County Tame Morecambe

Stockport County got the new year off to a perfect start with, and I don’t mean to be disrespectful to Morecambe, a quite simple, straightforward win over the League Two newboys of 2007/8.

Greg Tansey and Anthony Elding replaced Adam Proudlock and David Poole as County went with what was possibly the most complicated formation of the season so far.

After just nine minutes County were in front, Adam Griffin whipped a ball into the box, Anthony Elding met it on the volley and volleyed home past the Morecambe goalkeeper.

And County continued to create chances as Anthony Pilkington and Anthony Elding both came close with shots, though neither troubled the Morecambe keeper.

But despite County’s dominance, David Artell found himself free at the back post and somehow managed to hit it wide. The Morecambe fans were getting ready to celebrate, and couldn’t believe he missed. The Cheadle End just mocked the former Chester man.

Liam Dickinson made it 2-0 after 41 minutes, when Greg Tansey put a free kick into the box from the left hand side, and Liam Dickinson rose above everybody and sent a looping header into the opposite corner of the net.

Into the second half and both sides had chances. Anthony Elding, Liam Dickinson and Michael Raynes had chances for County, whilst Carl Baker had a good curling shot well saved by Conrad Logan.

But the County fans witnessed a moment of magic from Anthony Pilkington once again and he should have had a goal out of it. Stuck on the by-line near the corner flag with two men on him, he knocked the ball past them both, cut around the third man, took the ball back out of the area to avoid the fourth man, then unleashed a curling shot that was blocked. Adam Griffin followed up the block with another shot but that was also blocked.

But County then paid for failing to take their chances and they give Morecambe a chance to get back into the game with a horrible defensive mix up. Matt Blinkhorn beat Conrad Logan in the air after the mix up and he headed into the empty net, 2-1 with ten minutes to play.

Logan was nearly embarrassed again when a quick Michael Raynes passback was missed by Logan, but thankfully the ball rolled out for a corner and not into the net.

But that was it for County, no more chances and quite a good performance in the first game of 2008. Onwards and upwards, Happy New Year all.