There was a concern at half time as Bayliss was forced off. Ivan Varfolomeev was introduced in midfield for what would be his first full half of league football in a City shirt. By the way, red and white away from home when there is no kit clash should be compulsory.
I thought we started well again, but Stockport are a decent side, and led by the wizened feet of Norwood, and (begrudgingly) the excellent Brad Hills, they began to creep into proceedings. Just before the hour mark, City conceded a central free kick just outside the area. It was a crude challenge by Hamer, not malicious, just a little unorthodox. Norwood’s strike beat the wall but not Wickens, who dived sharply to his right to turn the ball away.
The danger was not fully cleared and from the subsequent phase of play, Stockport were awarded a penalty. Was it a penalty on Hills? I’ve seen it back once, and what I would say is I don’t think it is as clear-cut as the one they didn’t appeal for at all in the first half, but I can’t complain. The referee, Paul Marsden, had a far tougher afternoon than the official last weekend, and I don’t think he did too badly at all. Wickens guessed correctly and saved the spot kick, but Jayden Fevrier reacted quickest to turn home the rebound and bring the hosts level.
What followed was ten minutes of strong Stockport pressure, as they got an edge from the Edgeley Park crowd. For a moment, it felt like we’d crumble, but that was a fan perception, not player actions. We didn’t go to pot, it was them putting it on us after bringing Fevrier on, and it felt like we needed a big change. That’s what happened last weekend, the shape shift changing the game, but this time out, Skubala kept it the same.
All the Imps had to do was reset, and we did that. The euphoria from their goal died down, and that methodical, meticulous Imps machine just started up again. At the moment (and I include Blackpool in this) it just feels like we’re so hard to knock off course. Opposition score, we dust ourselves down. We draw a game we should win, but we’re back on the front foot days later. We feel like that horror movie bad guy that survives everything and is still hunting the protagonist deep into the night.
Hackett and Draper both saw shots blocked as we fought hard to get back in control. One characteristic was us winning the ball high up the pitch and pinning Stockport back, not letting their flair players, like Diamond, get in good areas. Reach continued to be a major outlet down the left, creating space for Street after 71 minutes, only for the chance to be blocked behind.
That corner led to a Moylan effort which deflected behind again, and after the third delivery Draper did well to spin away from his marker and fire narrowly wide. City struck the woodwork again after 76 minutes, Dom Jefferies, on for Draper, sending in a deep cross that Street met with a powerful header which clipped the post and bounced clear.
There were a couple of penalty shouts, with the fans eager for it to be evened up. One was for handball, but coming in a phase of play where we’d got away with a blatant handball, so was never going to be given. Hills, the panto villain all afternoon, also looked to have brought down Street at one point, but on second look, the ref got it spot on. The tension built, the game remained hard fought, but hard to manage, so again, credit to the referee for that.
It was obvious neither side were content with a draw. We’ve found ourselves in a lofty position, one that a few weeks ago was apparently undermined by teams having games in hand, a foundation of sand I recall being told. Now, we’ve packed that with clay and wanted to strengthen further, while the ambitious Hatters might feel they should be further up, and knew a win would damage us, the promotion interlopers, from our strong perch.
Wickens made a huge save to deny Diamond with ten minutes remaining, as the home side showed their quality in flashes. Up the other end, Hackett’s inswinging delivery from the right almost found Jefferies at the far post as City continued to probe.
After a surprisingly low four minutes of added time went up, I felt a draw would be a good result. However, I’d also said in the Discord I felt there was “another moment coming”, as there was pushing and pulling all over the field. I just didn’t imagine that, finally, it would be us getting ahead in stoppage time.
So it came to pass. Hackett’s cross was initially cleared as Stockport scrambled to clear their lines, but moments later, the winger jinked into the area. Former Sheffield United man Jack Hunt lunged and brought down our boy, and Paul Marsden pointed to the spot. I didn’t argue their spot kick, and if Stockport have an opposite number to me, they won’t argue ours.
Rob Street stepped forward, showed nerves of steel, and rolled the penalty into the bottom corner, sending Hinchliffe the wrong way. It was as cool as you like, and capped a really energetic afternoon from Street. In fact, I almost wish I’d gone with a “Quality Street” headline, but to single out one player on a wonderful afternoon would be unfair.
Four minutes turned into seven, but City managed those final agonising moments expertly. Sonny Bradley dominated the aerial battle as Stockport launched one last push, but the Imps saw the game out with authority.
At what point does universal appreciation for what we’re doing become a thing? I ask this because when we lose, we mention budgets, and I’ve already seen people talking about getting ‘better strikers’ for the second half of the season, but we’re squeezing our budget dry, punching 16 places higher than the budget table suggests and doing so with a bit of swagger. Earlier in the season, I felt we were landing lucky punches at times – we talk about winning 3-0 at Posh when the balance of that game was very different. We talk about losing two points at Bolton, when the balance of the game should have seen them pocketing three long before their late leveller.
There were hints. Luton at home we didn’t ride our luck, and as the weeks have rumbled on, we’ve only been bad and got nothing twice – at Rotherham and at Orient. We’ve gone toe-to-toe with teams packing twice our budget, and look where we are. Oh, I’ll 100% buy that there are six teams below us in that table and I’m not pleading poverty, nor will the club. The simple point I’m making is we’re probably closer in terms of numbers to a play-off chasing League Two side than we are to Stockport.
Today, we weren’t lucky. We were really good. We boxed clever, did what was needed, when it was needed. We had something like 20 shots, and the football Michael Skubala wants us to play, the football he’s alluded to over the two years he’s been with us, is here. The days of Kennedy defending and hoping for a break, or Appleton building up with a million passes, are gone. Both those spells had their merits, but this feels different. It feels like we’re a team to fear, not in that we’ll blow you away, but that we won’t stop fighting.
Honestly, this is as close to the Cowley feeling as I’ve had, and we’re doing it at the top end of League One. It’s madness.
Right now, I’m going to sit on the sofa, eat Quality Street (yes, got it in), drink fizzy pop and keep warm by the fire, just as I have done for the last 22 years. The difference between this and the last two decades? I do so on Boxing Day as City celebrate an away win. Who knows, next year, I might be doing so after we played Wolves, QPR or Ipswich.
Up the Imps