Stockport 1
(Madden 64′)
United 0
In the penultimate game of the 2021/22 campaign, United slipped to a single-goal defeat against Stockport at Edgeley Park.
Having repelled everything the hosts could throw at them up until the point, it was Paddy Madden who eventually slotted home the only goal of the game just past the hour mark.
The Gaffer was forced to make two changes for the test in Greater Manchester, with Asa Hall and Tom Lapslie replaced by Chiroi Johnson and Joe Felix, whilst former youth team starlet Alex Moyse made the matchday squad for the first time, after being named on the bench.
County, knowing that a win would leave them in pole position going into Sunday’s final round of fixtures, may have begun the match on the front foot, however it was United who went closest in the early stages, as a Danny Wright flicked header from Dan Martin’s sixth minute cross nearly caught goalkeeper Ben Hinchcliffe out at the far post.
Despite bossing the territorial stakes, a clinical final ball continued to evade Stockport, with a number of through-balls having far too much on them to give their attackers anything to feed off.
On the one occasion they did break through The Gulls’ organised backline, Shaun MacDonald came to the rescue with a brave smothering save that saw the ball deflected over the crossbar.
Torquay may have found the ball hard to come by, however they remained resolute and continued to soak up the home side’s attacks with relative ease, until a sustained period of pressure required urgent attention just prior to the break.
Having made his way into the penalty area, Antoni Sarcevic looked to profit from a packed goalmouth after steering the ball past the grounded MacDonald, only for Ali Omar to appear in the nick of time behind him and hack it off the goalline.
In all truth, half-time appeared to come at a good time for Johnson’s side.
Having made a couple of brave saves in the opening period, an injury sustained in the line of duty forced United’s goalkeeper of the break, giving Mark Halstead his first taste of action of 2022.
It wouldn’t be too long before he was called into action following the restart.
In the 57th minute, a ball from the left picked out Will Collar eight yards out from goal, and although his header appeared to be perfectly directed, Halstead got down superbly to keep the ball out, and maintain parity for his side.
Six minutes later, and the same two players locked horns, as Sarcevic’s volleyed cross from the right again picked out Collar to plant a header goalwards, with Torquay’s replacement stopper producing an even better save to dart across his line and divert the ball round his right-hand post.
Even his heroics couldn’t deny County for much longer though.
Having been played into space on the right of United’s penalty area, a ball across the face of goal saw Madden apply the simplest of touches to prod the ball into the net, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
For a while after, it threatened to get worse for The Gulls, as their opponents looked to kill the game off.
Just as in the first half, the final deliveries weren’t quite precise enough, and in the 81st minute, Johnson’s men nearly capitalised, as Joe Lewis headed Armani Little’s corner narrowly over the crossbar.
Little left the field soon after through injury, leaving his teammates to tackle the remaining minutes a man down.
The woodwork prevented goals at both ends in the dying stages.
First, Ollie Cranshaw looked to seal the points for his side on 87 minutes, however his point-blank volley from a right-wing cross was miraculously deflected onto the ‘bar by Halstead, before Torquay went within a lick of paint to restoring parity in injury time.
Having committed additional bodies forward into attack in a late bid to salvage a point, Stephen Duke-McKenna’s strike from the corner of the edge of the box was diverted onto the woodwork by Ben Wynter.
It was unfortunately a little bit too little, too late, with the final whistle sounding shortly after.
Onto Southend on Sunday, as a transitional 2021/22 is brought to a close.
United: 37. Shaun MacDonald (1. Mark Halstead, HT), 2. Ben Wynter, 3. Dan Martin, 5. Ali Omar, 7. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, 9. Danny Wright (18. Olaf Koszela, 76′), 10. Armani Little (c), 14. Chiori Johnson, 15. Stephen Duke-McKenna, 29. Joe Felix (16. Keelan O’Connell, 67′), 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 22. Alex Moyse, 27. Opi Edwards.
Yellow Cards: Johnson, 90′
Stockport: 1. Ben Hinchliffe, 5. Ash Palmer, 8. Andy Cannon (27. Ollie Crankshaw, 79′), 9. Paddy Madden, 14. Will Collar, 16. Jordan Keane, 18. Ryan Croasdale, 20. Elliot Newby, 21. Myles Hippolyte (4. Liam Hogan, 90′), 23. Antoni Sarcevic (11. Connor Jennings, 88′), 34. Zaine Francis-Angol.
SUBS NOT USED: 25. Luca Ashby-Hammond, 22. Scott Quigley,
Attendance: 9,407 (121 away)