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Heartbreak as County drop

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County are all-but relegated to the Blue Square Premier after a pulsating 2-2 draw with struggling Northampton Town at Edgeley Park today.

The game was vital for both sides with Northampton needing a result to strengthen their fight for survival, and The Hatters needing to win to keep alive any hopes of staying in the Football League.

4807 turned up to will County on, but it all started to go horribly wrong after just two minutes when Guillem Bauza turned in Shaun Harrad’s deflected effort in front of the Cheadle End.

County fought back and were soon level through a Paul Rodgers own goal, the Town defender slicing Adam Griffin’s cross into his own net.

From then on it was all about the 12th man – the magnificent support of the County faithful willing the home side onto a victory and renewed hope.

As we laid siege to the Northampton goal in the second half without ever really threatening, it was typical County as we got caught on the break. A big up-and-under from the Town defence flew all the way up the pitch to Bauza, who took a tumble in the box under the pressure of young Andy Halls.

The referee, quite a distance away, gave the spot-kick and Harrad easily converted.

With Barnet winning at home to Oxford, it was a nail in the coffin for Ray Mathias’ side.

But in the 88th minute, Greg Tansey found himself with the ball at his feet and standing about 40 yards from goal. Egged on by the cries of ‘SHOOT!’, he let fly and saw his effort absolutely hammer it’s way into the visitor’s goal.

County had now four minutes of injury time to salvage the win we needed, and the home fans responded with belting chants throughout.

The one chance came in the 95th minute, with real drama surrounding the final kick of the match.

Sub Cameron Darkwah tricked his way through the defence before being hacked down just on the edge of the area, and Tansey claimed the free-kick.

Edgeley Park fell silent as Hatters fans knew the importance of the moment as Tansey ran up to strike.

The Liverpudlian struck it with considerable power, and time seemed to stop as the ball whisked towards the goal.

Bang. 4500 hopes were crushed as the set-piece shaved the upright and skimmed wide, just seconds before the full-time whistle was blown on the match, and on County’s Football League stay.

Brian Kennedy, The Trust, and everyone else, I hope you’re proud.

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15 comments

  • Kremb says:

    I’m gutted.

  • local lad says:

    I can say the atmosphere today is what going to county is all about and the players responded, even assoumani. yes i am disappointed, but its done now so look to the future COME ON COUNTY!!

  • local lad says:

    and what a goal from Tansey!!!

  • rylester says:

    The inevitable has happened, we knew it was coming and so here is my thankyou list – sincerely!!!

    To Mr Elwood – Thankyou for selling the club. Your performance on GMR was tear jerking! You bleated on about warning the Supporters Trust not to get into bed with Kennedy and the parasites but gave no reason why you had sold the club – was it because maybe the club was getting too big for your humble expectations – did the prospect of Premiership football at Edgeley fill you with fear, were you in too deep, had you run out of dosh, was Danny Bergara too much of a thorn in your side? Thankyou Mr Elwood for nowt!

    Thankyou Mr Kennedy for your deceipt lies and sheer dishonesty. Lets be clear here, you only wanted County for the ground at a cut price. You are a parasite and a totally dishonourable human being who has betrayed a legion of fans of whose feet you are not worthy of licking. Shove off to Salford and be proud of yourself – I hope you have a conscience!!

    Thankyou SMBC for leaving it far too late to show your support – wear your Arab Blue ties with pride. Why not slap a “Liesure purposes only” order on EP so Cockroach Kennedy cant sell to Tesco or ACME Housing – maybe then we will get our home back and you can at least claim to have done something worth writing about.

    Thankyou David Farms Ltd for putting us into administration on the eve of payment in full – very admirable! Perhaps you were expecting some sort of financial gain from the club ie. new ground etc but a quick glance at http://www.creditgate suggests your business acumen to be somewhat questionable – dodgy in the least””

    Thankyou to the Trust – your intentions were admirable, your naievety was not. To get into bed with Mggot Kennedy was bad enough but to get involved with David (leech) Farms Ltd was unforgivable.

    Thankyou to the 2015 group who at least gave us a club to support but unfortunately joined the Kennedy supporters club – just how much money will he leech from us now we are out of the league?

    God bless Danny Bergara and the Blue Army, this club will rise again but it has to be away from Kennedy and if that means leaving EP – Then so be it!!! Royal Blue forever!!!

  • vicman says:

    How to follow that?
    All I can say is we knew we were in trouble from the first day of the season, out of admin yes, but also out of money and players. A manager who signed players on their ability to….. I don’t know (Conlon etc), and then when he gets the boot for no return has the brass neck to threaten the club over his lack of financial increments, which is incredible when every week during his pre and post match interviews aws always bleating about his hands being tied and no money to buy players. Another bad move was the installation of Peter Ward as caretaker manager. Don’t get me wrong I like thousands of others love Pete and know he would die for this club but I have to say he was out of his depth. Ray Mathias was brought in way too late to have any effect on the outcome of our season. Compared to those who went before him results show that he can turn this club around. Whether this lot will hang onto him, Wardy and Lordy who knows, but for me they are the starting blocks for the rebuilding of this club. Have to agree with everything about Elwood, Kennedy, SMBC and other outside influences, too many fingers in the County pie. All the rumours will now start, new backers, new money, new promoters, B*LLSH*T. We,ve been fed this dross for the last 2 seasons, moreso especially this one so you will have to excuse us all for being a little sceptical about OUR future. The really positive thing to come out of this season is the amazing supporters we have. Match after match they’ve turned out, sun, wind, rain or shine and shown their dedication. In the face of adversity and all that. They can NEVER be replaced for their loyalty and commitment, just hoping they won’t drift away now we’re in the BSP. I personally don’t think they will, born Blue stay Blue.
    Regrouping time folks, at this moment we have no idea where we will be or who will be running us, but get behind the County and with the support we’ve got it’ll make the twelth, thirteenth and fourteenth men. I have supported County for 52 seasons and that is not likely to and never will change, and I believe there are thousands like me. Once this dissapointment is past and we accept what is happening to our glorious club then all true County supporters will rally to the cause and lift this club back to where it belongs. WE WILL BE BACK….. Come on the COUNTY.

