9am inspection.
That gave Crewe Alexandra the opportunity to leapfrog County when they crossed swords with Morecambe at Gresty Road later that day.
And at two goals to the good early in the second half, the Railwaymen looked well set to take advantage.
However, Lee Bell’s side succumbed to a Morecambe fightback, losing out 3-2 as the visitors scored three times in 14 minutes.
County remain two points ahead of Crewe with a game in hand while they sit ahead of Wrexham by virtue of goal difference.
Next up for the Hatters is a home game against Newport County on Saturday when Dave Challinor’s men will be looking to get back to winning ways with a first win in five.
Eagerly cheering them on from the sidelines will be frontman Jack Stretton, whose frustration at missing the season is diminishing by the prospect of his eventual return – whenever that is.
Stretton was injured within the first week of pre-season after sustaining an ACL injury in training that would rule him out of the 2023/24 season.
“Everyone has their own opinions on when’s the right time to return or when’s the safest time to return,” he said.
“I’d like to think that I can be back in training with the team maybe end of April, hopefully the start of April. I think if I’m being realistic, games this season don’t look likely, but if I get the opportunity and the staff and the physios think it’s safe then that would be a massive bonus for me.
“With that being said, the main goal for me is making sure that I do everything right now and making sure I’m ready for pre-season.
“I think it’ll just be a massive relief really, getting back out there in front of the fans, you can hear the atmosphere from the stands but it’s not the same as when you’re on the pitch; it’s so loud and the motivation you feel from that whilst your playing is something that can’t be matched! For the fans, hopefully I can just start where I left off last season and kick on by putting good performances in for them and obviously the team as well, and see where it takes us.
“The recovery is going well, it’s been a while, I’m starting to see the end goal which is getting back out there with the lads. I’m probably a couple of months off team training which is something to aim for, hopefully from there I can get going in the right direction, be confident and feel as though I’m going to work my way back into the team.
“It was a split second. It was the second day back in training, obviously I was feeling good, we were doing a transition attack phase of play sort of thing, I’ve pushed to get in front of the defender, and I just heard some sort of pop in my knee and obviously felt a lot of pain.”
“My initial thoughts were just hoping it’s not too bad. I’ve never done anything to my knee before, so I had nothing to compare it too, it was just a case of wishing for the best. I didn’t actually think it would be my ACL at first, it was one of the only things I didn’t think, and I thought surely not me, surely, I’ve not done that!
“When I got the call that I’d done my ACL, it was quite tough to be honest, a lot to take in. It took a while to get my head around it but I’m going in a positive direction towards training and playing again.
“I had conversations with everyone within the club, players and staff, everyone was just wishing me well, hoping for a speedy recovery and that if I needed anything they would be there for me which was good, and I needed it! It was very tough at the start, mentally was the hardest side of it really, but with the staff, family, and players around me it definitely helped.
“Obviously, you can try to take your mind off it so much, but you have to stay focused in the gym and I need to make sure I’m right for when I do come back. Besides that, I’ve just been at home chilling with friends, family and my girlfriend; playing PlayStation that’s all I can do really. It does get a bit boring at times because I want to be out there playing, but all you can do is just focus on getting the recovery right and try to take your mind off things.
“It’s obviously not ideal and you never want anyone to be injured, you’re just trying to get each other through it really. In the gym we’re all doing our fitness work together, so it’s just keeping everyone in good spirits and not feeling like you’re doing it on your own and being down about it; you can still have a laugh.”
It’s been a watching brief for Stretton as County have led from the front for much of the campaign and he’s been impressed with what he’s seen
“We’ve been flying at the top of the table, which is great to see when you can’t be involved, but on the other hand it’s tough not being able to be involved,” he said.
“You are involved in the squad to some extent but gamedays are just a bit different and there’s a different approach, you’re sat in the stands, and you can’t do your bit to help the team, but it’s good to see that the lads are doing so well and hopefully they can keep that up! For me it’s important that I can keep watching and helping in any way that I can with the morale around the place.”
Stretton is back training on grass and that in itself felt like a significant step forward.
“That first week it was the best feeling ever, but it wears off a bit and from that point you just want to do more and more, but the physios and staff have to slow you down and make sure you’re not doing too much to irritate it,” he said.
“I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now in getting back out there with the lads, so that’s what I’ve got to be aiming for and hopefully it stays plain sailing and I can get back out there very soon.”
●●MIDFIELDER Cody Johnson has joined National League North side Scarborough Athletic on a youth loan deal until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old academy graduate has made 14 appearances for the club since making his first-team debut in 2022, nine of which have come this season.
After being recalled early from his loan spell at Rochdale back in August due to injuries in the squad, Johnson heads out again to gain more firstteam experience and minutes. He made his debut in Saturday’s goalless draw against Buxton.