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MY RECORD
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| P | W | D | L | |
| League | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
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Image courtesy of HattersMatters.co.uk
HIGHLIGHTED GAME
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| Saturday 22nd November 1986 |
| Today League Division 4 (Tier 4) |
| Stockport County 2 – 0 Cardiff City |
| Att: 1,674 |
| 1 Gary Walker 2 Clive Evans 3 Ian McKenzie 4 Levi Edwards 5 Trevor Matthewson 6 Wayne Stokes 7 Andy Hodkinson 8 Wayne Entwistle 9 Vernon Allatt 10 Neil Bailey 11 David Mossman |
| Vernon Allatt; Levi Edwards |
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In selecting a game to highlight from the 8 encounters I have seen against Cardiff it was very tempting to choose the 3-3 draw at Ninian Park in September 1990. A magnificent comeback after going 3 down in the opening 12 minutes. I have outlined that game in more detail on the Ninian Park post so the choice came down to a game which was far more important.
It will seem strange just looking at the bald stats. A 2-0 win before a thin gathering of 1,674 at EP on a November afternoon. But it is the context which is key. Coming into the game County had played 15 league games and garnered the grand total of 6 points. A win at The Shay; plus 3 draws was the sum total of the reward. Rock bottom of the table, and 6 points adrift of 23rd placed Torquay.
Jimmy Melia, bizarrely appointed in the summer after Les Chapman had done a reasonable job in 1985/86, had assembled what is in my opinion, (in relative terms), simply the worst Hatters team I have seen in 57 years. They were beyond hopeless, and I use that word in it’s most literal sense. There’s plenty more about Melia’s custodianship in the post on 1986. It had come to an end a couple of weeks previously as the Board, recognising that this was the first season that there was automatic relegation from the FL, acted and replaced Melia with Colin Murphy, who returned from his spell in the Middle East after leaving EP 12 months previously.
Murphy hadn’t started well – an FA Cup debacle at Caernarfon was his first game. In the intervening 7 days since the humiliation in North Wales Murphy had chance to look at what was at his disposal. We were to see many new faces as the week unfolded but the team remained unchanged from that at Caernarfon. Which might tell us something about the ability he had to motivate, and organise players who previously were as far from a ‘team’ as it is possible to be.
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Given the small gathering that afternoon the game generated a huge atmosphere from the off. Vernon Allatt, (pictured) gave us the lead on 13 minutes and the noise from the crowd grew. It remained that way until 5 minutes from time.
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County fans were nervous, but when Levi Edwards ran through at the Cheadle End and slotted the ball pst City keeper Rees, the ground exploded. 2-0 it was, and hops were raised that maybe, just maybe, Murphy had started to turn things round. And those hopes weren’t dashed. the next 13 league games saw but just two defeats. In that time 21 points were gained and the great escape was on!!
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Memories of trips to Ninian Park..
THE GAMES..
Where the date is in bold click for highlights of the game
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| Date | Venue | Ground | Competition | F | A | Att: | ||
| Sat | 22/11/86 | h | Edgeley Park | Today League Division 4 (Tier 4) | W | 2 | 0 | 1,674 |
| Fri | 02/10/87 | h | Edgeley Park | Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4) | L | 0 | 1 | 2,332 |
| Sat | 22/09/90 | a | Ninian Park | Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4) | D | 3 | 3 | 3,374 |
| Tue | 26/02/91 | h | Edgeley Park | Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4) | D | 1 | 1 | 3,376 |
| Sat | 23/04/94 | h | Edgeley Park | Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3) | D | 2 | 2 | 5,455 |
| Sat | 13/08/94 | h | Edgeley Park | Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3) | W | 4 | 1 | 5,139 |
| Sat | 14/09/02 | a | Ninian Park | Nationwide Football League – Division 2 (Tier 3) | L | 1 | 2 | 11,546 |
| Sat | 01/03/03 | h | Edgeley Park | Nationwide Football League – Division 2 (Tier 3) | D | 1 | 1 | 5,385 |
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