  • edgeley says:

    I can only hope that we move forward with Ray Mathias in charge, I agree Wardy was out of his depth when given the managers job and I think everyone could see that from day one by his body language from the very frist game, he just didn’t look comfortable in the post. Without doubt the selling of the club by Ellwood was the first nail in the coffin as we sold our main/only asset for any future investor. We need our own ground we need to OWN our ground or at least to have the majority holding as no-one will invest when the geezer (dont like saying his name) who owns it now appears to be only interested in Rugby.
    Our fans are fantastic but it is going to be very very hard to get back into league football just ask Wrexham, Grimsby, Mansfield, Luton, Darlington etc etc.
    WE HAVE TO SEVERE TIES WITH THE GEEZER WHO OWNS OUR ONCE PROUD FOOTBALL CLUB because as long as he is in the picture then SCFC will never EVER rise out of this mess. when all is said and done the selling of Edgeley Park was MASSIVE in the demise of SCFC

  • cropped says:

    The only consoling thought I can hold onto right now is our fantastic support. If there were any potential new owners at the game then they would have seen the reason why our club has a future. To be honest, as much as I associate County with Edgeley Park if Kennedy is going to hang onto his ‘asset’ I would rather we walked away and played elesewhere in the borough. Many a tear shed on edgeley last night from grown men. 106 years of league history ended. What hurts most is we were never adrift at the bottom, we always had a chance at survival but those key managerial sacking and replacement decisions were bloody awful. New owners, new playing staff, new backroom staff (one or two exceptions there), maybe new manager and if we have to new fecking ground. Local lad has it – look to the future is all we can do now whilst never forgetting the guilty parties that Rylester brilliantly highlights.

    I O COUNTY for life.

  • Pato's Right Boot says:

    Gutted, simply gutted.

    A great performance yes, and this shows what Ray Mathias is all about. Team spirit and confidence, we have competed over the last month or so and showed what we are about. Much of this is down to James Wallace and Matt Paterson two of the better loanees we have had this season and the fact that we have played football, not hoof ball as we did for three quarters of the season, but on the deck football, it has been good to watch. It will be the opportunity to visit many grounds that I have not been to! A year in the BSP with Ray at the helm and the likes of Mainwaring, Swailes, Halls etc and we will be battling for promotion.

    County no matter what or where.

  • Mazarron Albert says:

    What we and the club need to do now is look forward to next season with a positive mind. Get rid of the players that will serve no purpose and bring in some decent players for that league. I understand that only 3 players are on contracts for next season, ok lets build a decent team around them. Not sure if the likes of Wallace and Paterson will drop down with us but these are the kind of players that we need to get us back up where we belong at the first attempt.
    The time has now come for all the negativity of the last couple of seasons to be put to bed. We could and will have a great future under the guidance of Ray and his back room staff. If that is away from Edgely park then so be it. Not sure what the council have got planned but the sooner it comes out and the new project starts the better. We don’t want any association with the rugby club, if that means us moving out of Edgeley lets get it done. County will never die so lets keep the blue flag flying.

  • FRM says:

    Gutted also, dont forget a certain Mark Maguire he had a role to play in the plight of our Club too. What would we have rather have, a team in the Conference or no team to support at all? I know what I want, thanks 2015 for keeping us going, lets just hope the right backer comes in, Mathias is definately the right man for the job, shame we didnt have him in charge from the start of the season!!! Oh well see you on the terraces next year at some grounds I’ve never been to, lets hope our stay in the BSP is a very short one. Come on the Bluemen…

  • dcw1989 says:

    Absolutely gutted but you never know a miracle may happen and a team my go into administration!!!!!!!!! Anyways much love to the s.c.f.c!!!!!

  • MoorHatter says:

    Off topic a bit but there is a decent thread in the forum started by a Scottish film-maker interested in proper football clubs. Anyone care to add to the thread to explain why we don’t follow City or United?

  • vicman says:

    ’cause we have brain cells, we don’t buy success and we don’t jump on the bandwagon just ’cause it’s there. True supporters through thick and thin.

  • rylester says:

    AND WE DONT COME FROM MANCHESTER )Or London or Bristol or Wales or Blackpool – ring any bells City / United??????)

  • Kremb says:

    Once you in the Blue Square Premier, you never come out. Look at Cambridge. Hopefully we don’t make the same mistakes in sacking our boss Mathias. With our team spirit and potential, we can easily get back up.

    Good to see Jordan Rose is happy to stay if offered. I would keep him as he has been quite good this season, but as a whole we have been unlucky.

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