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The Stockport connection

Simon Smedley
14/ 5/2008

WITH County currently negotiating their way through a gripping League Two play-off campaign, it was eye-catching to note that Monday night’s League One play-off first leg at Elland Road featured a number of players with Stockport connections.

More than 36,000 packed into Leeds United’s huge stadium on Monday as Gary McAllister’s side took on John Ward’s Carlisle United.

The atmosphere was electric with the home fans baying as vociferously as ever for their team to secure a first leg advantage.

It didn’t quite work out for the Leeds faithful though.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, the Cumbrians’ midfielder who had a spell at County when Sammy McIlroy was in charge in 2004, struck a Leeds post with an early acrobatic effort.

Then, just beyond the half-hour mark, Carlisle silenced the home faithful with a goal which featured some more great skill from Reddish’s very own Simon Hackney.

Hackney, who Carlisle signed from Woodley Sports in 2005 and has since become a firm fans’ favourite, blasted in a cracking volley which deflected off the backside of Danny Graham and beat Leeds ‘keeper Casper Ankergren at his near post.

Carlisle took their lead into the break, and soon after the restart went two up thanks to a triple Stockport connection.

A great move down the left saw Hackney play in former County loanee Evan Horwood, he crossed in low into the Leeds box, and there was Bridge-Wilkinson who slid in to guide home a shot into the corner.

Hackney later limped off with an ankle injury, before Dougie Freeman’s stoppage time strike ensured Leeds will travel to Brunton Park tomorrow night [Thursday] with a 2-1 deficit going into the second leg.

Hackney should recover in time for that game as he bids to make it a second trip to Wembley with Carlisle, while Leeds may include former Hatters favourite Anthony Elding in their squad tomorrow.

Unfortunately Elding, who joined Leeds from County at the end of January transfer window after notching 15 goals by that point, has mainly featured on the bench at Elland Road since his switch, but he didn’t even make the 16 on Monday night.