THE crisis deepened at cash-strapped Stockport County last night as they were dumped out of the FA Cup by League Two strugglers Torquay United.
Playing their home tie at Macclesfield Town’s Moss Rose ground to allow the Edgeley Park pitch to be repaired, County were forced to make five changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
Skipper Michael Raynes and on-loan striker Nicholas Bignall were ruled out through injury, Matty McNeil and Chris Ribeiro were ineligible while Carl Baker was suspended after his red card against the Addicks, meaning that only one recognised defender – Johnny Mullins – started in County’s back four.
Unsurprisingly, it was a mix-up in the unfamiliar defence that allowed Torquay to take the lead with barely two minutes on the clock.
County keeper Owain Fon Williams attempted to clear his lines but only succeeded in smashing the ball off James Vincent’s legs and into the path of Elliot Benyon, who took a touch before calmly slotting the ball past Mullins on the line from 10 yards.
County’s inexperienced rearguard were looking increasingly uncomfortable and it might have been worse for the Hatters had Wayne Carlisle hit the target with a free header from six yards out five minutes later.
It took the Hatters 15 minutes to register their first serious threat on goal, but after cutting in from the left-hand side, David Poole drilled his shot straight at Scott Bevan.
It was a routine save for the Gulls’ keeper but there was nothing routine about Fon Williams’ save to deny Benyon his second.
County trouble
Nicky Wroe created space on the right before crossing for Benyon to head goalwards. He looked to have found the corner of the net but Fon Williams scrambled across his goal and pushed the ball away.
But any plaudits for the Welshman were quickly forgotten as Torquay doubled their lead.
Mullins laid the ball back to the Welsh Under-21 keeper but he could only hit Scott Rendell with his clearance and the rebound found the bottom corner.
Five minutes later it was 3-0.
Jake Thomson crossed from the left and Benyon stabbed home his second under pressure from Adam Griffin to leave County’s hopes of a money-spinning cup run in tatters.
Boos rang out from a majority of the 1,690 ‘home’ fans as the players trudged off down the tunnel.
After the break, the Hatters almost reduced the deficit with their best move of the match. Danny Pilkington found Poole, who was allowed to run at the Torquay defence before finding Pilkington who blazed his shot wide.
Moments later Pilkington saw another effort blocked on the line by Kieran Charnock, after rounding Bevan, as County flooded forward looking for a way back into the game.
Oli Johnson missed a gilt-edged chance to pull a goal back while at the other end Benyon completed his hat-trick with a simple finish to compound County’s misery and kill off any chance of a potentially life-saving cup run.
Their survival hopes could well have died as well.
County (4-4-2): Fon Williams 5, Vincent 5, Griffin 5, Mullins 7, Turnbull 6, Pilkington 5, Bridcutt 5, Tansey 5, Poole 5, Thompson 5, Johnson 6.
Stockport 0 Torquay 4
December 15, 2009
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Disorganised chaos reigns supreme yet again. Ablett couldn't manage his way out of a wet paper bag. Vincent picked yet again while the talented natural right back Andy Halls sits on the bench. All those people defending Ablett don't seem to realise that the Stockport players with the exception of Pilkington aren't rookies without league experience. They all have a considerable number of league appearances under their belt. I said we'd lose and we did, no surprise there then. But once again it was the manner of the defeat that's hard to stomach. You Ablett supporters, Sam Hird et al, keep burying your heads in the sand in the hope things get better. However, my Auntie Elsie could do better. Ablett out!!
This just gets bad to worse, sorry GA but your simply not good enough, liverpool reserves champions 2007/2008...
2008/2009 bottom
2009/2010 ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_Premier_Reserve_League
We have a donkey at the helm and wont be going anywhere fast til he gets the boot, Ablett out NOW!!!!
Gary Ablett is not responsible for the mess the club finds itself in off the field, but he is most definitely responsible for the gutless and shambolic performances on the pitch and for the club's position in the league. The word 'clueless' has been used by some and is totally correct. Taxi for Ablett!
I can take it John that your application for the job or that of your auntie's will be in the post today. You have, if I might say, a Vincent fixation. Today's news that the training ground is now up for sale and that staff are paying for equipments from there own pockets will hopefully bring you to the realisation that relegation and managerial short comings, either real or imagined are the least of our problems. Baker, Fon Williams, Raynes and all except Mainwaring will be up for sale in two weeks time. If you don't get the job please let us know who you think would like the job and pay for the privilege at the same time. I see this image of a ship called "County" that's been torpedoed by the enemy, slowly sinking beneath the water with John and his like still hanging on to the guard rail shouting "Sack the Manager" as if its all his fault.
GA had one recognised defender in the team last night, everyone else was out of position and no stiker, we had 8 shots at the target onlt 4 of which were on target they had 17, 11 of which were on target. No defence and no stikers manage that. Loosing or winning games is not the issue at this point, survival is.
