Hatters stutter in post-Jim era
KABONGO Tshimanga’s second-half strike sent Boreham Wood back down south with a share of the points at a freezing Edgeley Park as Stockport wobbled in their first match without axed manager Jim Gannon.
The fans’ favourite was surprisingly relieved of his duties on Thursday leaving assistant Dave Conlon in caretaker charge for the afternoon.
Conlon wanted the players to leave the week’s goings on behind them.
“We did everything we could not to bring any pressure and to go out and play,” he said. “To express ourselves, [pressure] possibly could have been a factor but I’m not sure it showed up.”
It is fair to say that Gannon’s sacking was a decision that was not welcomed by the vast majority of the fans and it appeared initially that Conlon may have to wait even longer for his first game in charge as only a massive snow-clearing operation – including Conlan himself – managed to ensure the game got underway.
And despite all distractions off the pitch, Stockport got off to the perfect start when John Rooney delivery a speciality free-kick into the top corner from an acute angle with just six minutes gone.
Goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe saved County minutes later as Wood struck back Zaine Francis-Angol sprung the offside trap and squared for Tshimanga, who saw his shot saved at point blank range.
Then, new signing Junior Morais struck a screamer from the angle that Hinchliffe got a crucial fingertip on it to slam into the post and out for a corner.
Indeed, Hinchliffe was a busy man in the opening 45, forced to make an even better save low down to his left from Tshimanga on the half-hour.
The Hatters had the lead but Wood would have had three if it weren’t for the big stopper.
County, though, weren’t to be fazed and it was they who went closest to adding to their tally just before half-time. Mark Kitching’s cross was flicked on by Alex Reid who saw his header hit the top of the crossbar.
Wood kept plugging away and drew level on the hour, somewhat against the run of play. Keiran Murtagh slipped a ball to the deadly Tshigmanga, who convincingly smashed his effort into the back of the net.
Undeterred, County continued to press. Rooney had a shot just wide of the post then he drilled one across goal within inches of Richie Bennett’s outstretched leg.
Reid then scooped one over the bar from substitute
Jordan Williams’ pull-back.
It was a big point for Wood but boss Luke Garrard was disappointed not to have taken all three.
“I think we deserved more,” he said. “They’ll probably be a bit aggrieved they haven’t put us to the sword with an Alex Reid header but I feel that Tschimanga’s got to score in the six-yard box and Junior Morias has got to run at the keeper to pin him down and pass him.”
Conlon surmised: “A point a piece was probably fair.”
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