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Date Saturday 12 August Gillingham:
Substitutes:
Goals: Butters 2
S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: Moore 22, 84, Maxwell 38
County had five players making their County debuts from the start (Bryngelsson, Clark, Maxwell, Jones and Gray) and Jarrko Wiss also made his debut when he came on from the bench during the first half. There was a real carnival atmosphere in Kent for Gillingham's first ever game in the First Division. Unfortunately for County, the majority of the crowd were celebrating after only 62 seconds when a nicely worked free kick was fired in by captain GUY BUTTERS, and it squirmed under the body of Lee Jones in the County goal. From there, the Gills continued to have the upper hand, but it was County who were to score the next goal. A long ball from the back by Bryngelssn was flicked on by Moore to Dinning. Dinning then returned the ball to IAN MOORE and he despatched the ball from 12 yards. Both teams were then forced into substitutions, with Jarrko Wiss coming on for County for Bryngelsson. County's second goal came not long after this change. There was some slick passing on the right involving Gibb, Maxwell and Moore which ended with Maxwell and Moore playing a one-two, and LAYTON MAXWELL scoring with a low left-foot shot into the bottom corner. Having had most of the attacking play in the first half, Gillingham continued in the same vein at the start of the second. They chased the game throughut the second half, forcing County to soak up the pressure in the sweltering conditions. However, County's defence stood firm, with Lee Jones recovering well in the County goal after his early mistake. County made the game safe six minutes from time when the ball was fed to Kevin Cooper on the left. Coops ran 30 yards before slipping the ball into the path of IAN MOORE who scored his second of the game, this time with his left foot. County only had 5 shots throughout the whole game, but their counter-attacking style worked well with Moore and Maxwell the stars of the show. Date Saturday 19 August S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: Moore 54
Wolves:
Substitutes:
Goals: Bazeley 73
County made just one change with Sean Connelly coming back after deciding to stay at the club during mid-week, and replacing Kevin Gray, who failed a medical stopping a proposed move to County. After their mid-week bid for Tony Dinning, Wolves started the game well. Temuri Ketsbaia was always the dangerman for Wolves aand he nearly gave them the lead after 17 minutes but his shot was blocked by 'keeper Lee Jones on his home debut. County nearly took the lead themselves before half time when an Ian Moore cross was nearly put in by Kevin Cooper and then Wolves defender Lee Naylor also nearly put the ball in. That was County's only chance of a largely quiet first half which was mostly dominated by Wolves.
County started the second half the stronger team and on 57 minutes they took the lead. The ball was fed through to last week's star man Ian Moore who ran between two defenders before the ball sat up for him and IAN MOORE smashed it in from 25 yards out past a stationery Oakes. County had a further chance just a minute later when Kevin Cooper's cross was just missed by Tony Dinning six yards out. That would have made it 2-0, but 15 minutes later it was 1-1. A deep cross from Naylor was headed back across and the ball came to DARREN BAZELEY whose weak shot deflected off Mike Flynn, wrong-footing Lee Jones. Wolves then had fuurther chances to win it but neither Ketsbaia or former Manchester City striker Robert Taylor were able to score again from the 19 chances created by Wolves.
Date Tuesday 22 August S.C.F.C (without ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: None
Blackpool:
Substitutes:
Goals: Nowland 45
Two changes were made for this match with Tony Dinning and Karim Fradin (both injured) being replaced with Jarrko Wiss and Jon Daly, both making their full County league debuts. County started their Worthington Cup campaign knowing that they had fallen to third division opposition in the competition just two seasons ago. And this match was to be another stumbling block for County. The first half was a lacklustre affair with County havoing no shots to Blackpool's two. Both of these chances fell to Adam Nowland, on after half an hour for veteran Mike Newell. The first, just a minute after he came on, was fluffed over the bar, but with the second a poor ball by Sean Connelly let in ADAM NOWLAND and he lofted the ball over Lee Jones, with the County 'keeper getting the slightest of touches on the ball.
At the start of the second half County made two changes with Jarrko Wiss being forced off by an ankle ligament injury, and Fredrik Bryngelsson being withdrawn, with Woodthorpe and Smith replacing them. Despite this, Blackpool had more of the chances at the start of the second half with Paul Simpson chipping just over the crossbar. County came nearest to a goal in the 60th minute when Jon Dal;y's header brushed the left-hand post with the 'keeper no where. County's first shot on goal came on 72 minutes when a Kevin Cooper shot was easily dealt with by Caig. Blackpool had a couple of further chances to extend their lead but County will now be grateful to go into the second leg only one goal down. After the game Andy Kilner apologised for the County performance in his post match comments, quite right too.
Date Saturday 26 August Fulham:
Substitutes:
Goals: Hayles 3,75, J Collins 59, Boa Morte 87
S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: Cooper 5
County welcomed back both Karim Fradin and Tony Dinning from injury, and also brought in midfielders David Smith and Colin Woodthorpe. The players who were dropped from the Blackpool game were Bryngelsson, Gibb, Wiss (injured) and Jon Daly. County were always going to be up against it against a Fulham side that had won their first two games of the season. All of the Fulham side had also been rested in mid-week, and it was Fulham who got off to te ideal start. Barry Hayles palyed a one-two with Saha on the edge of the box and then BARRY HAYLES drilled the ball home. However, this lead was short-lived as County broke forward just two minutes later. Dinning sprinted forward and his cross evaded Ian Moore, but KEVIN COOPER was able to slide in and score. Only five minutes gone, and the score was already 1-1. For the rest of the first half Fulham were camped in the County half with County pulling everyone back behind the ball, which left them with no-one up front when the ball was cleared, so it always came straight back. Both Saha and Hayles could have restalled Fulham's lead but somewhat miraculusally, the scores were still level at half-time.