STOCKPORT COUNTY AFC......RIP
BRINKSWAY BOY
hey people.i got to say i was listening to the whole match and thought we play terrible.i do understand where john is coming from with vincent.he didnt play well atall.but wasnt just him who played badly.GA should of put andy halls on considering he is a defender.we do need a better striker.johnson aint showing what he can do and tompson just cant play in this league.we do have a lot ov decent players but they just dont have confidence.we need 2 stop lettin stupid goals.last night was proberly fon's worse game.lets just hope we can improve on this.
Obviously you haven't been to watch the team in some time Brinksway Boy. Your just spouting paper talk. Have you seen Fon Williams play? He can't kick a ball to save his life, he's dropping clangers right left and centre. No Manager with even half a brain will go anywhere near him. You say losing or winning isn't important. How daft is that? Complete nonsense! A win last night would have given us some much needed revenue. In fact, I've heard that the reason the Training ground is up for sale today is because we lost last night! One thing is for sure, the word 'win' is not in Ablett's vocabulary.
I can see my logic isn't working. Firstly the training ground is up for sale because Brendan Elwood has decided to sell Manor Farm. Any new owner would want a new lease agreement and some money up front as deposit from County. The administrators would say a flat no to that. So the club would be without training facilities should a sale of Manor Farm go through before we are out of admin'
Secondly and just for a moment I'll join the "Sack the Manager" camp. We want a man with a good CV in football. Plenty of contacts and the ability to get first rate footballers with league one or two experience to play for Unibond wages on short term month by month contracts. This man will have to work on his own with no assistance on greatly reduced wages and firmly controlled daily outgoings. It will be expected that should needs arise kit and equipment may have to come from his own pocket. The new man will have no say in who stays and who is sold and could be without a key player at a moments notice. The position would be for a maximum of 5 months until May 2010. However if any new owners sees fit, his office could be terminated with immediate effect or extended. In addition should new owners succeed in buying the club and meet league conditions of trading in the next few weeks there would be no guarantee that the present landlord of Edgeley Park would agree to lease the facility to that new owner. Therefore this new manager could have no training facility, no guarantee of a stadium to play in and just a handful of competent players. I can see really good managers falling over themselves to sign this contact.
If we had won at Moss lane the administrators would have taken the £27,000 winning pot to meet day to day expenses, this may have delayed selling a player by a matter of weeks. We may have won to the next team in the FA cup and that would delay a sale of a player by another month but that would be the limit.
The administrators have just one offer on the table, that offer has already lost backers and Cheshire Sports are holding out for terms that are attractive to them. That is, all catering and advertising revenues, plus marshalling fees, boardroom fees and ground upkeep fees. The whole deal sucks. If anyone wants a new manager write to the administrators who are having a hard enough time finding backers never mind the worry of a new managers job that only the desperate would apply for.
If GA walks, then the administrators will put another staff member in to fill until a sale is done, remember Melrose owns nothing at the moment. People can whinge all they want about poor performance and shambles on the pitch. Few are looking at the stark realities that right now, anybody with half a brain would not want to manage under the conditions GA is working under and only players desperate for first team experience or out of work want to play for such a team. I see us playing Halifax next season if we play at all.
BRINKSWAY BOY
Totally agree with Brinksway Boy. I was there last night and yes it was a shambles. Losing so many consecutive games is taking it's toll and confidence is spiralling downwards. But we knew this was going to happen at the start of the season given the limited squad at our disposal - so why, when it actually does happen, are we surprised? And how, exactly does calling for Ablett's head and berating the players we have actually improve the team's morale? I can't see another manager (assuming we could afford to pay Ablett off and attract someone else - VERY unlikely) doing any better. It is all irrelevant anyway. With the debt to the administrators growing daily, attendances too low to be sustainable and Brian Kennedy, I note, having the sole say on whether any buyer is a "suitable tennant" I believe we are already doomed.
dave has got it spot on.GA does have the hardest job in football.i just want to hope everyone sticks by him and give him all the support we can.the team is doing well considering the things they are going though.come on county.
Its very disappointing watching the Clubs demise on the pitch but thats a drop in the Ocean to what is not happening behind the scenes. I dont think you can really judge what GA is doing because the situation is so bad its beyond his control. I think he has shown great dignity when being interviewed and trys to put forward a balanced and objective argument but I'm sure he is fully aware that he is managing Titanic FC. I can see us being the first Club that folds during the playing season. Its that dire gentlemen.
Where's the Pope when you need him? Any chance of any divine intervention??
These muppets are so called pro-footballers, just because there put in a position on the field where they don't like is irrelevant, that should not be an excuse for poor passing.
Give one more chance to Thompson, relegate him to the midfield and promote, either a midfielder or a youth player to play up front. Thompson has lose confidence and putting in a midfield position could relieve him of some pressure. I'm not a Thompson fan but County could not afford to right off £100,000.
Lets face it we have some extremely good young talent, but were not getting the best out of them, how many goals do we concede in the first + last 15 of every game, mental toughness we havent any. yes i agree with the sentiment that Ablets hands are tied, but i didnt want his appointment in the first place + since Ward has gone South so have we + this Pheonix will not rise from the flames, time to face upto reality, its over a real sad fact, the Melrose consortium have been gone for along while too, it even said so on Pure fM before the Tooting game, where do we go from here? FC Stockport anybody??