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When it comes to selecting a ‘highlighted game’ for each of the Clubs we have faced, it’s been difficult for some of the opposition. Either because there is nothing that readily comes to mind, with a succession of games that are forgotten as soon as the final whistle has blown. Equally it’s very easy for a whole range of Clubs with only a single game against them. My selections are based on not merely the performance, but also placing things within the context of the game, or alternatively because something totally out of the ordinary occurred.

With 21 games against Carlisle there’s plenty to choose from, but frankly it wasn’t a difficult decision. And this one all came down to context. May 6th 2006.

Gannon had come in after the Boxing Day debacle at Macclesfield. At that point we were rock bottom with 2 wins from 23 games; 5 points from safety and heading for the Conference. In the 22 games since then Gannon had masterminded a comeback which had produced 34 points and safety was ore than on the horizon. But after all this progress it still came down to the last day. The equation was simple – County had to equal or better Oxford’s result, (they were playing Leyton at home who needed a win to claim the last promotion spot). Rushden could mathematically escape, but were far too reliant on too many other teams. A loss for County and an Oxford win would see us go down. It effectively came down to Oxford or County for the drop. Oxford might have had a tough task, but County had to face Champions elect Carlisle. It was an afternoon of high drama and unbelievable tension at EP, where attention was paid not only to the action on the field but also the radio reports emerging from the Kassam Stadium.

There is a comprehensive video of the afternoon’s events. County drew 0-0, and then came an agonising 5 minute wait, as the game at Oxford, where the score was then 2-2, had not finished. As usual, (and as at Halifax some 16 years previously!), ‘fake news’ swept around the ground that it had finished all square at the Kassam. The celebrations started, but prematurely, they were still playing. I preferred to rely on Tony Lawrenson, Jeff’s son, who had a radio glued to his ear. He kept up a running commentary, and when he launched himself into the air with the news that Leyton had secured a late winner the celebrations started in earnest.

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Gannon had masterminded an escape that no-one who had stood on the terraces at the Moss Rose four and a bit months previously could ever have dreamed possible. As the fans, (and the crowd that day was 10,006 – bettered only once in the 14 years since), spilled onto the streets of Edgeley the hope was that the summer would put in place a team which could reverse the 6 year slide from grace since Millennium Eve. And it turned out to be the case….

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Memories of trips to Brunton Park

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THE GAMES

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Where the date is in bold click for highlights of the game

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	Date	Venue	Ground	Competition		F	A	Att:
Mon	08/12/86	h	Edgeley Park	Freight Rover Trophy (Northern Preliminary Round)	L	0	1	1,000
Tue	18/08/87	h	Edgeley Park	Littlewoods Challenge Cup (Round 1 (1st Leg))	L	0	1	1,476
Fri	04/09/87	h	Edgeley Park	Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)	W	3	0	2,257
Fri	07/04/89	h	Edgeley Park	Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)	D	1	1	2,543
Tue	09/01/90	a	Brunton Park	Leyland Daf Cup (Northern Round 1)	W	2	1	2,814
Fri	20/04/90	h	Edgeley Park	Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)	W	3	1	3,819
Mon	17/09/90	h	Edgeley Park	Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)	W	3	1	3,118
Sat	02/02/91	a	Brunton Park	Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)	L	0	1	2,750
Tue	26/12/95	h	Edgeley Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	W	2	0	5,941
Sat	02/03/96	a	Brunton Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	W	1	0	4,849
Tues	18/03/97	a	Brunton Park	Auto Windscreens Trophy (Northern Final – 1st leg)	L	0	2	7,057
Tue	25/03/97	h	Edgeley Park	Auto Windscreens Trophy (Northern Final (2nd Leg))	D	0	0	8,594
Tue	21/08/01	h	Edgeley Park	Worthington Cup (Round 1)	W	3	0	2,075
Tues	12/11/02	a	Brunton Park	LDV Vans Trophy (Northern Round 2)	L	0	1	1,918
Sat	29/10/05	a	Brunton Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	L	0	6	5,664
Sat	06/05/06	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2 (Tier 4)	D	0	0	10,006
Tues	13/11/07	a	Brunton Park	Johnstones Paints Trophy (Northern Quarter-final)	W	3	0	3,395
Sat	01/11/08	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1 (Tier 3)	W	3	0	6,301
Sat	21/02/09	a	Brunton Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1 (Tier 3)	W	2	1	5,930
Tue	18/08/09	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1 (Tier 3)	L	1	2	4,009
Sat	23/01/10	a	Brunton Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1 (Tier 3)	D	0	0	4,966

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