County continued to pull everyone back behind the ball at the start of the second half, and then paid the inevitable price. An innocuous looking challenge led to a free-kick, and former Scottish international JOHN COLLINS scored direct from the free-kick. Tony Dinning then chased the referee, Paul Alcock the one who got shoved over by Di Canio, back to the halfway line, and after saying a few words too many, he was sent off. I can see both sides of the argument here, the referee was perhaps a little hasty reaching for the red, but pursuing a referee is plain stupidity, he's not going to change his mind after a goal has been scored is he? After this County's 10 men were powerless to stop the Fulham onslaught, on 75 minutes BARRY HAYLES doubled his personal tally after he capitalised on some slack defending, and then three minutes from time, after Hayles missed from six yards for his hat-trick, LUIS BOA MORTE completed the rout with a neat low shot. That should have been that, but referee Alcock then saw fit to issue a second red card, this one to Mike Flynn, a second yellow card for alleged use of the elbow. Despite the protests of the Fulham players, Flynn was ordered off meaning County finished the day with nine men.
Date Monday 28 August S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: None
Huddersfield Town:
Substitutes:
Goals: None
Due to County's worsening injury crisis, young 17 year-old reserve team captain Rob Clare was drafted in for his debut at right-back. Alan Bailey also made his first start of the season and Fredrik Bryngelsson also returned along with Ali Gibb. Out from the previous game were David Smith, Colin Woodthorpe and Layton Maxwell, who were all on the bench and Sean Connelly. After a drubbing by the team which I predicted would finish first in the league (Fulham) I was feeling rather smug, but I had predicted Huddersfield to be the runners-up, but on this evidence, I'm wrong. Huddersfield had scored three times in the first half at Sheffield Wednesday in their only previous away game, but on this showing God knows how. They created just two chances against an out-of-sorts County team, Delroy Facey being denied by Lee Jones, again in excellent form, and then from a corner Jones pulled off a superb reaction save from Clyde Wijnhard. Karim Fradin was then forced off by a hamstring injury with Colin Woodthorpe coming on. At that stage, with half-time just a minute away, County had not had a shot on goal, but then Ian Moore was sent through one-on-one, only to see his shot saved by Vaesen, and from the resulting corner Mike Flynn's header was again saved, and that really was ALL of the first half action.
After a dire first half County decided to bring on Maxwell for the un-influencial Alan Bailey. But the first half was to prove as fruitless as the first, with no clear-cut chances. One plus point of the game was that County's defence looking slightly more assured, with Rob Clare impressing on debut, but it was breached 11 minutes from time when a rising drive from Facey was tipped over by star-man Jones. County made a third change late-on, with Brian Carrigan finally making his County debut, ocming on for Clare. The young Scotsmans' first touch was a superb cross into the centre which was missed by all of the players, giving hope that Carrigan could be the spark that County currently seem to be lacking.
Date Friday 1 September Tranmere Rovers:
Substitutes:
Goals: Allison 26, Gill (pen) 32
S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: Moore 12
County changes: Rob Clare dropped to the bench despite his impressive showing on Monday along with Alan Bailey, who dropped to the bench, and Karim Fradin who is facing a three-week lay-off. Brian Carrigan (full league debut), Colin Woodthorpe and David Smith replaced them. County started their first away game in front of the SKY cameras since September last year at Barnsley attempting to banish the memories of the last three games, which had yielded just one draw and two defeats. County nearly had the best possible start when a superb ball by Brian Carrigan released Kevin Cooper 70 yards away on the right. Cooper then ran clear of the defence, only to hit the ball straight at John Achterberg. Soon afterwards County played some neat football in misdfield and then David Smith threaded the ball forward, this set up a chase between Ian Moore and John Achterberg which was won by the County man and IAN MOORE then slotted the ball in after rounding the 'keeper. County could have doubled the lead soon after with Moore wasting a chance from just six yards. It had been 15 minutes of superb play by County, but this was the best we were to see. Tranmere nearly equalised when Lee Jones dashed out of goal and was lobbed by Scott Taylor, only for Taylor to see his shot bounce back off the base of the post. Jones then fumbled a ball which he should really have caught which lead to a corner. From this corner, Clint Hill headed back across the goal to WAYNE ALLISON who struck it in. Six minutes later, County were behind. The referee awarded a free kick to Tranmere and as it was swinging in Fredrik Bryngelsson tugged at the shirt of Paul Rideout, and I have to agree with one of my fellow fans, it was the type of thing that happens 20 times a game. Nevertheless, the referee pointed to the spot and Lee Jones dived to early leaving WAYNE GILL to tuck it in the other way.
For the most part the second half was dour, with the only real action coming when the Tranmere police moved in to confiscate the drum, much to the annoyance of many County fans, and the obvious pleasure of the Tranmere fans. County's only real chance vcame when the ball bobbed around in the penalty area at Brian Carrigan hooked a shot on the turn which looked closer to us in the Cowshed Stand (I kid you not) than it actually was. The only mystery to me was why did Andy Kilner not throw on ANY substitutes? Did we not want to win, or at least draw, the game? Surely with Alan Bailey on the bench he could have thrown him on for a defender or midfielder?
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Copyright Ian Waterhouse 2000. All rights reserved.
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