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Accrington Stanley 0 Stockport County 2

Simon Smedley
27/ 2/2008

COUNTY bounced back from their first defeat in 10 League games in the perfect fashion at Accrington on Saturday.

The Hatters were dominant almost throughout this match, and confirmed their superiority thanks to a couple of cracking goals from in-form hit-man Liam Dickinson.

On a day when manager Jim Gannon also showed off two excellent loan signings from the Premiership - goalkeeper John Ruddy returned from Everton and youngster Shaleum Logan from Manchester City simply oozed class - County eased to their sixth straight away victory.

Stanley created a couple of half-chances early on, but throughout the 90 minutes Ruddy didn’t have a shot to save in anger.

The Hatters could even afford the luxury of Michael Rose’s second-half penalty miss.

Struggling Stanley’s best spell was probably the opening 15 minutes. Shaun Whalley shot wide, then Andrew Todd produced a great cross from the right, only for skipper Paul Mullin to thump a header wide from eight yards.

From then on it was pretty much all County.

Rose set up Dickinson, but he saw a shot well saved by Kenny Arthur, before the Hatters did go in front on 34 minutes.

Dickinson was upended on the left side of the Stanley box, but he dusted himself down before heading home Logan’s subsequent pinpoint free-kick.

County deserved their goal but, before the interval, Tommy Rowe came close to another when he volleyed wide.

It was all County in the second half, and they should have scored more than the one they did manage.

Dickinson headed just wide, then on 53 minutes a penalty was awarded when Sean Webb couldn’t handle Adam Proudlock’s tricky turn and tripped him in the box.

However, Rose’s spot-kick was saved superbly down low to his right by ‘keeper Arthur.

County’s blue and white travelling army only had another 10 minutes to wait for a second goal though, and it was a belter.

Dickinson, with his back to goal some 20 yards out and with Aswad Thomas for company, simply shrugged the defender off before finding a yard and cracking home a great shot which flew into the far corner of Arthur’s net. He was nowhere in sight.

The points were now in the bag, but County were still in the hunt for more goals.

Rowe shot wide, then Dickinson almost whipped the ball past Arthur after latching straight on to a massive clearance from Ruddy. The Stanley ‘keeper just about intercepted, but Proudlock’s looping effort from the rebound was cleared off the line by Thomas.

Logan and Proudlock combined superbly before the striker shot narrowly wide, then Proudlock flashed a fierce effort just over from 15 yards.

Sub Adam Griffin got in on the act late on when he drove a shot just over from an acute angle.

This really had been a great performance from County.