Title pursuit back on winning track
ARELIEVED Dave Challinor hailed a “much deserved” three points as his Hatters side returned to winning ways with a dramatic 1-0 win over Newport County at Edgeley Park on Saturday.
Four without a win looked to be turning into five, despite a dominant showing against the Exiles, with Paddy Madden’s second-half penalty – saved by inspired Newport stopper Nick Townsend – one of 27 attempts on goal to go begging for the hosts on the day.
That was before Madden himself stepped up in the fourth minute of added time to crash a stunning volley past a helpless Townsend and spark jubilant scenes inside Edgeley Park as County’s promotion push, and title race, got back on track in remarkable fashion.
Madden slammed inside the near post after Lewis Cass had helped on Callum Camps’ diagonal free-kick into a crowded penalty area, with the home side seeing out the remaining minutes of additional time to secure a hugely vital win on home soil.
“You always worry a little that it’s never going to come the longer it gets into the game. But I’ve been in football long enough to know that whether it’s one moment of luck or one moment of quality, you’ll always get one chance,” said Challinor.
“The goalkeeper’s made some good saves. The save from Odin (Bailey) late on is a great save, better than what we thought at the time.
“But it had reached the point of the game where we had to get it forwards, we did that and we got a deserved win based on territory, based on possession, based on chances.
“We had the same scenario last time we were at home against Swindon and didn’t get that last chance, so it was important that we won and we have done.”
Challinor, though, was not as thrilled by the approach of the visitors to “manage the game”, with goalkeeper Townsend riling home supporters and players alike by taking his time over goal kicks and restarts from as early as the third minute at Edgeley Park.
The former Hartlepool United boss took aim at the authorities over a failed ‘directive’ to reduce time-wasting at the start of the current campaign.
“We planned to be patient and to build things throughout the game, but we didn’t build enough and ended up looking for killer passes too often,” he said. “That resulted in Newport being able to ‘manage’ the game, as people call it.
“That’s a gripe that I’ll get off my chest now after a win – how you can start the season with a directive that says ‘we’re going to add on lots of injury time and stop time-wasting’, and then get a new directive in September that says ‘stop doing it now, we’re seeing too much injury time’ is ridiculous.
“There is no way on earth that the game on Saturday should have seen two minutes of added time at the end of the first half. That’s something that the authorities need to look at as a whole.
“They came up with this directive to have a certain number of ‘ball in play’ minutes per game. Well, guess what, people involved in the game will come up with ways to get around that.
“The ways being used at the minute are things like taking an age over a goal kick, feigning to play out from the back then deciding against it and sending players upfield – there are so many ways around it.
“The powers that be need to get on top of that, because the game now is completely different than what it was three months ago, and that’s solely down to officiating and time added on.”
This first win in five outings keeps County in second place, three behind leaders Mansfield Town with a game in hand – and two in hand by the time The Hatters go to neighbours Salford City on Thursday evening.
County’s clash with The Ammies, moved to be shown live on Sky Sports, coming two days after the rest of League Two play on Tuesday evening (12th March) does mean that Challinor’s men could find themselves outside of the automatic promotion spots by Wednesday morning - but the County boss is confident in his side’s ability to focus on the task ahead.
“This group is good at moving on from this game to the next game. Thursday is a different challenge, away from home, and we need to go there and do what it takes to win,” he said.
Meanwhile, young defender Ethan Pye enjoyed a first start since New Year’s Day on Saturday, with the former Rochdale prospect enjoying a breakthrough campaign at Edgeley Park and returning to show his worth in a Man of the Match display.
Challinor confirmed that no further injuries were picked up in the Newport win, although no returnees are expected for the short journey to Salford.
“Nobody will be back before Thursday,” he said.
“Croasy (Ryan Croasdale) is likely to be back for the MK Dons game (23rd March), then we’re looking more towards April for Will (Collar), Louie (Barry) and Aki (Wright) who will all – fingers crossed – be back before the end of the season.
“We have no major ill effects from the game on Saturday. Ethan has come back in for his first start and done really well, Campsy has got minutes in the bank and has come through that. The big thing is that we don’t lose any more, and that’s where our focus has to be.”
A crowd of of almost nine thousand saw The Hatters’ late show at Edgeley Park on Saturday, with Challinor content that supporters had answered his pre-match rallying cry to get behind their titlechasing side.
With eleven to go in the regular league season and all still to play for, Challinor’s message to players and supporters alike is clear.
“We have four big home games left, and it’s on us to make the fans a part of that,” he said.
“I don’t think many of the games in the run-in are going to be what people would call ‘enjoyable’ in terms of the tension and the nerves that go in football, but we have eleven games to go, we know what we need to do – and hopefully we can make it so that the ‘enjoyable’ part comes at the culmination of the season.”