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Date Saturday 8 September County brought in new signing Richard Sneekes to play in the centre of midfield along with the returning Jarkko Wiss. COunty's other change from the Birmingham game came up front with the suspended Aaron Wilbraham replaced with Neill Hardy. Scott Taylor, starting on the left-wing privded the opening of the first half for former Radcliffe Boro striker Neill Hardy on 13 minutes. Taylor broke down the left and played the ball in to Hardy, un-marked on the edge of the area, however his shot ended up closer to the corner flag than the goal. Shefki Kuqi then hit a powerful free-kick on 16 minutes just wide. After this County's chances diminished and some deep defending was neccessary against the home forward line of Mike Sheron and Bruce Dyer to keep them at bay. Former Huddersfield winger Dean Gorré had the best chance of the half for Barnsley,but his header three minutes before the break went wide of the post. Barnsley took the lead three minutes in to the second half after County were left short at the back following a set-piece. A County set play was quickly cleared up to Dean Gorré. Gorré slipped in through to Mike Sheron, who slid the ball under Lee Jones. However, County recovered from this setback in good style. On 62 minutes Ali Gibb took a left-wing corner, which was powered home by Mike Flynn at the back post. Flynn, who had earlier been off the field for stitches, scored for the first time since the 1999/00 season. However, three minutes later a comedy of errors led to an own-goal. A long ball forward seemed to cause to problems, but with Lee Jones coming to the edge of his area to pick it up, Mike Flynn hooked it away, the ball then hit the ducking Keith Briggs, and with Jones out of his goal rolled in to the County net. There then followed a period of play of Conuty esperately trying to get back in to the game, but leaving themselves open at the back, with Mike Sheron missing three chances on the County goal. County brought on Glynn Hurst as a fourth striker with 18 minutes to go and this appraoch eventually brought a reward in stoppage time at the end of the game. An alledged handball by Ali Gibb was mised by the referee and the ball was helped up towards substitute Jarkko Wiss. Wiss took control of the ball and helped it in to the penalty area where Scott Taylor raced in and slipped it wide of the 'keeper and in to the net to give County a deserved first point of the season. Barnsley: (4-4-2) Miller; Crook, Chettle, Morgan, Barker; Donavan (Tinkler), Ward, Neil, Gorré; Dyer (Jones), Sheron. Not used: Marriott, Barnard, Regan. County: (4-4-2) Jones 7; Briggs 6 (Hurst 6), Roget 7, Flynn 8, Van Blerk 6 (Woodthorpe 6); Gibb 7, Sneekes 6 (Wiss 7), Fradin 6, Taylor 9; Kuqi 7, Hardy 6. Not used: Dibble, Smith.
Date Wednesday 12 September Keith Briggs was omitted from the line-up after his own-goal on Saturday at Barnsley, with Petri Helin coming in to the right-back position. Jason Van Blerk has also left out in favour of Colin Woodthorpe. County started badly in the appauling waether conditions at the City Ground and were behind after just eight minutes. Marlon Harewood shot from outside the area and Lee Jones seemed to have the ball, although it ran loose and Jack Lester was on habnd to finish in to the net. This was not to be Lee Jones's night. Forest continued with their dominance with Jermaine Jenas leading Forest's youngsters in a midfield role. However, in was County how pulled one back just before half-time. A long ball found its way to Scott Taylor just outside the box, he advanced just inside the corner of the area and struck it through the legs of Ricky Scimeca in to the net. In between times Ali Gibb had been forced off with an injury, replaced by Glynn Hurst. The second half contiued as the first had gone on, with County being lucky continue level, although Hurst could have put County ahead in the 56th mniute, but his header was saved. The match then turned on an incident ofter 67 minutes. Lee Jones raced out to claim the ball in the corner of his penalty area and just over-stepped the line. He was somewhat harshly sent-off, and Taylor was sacrificed for Andy Dibble. Forest had two more chances to win the game in normal time, Jack Lester having a goal disallowed for offside / a foul on Dibble, and the same player then losing out to Dibble in an 89th minute one-on-one. So extra-time was brought on, and Forest dominated this entirely, with County having their backs to the wall with only ten men. Young German substitute Bopp came on, and caused County all sorts of problems down the wing, but Forest could not put the ball in to the net. So the game went to penalties. Incredibly all of the first 14 were converted (County went first: Kuqi, Sneekes, Hurst, Fradin, Roget, Woodthorpe, Wiss. Forest: Harewood, Jenas, Williams, Bopp, Lester, Scimeca, Gray). Andy Dibble then stepped up, and his rather tame penalty was saeved by opposite number Ward. Jim Brennan then scored to give Forest the shoot-out 8-7. Forest: (4-4-2) Ward; Scimeca, Hjelde, Doig, Brennan; Jenas, Williams, Prutton (Bopp), Reid (Gray); Lester, Harewood. County: (4-4-2) Jones 6; Helin 7, Roget 7, Flynn 7, Woodthorpe 7; Gibb 6 (Hurst 6), Sneekes 7, Fradin 6, Taylor 7 (Dibble 7); Kuqi 6, Hardy 6 (Wiss 7). Not used: Dibble, Smith.
