Odin ensures an
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO
COUNTY .......................... 1 AFC WIMBLEDON ......... 0
RESURGENT Stockport County took a giant stride towards automatic promotion over the Easter Weekend, as six points from six moved The Hatters four points clear atop the League Two table - and a pivotal six clear of fourth place with two fixtures in hand.
After the most comfortable of Good Friday wins in a 0-3 thrashing of Forest Green Rovers, substitute Odin Bailey was the Easter Monday hero, as his sublime late strike secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over battling AFC Wimbledon at Edgeley Park on Easter Monday.
Monday’s three points came against a backdrop of other promotion contenders dropping points across the double-header, all of which puts Dave Challinor’s men in a commanding position in a twisting and turning promotion and title race.
County went with an unchanged starting lineup from that on Good Friday at Forest Green – which included midfielder Connor Lemonheigh Evans, who had spent four months on loan to Wimbledon earlier in the campaign.
The visitors, starting the game one place and one point outside the play-off positions, included a trio of ex-Hatters – namely, Jimmy Ball, captain Ryan Johnson and Joe Lewis.
Eleven minutes were on the clock before the first incident of note in either final third was registered – although, on this occasion, following James Tilley’s free-kick from the left into the Hatters’ area, it took the form of a high boot by Lewis on Nick Powell, for which the former County defender was shown the game’s first yellow card.
Ten minutes later, Kyle Knoyle’s free-kick on the right found Fraser Horsfall, who nodded across from the far side to Paddy Madden – but the County skipper fired his first-time shot wildly over the Railway End goal.
Madden unleashed a further attempt shortly afterwards by latching on to Ibby Touray’s corner from the left, and drilling straight at visiting goalkeeper Alex Bass – who was tied with opposite number Ben Hinchliffe for the most League Two clean sheets (15) so far this season at the start of play.
A couple of minutes after the half-hour, the visitors were awarded a rather decisive penalty when, following a trademark long throw from the right by Kofi Balmer, Omar Bugiel went to ground under a Horsfall challenge in the County box – only for Tilley’s spot-kick, despite sending Hinchliffe the wrong way, to clip the outside of the right post and fly wide.
That moment sparked the home crowd into life amid a rather dour opening half from The Hatters, with Balmer’s long throws and Wimbledon’s stubborn approach causing problems and frustration respectively.
The County side, however, could not quite rouse themselves on the pitch until late in the day.
The Hatters began the second half by introducing Antoni Sarcevic in place of Rico Richards.
And they fashioned the first opportunity of it too as Callum Camps – who had opened the scoring in
County’s previous two matches – fired over at the Cheadle End from 30 yards out.
Two more County substitutes – in Bailey and Tanto Olaofe – were brought on just ahead of the hour, although the next player to go close was visiting winger Josh Neufville, who, following a mazy run on the left,
drilled narrowly shy of the Hatters’ near upright.
With just over a quarter of an hour remaining, and Wimbledon looking the side more likely to trouble the scoresheet, roars of encouragement from the home crowd - perhaps in recognition of scores elsewhere doing their side a favour, as MK Dons were held at Notts County whilst Barrow slipped to defeat at Morecambe seemed to kickstart the tepid Hatters into a stirring late show.
Firstly, an Ibby Touray delivery from the left was met by Olaofe who headed over in a glorious position.
And when Touray crossed from the opposite flank a few minutes later,
Bass needed to be on hand to claw away a deflection off the head of Lewis.
Newly-arrived substitute Ryan Croasdale fired high and wide, as the Hatters strove to break the deadlock – and, with half a dozen minutes left, as well as to considerable relief, their late efforts were met with success.
The influential Touray, on the right, teed up substitute Bailey, who advanced across to the edge of the box before curling a shot into the topleft corner for his third County goal in all competitions.
Six minutes were added on, during which the Hatters found themselves having to deal with more of Balmer’s throw-ins – but the hosts stood firm to create a little more clear blue water between them and the chasing pack at the top, with six huge games left to play. COUNTY LINE-UP (4-3-3): Hinchliffe; Knoyle (Hippolyte, 74), Horsfall, Pye, Touray; Lemonheigh Evans, Powell (Bailey, 58), Camps (Croasdale, 74); Richards (Sarcevic, 46), Wootton (Olaofe, 58), Madden (C) ATTENDANCE: 9,550 at Edgeley Park (390 AFC Wimbledon fans).