Stockport Report

By: Jeremy Baily
Date: 21/01/2001

250 plus Town fans, braved the cold, some stood, others sat, I was a stander, looking resplendent in my Red Blow Up Hat. We started like a steam train which had been fired up, and should have scored before Stockport's second touch, their first one, being a toe poke out for a throw in.

For nine minutes we looked the BIZZ, but one neat bit of skill by someone in the wrong coloured shirt and we were undone. Wissed in by Wiss.

We then tried to hold on, and somehow did, one incident however, stands out. Stockport's Kevin Cooper (the one than ran the game on Boxing Day) was clean though, he rounded Coyne and was 10 yards out, 45% to the right of goal, he looked up to check where the goal was, at that moment I moved to my left, as if to intercept the forthcoming goal, a bright beam of light from the floodlights reflected off someone's Red Blow Up Hat behind the goal, this unsettled Cooper and made him lose balance, miss hit the ball and the open net! We were still in it, but only just! I swear this is a true account, tell them Nick.

Stockport's tactics were to launch balls as high as possible towards Groves and Enhue, I assume this was to take advantage of any language problems we could have at the back. We managed fairly well, Grovesy mistiming a couple and misjudging a couple more, Enhue looked calm and had a steady game. This tactic was a lot more obvious in the second half.

The second half really was different, we again started well, but we carried on playing football, Burnett was involved in everything and was by far our best player, David Smith also played very well. The whole team, yes even Donovon, looked hungry for the ball, there was belief and effort, we looked like we would score, hope ebbed through the cold, we even had a shot on target, clocked at 73 minutes.

Time was running out, but still we came forward, with Burnett and Smith doing all the right things, then just as we all thought we had lost, Smith helps a poor cross onwards towards goal and Jones (Stockport's 8 foot goalkeeper) takes his eye off the ball (and his hands), fumbles and Donovon insteps the ball in from six yards, he had ran in from the left, therefore missing the glare from my Hat!

The last minute of the game saw us trying to win the game, and we nearly did.

Team spirit was there, it was also the first point I have seen us win this season, we deserved it. I know what has been seen at BP in the last two games has worried a lot of people, well yesterday's game has put my mind at rest, we will stay up, if we try as hard in the remaining games, my Red Hat will also help, if used correctly by LL.

Only bad point, was our inability to get the ball past the first defender from corners, freekicks and any other centres, we can't score if the ball doesn't get into the box. Sort that out and we would have won by a mile.

Jeremy Baily (Red Hat)

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