Stockport County 3-1 Barrow

Stockport County continued their fine form in the Blue Square Premier with another victory over Barrow on Tuesday night.
Coming into the game on the back of a defeat in the FA Cup, Jim Gannon and his men were looking to rediscover the form that had seen them up to 11th in the league table before the game started.
County made a couple of changes to the starting eleven with Danny Hattersley and Danny Whitehead returning to replace Tom Collins and Alex Kenyon.
Joe Connor, settling back into his skipper duty, had the first real chance with a glancing header from a Newton free kick, but it was easily saved by the Barrow ‘keeper.
On a night when the drizzle was a constant feature, it was the sort of game you would ask your players to take on the goalkeeper from distance and Sean Newton did that on more than one occasion, he troubled the Barrow keeper but it was safely seen wide on the better of his two efforts.
County eventually got the lead they deserved when Newton found Hobson who flicked on for Hattersley to open the scoring and add to his growing goal tally on the return from injury.
Hobson saw a header go wide as County hunted a second but going into half time the game was sat at 1-0 to the home side.
Both sides made changes at half time, Tom Collins replaced the ill Hobson, and Danny M Rowe came on for Barrow. The ex-County player would be up against his former team mates as Barrow hunted a way back into the game.
And Barrow started the second half much better, Rowe tested Ormson – but when Collins picked up the ball just outside his own area he could launch a counter for County. He carried the ball 60/70 yards, beating three men before winning County a corner.
From the resulting corner Hattersley headed home again to double County`s lead and surely give County the three points against a poor Barrow side.
Mainwairing further extended the lead when he fired home Andy Halls cross to make it 3-0. It had initially looked as though Halls had over hit his cross, looking for Hattersley, but Mainwairing beautifully volleyed it home at the back post and made it 3-0 to County.
Danny Rowe gave Barrow slight hope with a good strike from the edge of the area, beating Ian Ormson to make it 3-1.
There was also time for a Gannon blunder – bringing Tom Collins off after only being on the pitch for 25 minutes. He explained his error by saying that he meant to bring Danny Whitehead off and that Whitehead plays the “number ten” role – when infact wearing the number seven shirt.
But County comfortably saw the game out and carried on the great run of form. We now go up to 9th place and take on Forest Green on Saturday.