ATTENDANCE: 5,432 Date Saturday 15 September Glynn Hurst came back in to the County line-up after rumours of a bust-up with Andy Kilner, in place of the injured Neill Hardy. Ali Gibb, concussed in midweek made way for Rob Clare who came in a right-back. Ex-Hearts man Colin Cameron came close to opening the scring in the third minute but his drive after a corner had been half-cleared went over the bar. Another new Wolves signing, making his debut, Nathan Blake also got himself in to a good position in the County box, but his header went over, as did one from Adam Proudlock. County took the lead against the run off play on 24 minutes. Only Glynn Hurst had had an attempt on the Wolves goal before a Richard Sneekes cross was handled by Carl Robinson on the edge of the County box. This gave County a free-kick in a central position 20 yards out. Shefki Kuqi lined up the ball and we could all see that he was going to smash it, which he did low in to the corner of the net past Oakes. Shaun Newton then hit a low drive for Wolves but the ball went narrowly wide of goal and hit the support behind the goals, giving the impression from opur end that it had gone in. Wolves had an ideal chance to equalise on the stroke of half-time. Nathan Blake was clearly brought down in the penalty area by Rob Clare, who was booked, but Cameron's penalty hit the inside of the post before spinning out for a goal-kick on the other side. Wolves came out for the second half having clearly received a stern talking to and Mark Kennedy then proceeded to run the show. After his shorts ended up round his ankles after a dive, he played over a cross in the 68th minute which hit the inside of the far post, and bounced of Lee Jones' back and in to the net for an own-goal. However, County re-took the lead just two minutes later. Petri Helin broke down the right and laid it in towards Scott Taylor, the ball took Taylor's knee and ballooned over Oakes in to the net. Wolves came back at County ans piled on the pressure which resulted in a second equaliser on 78 minutes. Subsititute Jarkko Wiss missed his kick in the middle of the County half, which allowed Kenny Miller to feed the ball through to Nathan Blake, who scored on his Wolves debut. Wolves sould have won the game after this but for a fantastic save by Jones, and Leo Roget clearing a goal-bound Cameron shot in injury time. Wolves: (4-4-2) Oakes; Muscat, Lescott, Butler, Naylor; Newton, Robinson, Cameron, Kennedy; Blake, Proudlock (Miller). Not used: Andrews, Beresford, Roussel, Pollet. County: (4-4-2) Jones 7; Clare 5 (Smith 6), Roget 7, Flynn 8, Woodthorpe 7; Helin 7, Sneekes 6 (Wiss 6), Fradin 7, Taylor 7 (Ross 6); Kuqi 7, Hurst 6 (Wiss 7). Not used: Dibble, Van Blerk.
