FA Cup 1st Round

IN my matchday programme notes on Saturday I mentioned 'turning points', and hopefully this super performance against Huddersfield will 'turn' into just that for Stockport County.

Despite less than three-and-a-half thousand being inside Edgeley Park to witness this game, the Hatters thoroughly deserved to pave a passage into round two of the FA Cup, and after pulling out another plum tie in Sunday's draw hopes must now be high of a possible dream tie later on against a big gun from the Premiership.

Certainly if County play as well against Swansea as they did in the first half on Saturday, they shouldn't have too many problems and potential further glory beckons.

I don't think Sammy McIlroy would say that this FA Cup tie brought with it a welcome break from the stuttering league campaign, but on Saturday he did unveil a gem for the future in loan capture Andy Smith.

Along with two-goal fellow Northern Ireland international front-man Warren Feeney, Smith was full of ideas, creativity and running, and hopefully will take his early sparkle into the League One battle, and hopefully for longer than one month.

Smith replaced the absent Luke Beckett as McIlroy made five changes in all, and as early as the eighth minute the home side earned themselves a welcome fillip.

With Rickie Lambert dropped to the bench, it was skipper Danny Griffin who took the corners, and from the first such effort young Ashley Williams rose superbly to head home his first senior goal.

Anthony Lloyd went close at the far post for the shellshocked Terriers, but at the other end the recalled Danny Adams went on an amazing 40-yard run into the heart of the visitors' defence before shooting barely a foot over the bar.

The Hatters had a real spring in their step, and on 20 minutes their lead was doubled when Smith played an inch-perfect crossfield ball to Feeney who ran on before burying a sweet shot past Paul Rachubka and into the corner.

Peter Jackson's side continued to have a real go, however, and after Pawel Abbott's free-kick from the edge of the box was blocked, Chris Brandon volleyed the rebound over from just 12 yards out.

Chris Williams was back from injury and he almost made it three on 38 minutes when Rachubka saved well, but County did get another on the stroke of half-time following some comic book defending in the Huddersfield six-yard box.

Griffin drifted in a low corner, Andy Holdsworth managed to slip just in front of Rachubka, and there was Feeney who gleefully rammed home the loose ball.

County were in dreamland at three up by half-time, and perhaps predictably the second 45 minutes were a little less frenetic.

Huddersfield had a couple of half-chances from Junior Mendes and Lee Fowler most notably, but Feeney should have completed a fine hat-trick on 78 minutes but he blazed a shot well wide.

Lee Cartwright saw his shot fizz inches wide on 84 minutes, but the visitors were to have the last word in stoppage time when Abbott fired home after evading two or three tackles.

• COUNTY: Spencer, Hardiker, Adams, Griffin, Williams A, Williams C, Smith (Barlow, 90), Robertson (Mair, 67), Goodwin, Cartwright (Lambert, 90), Feeney. Subs not used: Cutler, Welsh. Booked: Griffin, Goodwin, Lambert. Star Man: Warren Feeney.

• HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Rachubka, Holdsworth, Lloyd, Yates (Fowler, 65), Clarke, Brandon, Abbott, Mendes, Schofield, Mirfin, Worthington. Subs not used: McCombe, Senior, Brown, Ahmed. Booked: Fowler.

Attendance: 3,479

Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay).

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