County 1-2 MKDonalds – Report

County produced a much better performance on Saturday, but in the end MKDonalds were just too clever for us.

A confusing team selection saw Jason Taylor put to right back, Greg Tansey brought into the midfield, and Adam Proudlock on the right wing. David Poole also played behind Anthony Elding upfront.

And it was County who started the brighter of the two. Adam Proudlock was brought down by the MKDonalds goalkeeper – but the referee gave a goal kick despite it looking like he was giving a penalty.

Anthony Pilkington went close with a 25-yard volley that flew over the bar.

County were playing the better football, it was like watching Arsenal as the ball rarely left the floor – but it was MKDonalds who took the lead against the run of play. County weren’t closing down enough and it gave space for Gary Smith to beat Adam Griffin to the by-line and cut inside, he pulled the ball back to Clive Platt who took a touch and hammered home from eight yards to give MKDonalds the lead.

The possession was all County’s but we were failing to create any clear-cut chances, they were all half chances. It was MKDonalds who were having the better chances when they got the ball, and a well flighted corner picked out Diallo at the back post but he headed wide.

We were looking a bit edgy going into the second half when Watts beat Joe Lewis with a shot after a free kick, but Anthony Elding was on the line to boot the ball away.

And MKDonalds doubled their lead after 55 minutes when Leon Knight picked out Keith Andrews, who headed straight at Joe Lewis but he failed to save it and it went through his arms – 2-0 to MKDonalds.

It should have been 3-0 as County were all over the place minutes later; Clive Platt hammered over from ten yards out when he should have got his shot on target.

County broke as they were finding their form again, and it was three on one on the counter attack. Anthony Pilkington just under hit the pass for Elding, but Elding was brought down by the last man – yet he only was given a yellow card.

Greg Tansey, who was having a brilliant debut, took the free kick from about 20 yards
out – and it hammered off the bar.

MKDonalds were the dirtiest team I`d seen all season at Edgeley Park. They time wasted, they cheated, they dived, they elbowed, and they kicked. They did everything whilst the referee wasn`t looking because they knew they wouldn`t be able to beat us on equal terms. At one point the MKDonalds assistant manager sent a player coming off over to the Vernon Stand, despite the play being in front of the Main Stand, so that he could take longer to come off the pitch.

Anthony Pilkington gave County a lifeline when he picked up a brilliant Tommy Rowe cross and hammered into the roof of the net from an acute angle. 2-1 with ten minutes to go.

But County would never really have any more clear chances to equalise, and the closest they came was another Greg Tansey free kick, which just flew wide of the post.

So County move down to seventh place after 12 games in 6th place. However it is still in our own hands, and two wins from the final two games would definitely get us a play-off place – whilst four points would also almost certainly get us a play-off place.