Match Report 2001-2002

Tuesday 25 September 2001, Division One

Stockport County At Valley Parade

Jim drops the ball

Just before half time after Benito Carbone had equalised City wasted two chances to take the lead and build a win against Stockport, instead during the half time break Jim Jefferies's tactical changes handed the game to the visitors on a plate.

Without Ashley Ward, Andy Tod and David Wetherall in the forward line courtesy of an injury to Robert Molenaar that required Wethers to stay at the back City always looked as if they would struggle for goals, a point noted as long ago as the friendly with Blackburn, and starting diminutive Robbie Blake required a different style of play. More floor balls, more slick passing around the large County side.

For a time this was working. Carbone fizzed a pass inches in front of Blake and it looked like City would win, if not win in a Gillingham way. However when a long ball bounced between Andy Myers and Gary Walsh, Glyn Hurst nipped in and smartly chipped home. City went west.

For twenty minutes a series of balls were pumped long to the tiny forward line. Wayne Jacobs and Gary Locke both limped off, fracturing the team, but it was not until composure was restored and City began to play again that the come back and Carbone's goal, followed.

Further good moves saw Jess clean through and robbed by a fine save, although that is little excuse, and Blake belt over on the turn from eight yards. The game was there to be won.

But Jim lost it.

Second half and City came out with a 4213 with Eoin Jess in "the hole" and Jamie Lawrence leading the forward line. Lawrence's display at centreforward was abysmal. As an athlete Jamie is good, but as a footballer he lacks basic positional sense. This showed as much when he was up front as it does when he is at right back.

The back four got mixed up, Gunnar Halle at left back, Stuart McCall at right back. The midfield, so very important when trying to get the ball down and play floor balls to wide men, ended up as Gareth Whalley, who tried but did not have the build for the role, and Lee Makel who a couple of good passes aside, looked poor. City's midfield were out muscled, never stood a chance against the huge guys of Stockport, and so when the visitors saw Scott Taylor get between the centreback and score and Glyn Hurst secure another chip over Walsh City had no way of coming back.

Andy Myers, guilty of letting the ball bounce at the back far too often and as a result one of the architects of this defeat, scored to get City back in the game but a slip from Wetherall let Scott Taylor in and despite less than furious claims for handball by Taylor when he robbed the ball, the visitors sealed the game having missed the chance to early when Stuart McCall had handled in the box and Walsh had saved Hurst's spot kick.

Every game presents a learning opportunity for City, this one is squarely for Jim Jefferies. Yes the back four were wretched and guilty of a series of errors, but City should have been controlling the ball and the game to have any chance. Stockport were opportunists, City presented them with the chances by giving up the midfield at half time. Jefferies must lean from the errors and do two things:

1. Midfield is the heart of a good performance. Never leave two passers without a ball winner. It never has worked, it never will work.
2. If there is a hint of Andy Tod or Ashley ward not making Saturday's game he should bring in another centreforward. The position is key to the team, we can not lose more points by chancing it. This striking crisis has been on the horizon for a while, we were warned at Sheffield Wednesday and Forest when a failure to field a fit forward man cost dear, against Stockport that warning came good.

Man of the Match

Gareth Whalley

Made the best of a bad fist.

City Team:

Walsh
Halle Wetherall Myers Jacobs
Locke McCall Whalley
Jess Carbone Blake

Subs: Lawrence and Makel for Jacobs and Locke