ATTENDANCE: 20,742 Date Tuesday 18 September Ali Gibb came in to the right-back position in place of Petri Helin and Aaron Wilbraham came back after suspension in place of Glynn Hurst, who dropped to the bench. County's first-half performance did not inspired confidence as Sheffield United took the game by the scruff of the neck. They could easily have been more than the two goals up that they were at half-time. The two goals came within three minutes of each other around the half-hour mark. After Bobby Ford had already come close to giving United the lead, Carl Asaba got through in to the penalty area and was adjudged (questionably) to have been brought down by Mike Flynn. Flynny was booked and Shane Nicholson (a familiar name) comfortably slotted home the penalty in front of the Cheadle End. Then, within two minutes County were further shocked by a terrific goal by Peter Ndlovu. He got the ball on the half-way line, jinked past Fradin, cut inside Colin Woodthorpe and slotted the ball inside the near post of Lee Jones. Laurent D'Jaffo could have almost made it three as County turned in a lacklustre first half. County's Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi failed to reappear for the second half, and the news filtered through later that he had an ankle injury and could be out of action for up to six weeks, he was replaced by Neill Hardy. Scott Taylor, how had County's only chance of the first half was almost played in by Hardy but could not provide the finish. County eventually managed to work their way back in to the game and scored with ten minutes left. Bobby Ford was punished for leaning on to Neill Hardy, and Leo Roget scored from the penalty spot to give County a lifeline with ten minutes left. County could have also got a point but Petri Helin's shot after a corner had been cleared to him clipped the outside of the post in stoppage time. County: (4-4-2) Jones 6; Clare 6 (Helin 7), Roget 7, Flynn 7, Woodthorpe 6; Gibb 7, Sneekes 6 (Wiss 6), Fradin 7, Taylor 7; Kuqi 6 (Hardy 6), Wilbraham 7. Not used: Dibble, Hurst.
Sheffield United: (4-4-2) Tracey; Page, Murphy, Sandford, Nicholson; Ndlovu (Curle), Ford, Santos, Brown (Montgomery); Asaba (Suffo), D'Jaffo. Not used: Peschisolido, De Vogt. ATTENDANCE: 5,137 Date Saturday 22 September Petri Helin came in to a three-man midfield for this game with Ali Gibb shunted back to right-back. David Smith came back in, as did Glynn Hurst for Kuqi and Sneekes, Neill Hardy also started for the first time, Scott Taylor bizaarely on the bench. There was not long to wait for the goal action in this game. Only three minutes had passed when County got a free-kick on the left-hand side. Dave Smith took it and delivered a cross of quality that County have been missing in recent weeks and Neill Hardy headed it in for his first County goal. Grimsby equalised on 22 minutes with a scrappy strike. Jonathon Rowan was set up on the edge of the area and struck it, not very cleanly, but it bounced in to the far corner of the net beyond Lee Jones' outstreched hand. Glynn Hurst almost scored County's second, but his shot was saved by Coyne. County, however, remained the better team during the first half and re-took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Hardy again scored with his head after Glynn Hurst had helped the ball in to the box, and Hardy, back-peddling, nodded the ball over the visiting 'keeper and in to the net. Grimsby's young striker Stuart Campbell sent in two curling free-kicks during the opening of the second half, on of which was saved by Lee Jones, and the second went just wide of the post. For County Karim Fradin's header from another Ali Gibb set play was off target, and this was punished by Grimsby midfield man Wayne Burnett on 69 minutes. Burnett picked the ball up just inside the County half, beat Karim Fradin as the Frenchman slipped over, and then without being tackled stuck the ball in the corner of the net from 25 yards. This was a bad goal for County to concede as the Grimsby man was not closed down. County managed to take the lead for the third time just four minutes later. Ali Gibb got down the right and crossed in, the ball struck Aaron Wilbraham on the beack of the head and looped over the 'keeper in to the far corner of the goal, a fluke goal, and Wilbraham's first of the season. It just looked like County were going to finally register their first win of the season, but Grimsby where again let back in to the game. Leo Roget half-cleared the ball to around 30 yards out, Menno Willems picked it up and his shot deflected of Dave Smith in to the path of Stuart Campbell, who equalised, again running through un-challenged to tie it up again at 3-3. There was then a bizaare incident when Neill Hardy was substituted and Scott Taylor brought on a few fans in the Main Stand did not like the decision and started booing. Andy Kilner then turned round to them and shouted something inaudible in their direction. There were no further chances during the game which leaves County still looking for that first league win. County: (4-3-3) Jones 7; Gibb 7, Roget 6, Flynn 7, Woodthorpe 6; Helin 7 (Clare 6), Smith 8, Fradin 7; Hurst 7, Hardy 7 (Taylor 6), Wilbraham 7. Not used: Turner, Sneekes, Welsh.
Grimsby Town: (4-4-2) Coyne; McDermott, Groves, Beharall, Gallimore; Butterfield (Boulding), Burnett, Willems, Campbell; Jeffrey (Allen), Rowan (Broomes). Not used: Smith, Croudson. ATTENDANCE: 7,834 Copyright Ian Waterhouse 2001. All rights reserved. |
