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Date Saturday 21 April S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: Fradin 71, Nicholson (pen) 84, Wilbraham 90
Crewe Alexandra:
Substitutes:
Goals: None
Jarkko Wiss, now out for the season saw his position in and Colin Woodthorpe came in to a centre-back berth for Peter Clark, who dropped to the bench where he was joined by the returning Layton Maxwell. County's chances throughout the first half were more than plentiu, with the majority falling to either Glynn Hurst had possibly the best chance, but headed wide when well placed. One of Ali Gibb's now trademark swinging crosses had the Crewe defence in trouble, but Kuqi at the back post headed the ball wide. Crewe hardly ever broke out of their own half throughout the first half with County's constant pressure putting the defence in problems. Crewe 'keeper Ademola Bankole was forced in to a number of saves, although none of them could be said to hward line threw shot after shot at him, without findsing away past. Eventually it was Crewe who could almost have stolen a half-time lead, with Shaun Smith's inswinging free-kick passing just wide of the far post from a very tight angle with Jones at full stretch, but at half-time the score was still 0-0.
We were confident that County could hit the back of the net at least once during the course of the second half after all of their first half pressure, and these thoughts were further raised when Aaron Wilbraham broke past two players into the penalty box, only to be denied by a diving save from Bankole. However, County fans were finally rewarded for their patience on 74 minutes when Ali Gibb got the ball on the right-wing and drilled it in low where KARIM FRADIN was able to tap-in from no more than five yards out. After this Crewe had their closest chance of the game with Rob Hulse rushing clear of the deence and firing the ball across Lee Jones but just wide of the post. After this though the floodgate finally opened for County, in the 4th minute Shefki Kuqi tried to roll his marker inside the penalty area and was felled by Sodje for a penalty. Shane Nicholson, who had taken County's only other penalty of the season, stepped up and SHANE NICHOLSON comfortably scored. Crewe heads went down, and County took advantage with a third goal AARON WILBRAHAM collecting a simple David Smith pass and stroked the ball home from the edge of the area for County's biggest win of the season in a game in which County had 26 shots on goal in the 90 minutes.
Date Saturday 28 April QPR:
Substitutes:
Goals: None
S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: Wilbraham 47, Fradin 54, Kuqi (pen) 82
County kept the same 6 as the one which overcame Crewe seven days previously, knowing that a similar result coupled with a defeat / draw for Crystal Palace would lead to County retaining their first division status for another year. The first half started promsingly, the rain stopping just before three o'clock meaning that I was able to take my 'on the pitch' seat without the fear of getting a drenching. Looking through Lee Jones' goal for the entire first half I was just about able to make out County attacking quite a lot, and with just nine minutes gone Skefki Kuqi was sent through by Fradin, but 'keeper Harper quickly closed him down and saved at the Finn's feet. County seemed to be pressing forward for the majority of the opening quarter although QPR were escaping in the 24th minute and Leon Knight was suddenly felled by a late tackle by Shane Nicholson. I didn't see it (it's not a cop-out, I didn't!), but the referee deemed it to be a straight red-card offence and kilner responded by pulling off Glynn Hurst and introducing Peter Clark from the bench. QPR's best chance of a half that County continued to dominate came on 27 minutes when Rob Clare almost put the ball in to the top-corner of his own net, but Lee Jones pulled off a marvellous save. The only other sour moment of the first ahlf came when R's defender Chris Plummer, coming forward for a corner ran straight in to Lee Jones, and was rightly booked.
County took the lead just 90 seconds in to the second half. Karim fradin's cross filcked off the head of a QPR defender and fell in to the path of AARON WILBRAHAM, who steadied himself before placing the ball in from 10 yards. This, coupled with Crystal Palace losing cued the first full-blown chorus of "County's staying up". These calls were further strengthened seven minutes later, Ali Gibb drilled the ball in from the right flank, and KARIM FRADIN got on to the end of the cross and slid the ball in. Ten men??? We were playing more like 15!!! But we weren't to be the only team down to ten men, Shefki Kuqi powered forward after a rare QPR attack, noyl to be brought down by Rangers debutant Justin Cochrane, who was promptly sent off, harsh maybe but it was going to make no difference to the pattern of the game. County sewed the game up eight minutes from time from the penalty spot. Baraclough pulled at Kuqi and SHEFKI KUQI stepped up himself to score. By this time Palace were 2-0 down, and the County fans enjoyed the final ten minutes, with the only slight black spot being that Ali Gibb was strecthered off in the last minute, although the injury was not as serious as first feared and he should be fit for the final, celebratory game of the season next week.
Date Sunday 6 May S.C.F.C (with ratings):
Substitutes:
Goals: None
Crystal Palace:
Substitutes:
Goals: Freedman 87
County's team showed only one change for the final game of the season, with Shane Nicholson making way for Peter Clark. fair enough you might think, but the fact that County had four defenders and one midfielder on the bench was simply bizarre, where was Chris Byrne, or Ian Lawson for example? Palace were the quickest to start to play, and had their first chance with barely 30 seconds on the clock, with the again impessive Ali Gibb having to play a diving header away with Forsell lurking and Jones beaten. Palace had their first clear-cut chance when Clinton Morrison, who was clear through in the 20th minute, saw his shot blocked by Lee Jones' legs. County did manage to force forwrd more as the half went on with Glynn Hurst holding off four men on the edge of the Palace area before eventually forcing a corner, and the same player then almost brojke the deadlock, cut couldn't get enough power on his prod towards goal from six yards out. However, it was Palace who had the majority of the attacking play during the first half, which is what you would have expected as they had to win this game to maintain their first division place. However, they were not able to take the lead during the first half.
The news over the tannoy that Portsmouth were winning one-nil at half-time meant that it was imperitive for Palace to win the game, and they almost took the lead on 52 minutes. A right-wing corner was flicked on by Dean Austin to Finn Riihilati, but his shot was blocked on the line by Rob Clare and evntually cleared to safety. As the half continued Palace naturally became more desperate for a goal, leaving one-on-one or two-on-two at the back. It seemed it just wouldn't be their day as Clinton Morrison got a toe-poke to the ball inside the six-yard box but then saw the ball roll agonisingly wide of the far post. Up at the other end County could have scored twice, Ali Gibb latching on to an under-hit backpass put then making the angle too tight for himself, and Aaron Wilbraham hit the outside of the angle with a 25-yarder. However, Kilner then brought on Nichoslon and Roget for Hurst and Smith, leading to County adopting a 7-1-2 formation, and the bulk of the play was then in the County penalty area. County had handball shouts in the 87th minute, it looked convincing to me, but Palace swiftly borke up the other end, the County defence backed away from Freedman and DOUGIE FREEDMAN fired high in to the net to cue a pitch invasion from the Palace fans. Then they sat back, five minutes of stoppage time were signalled and at the end of the fourth minute a klong punt upfield from Jones was almost headed past his own keeper by Mullins, but Kolinko got the ball and prevented it form even going out for a corner or did he? The linesman flagged for a corner, the referee played on for 20 seconds before he realised this, and then promptly blew the full-time whistle on County's season, leaving them in 19th place, and keeping Palace up.
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Copyright Ian Waterhouse 2000. All rights reserved.
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