On a day when there were so many quality efforts at goal it was a fluke
cross-cum-shot from Rob Matthews that skimmed into the back of the Sheffield net
to give Stockport County the victory and points they wanted for First Division
safety.
Matthews had found the back of the net only once before this season but his
manager Gary Megson will be delighted to see his 50-point safety target achieved
- albeit with a lucky winner just 90 seconds into the second half.
United will feel somewhat aggrieved that they did not at least get a share of
the spoils in this end-to-end cracker at Edgeley Park.
They were denied a valid claim for a penalty when Mike Flynn brought down Andy
Campbell in full flight on 28 minutes and but for a mystifying offside decision
which ruled out Lee Sandford's fiercely struck drive on 73 minutes, United would
have had at least a point.
It was fast and furious from the opening whistle with a goalmouth mix-up
between John Gannon and Martin Nash seeing Paul Devlin and then Jonathan Hunt
denied by Nash and Flynn's despairing lunges just 33 seconds into the game.
Kevin Cooper should have done better from Brett Angell's cross on 10 minutes
but put in a poor shot on the turn.
Martin McIntosh got the ball in the United net but had the goal ruled out for
a Colin Woodthorpe foul and Cooper skimmed the post with a great effort before
Angell grazed the crossbar on 22 minutes for the best chance of the half.
Sheffield upped their tempo and the lively Barry Ford and industrious Sandford
saw Nash in action to deny Ford with a spectacular save. Jack Jacobson headed
wide and Marcelo was denied twice in a minute as Flynn's despairing tackle took
the ball off his shooting foot and then Nash saved magnificently to make it
scoreless at half-time.
But it did not stay that way for long as Matthews slotted in his scrappy goal
to end a devastating run down the left flank. Sheffield who had never won at
Edgeley Park were on their way to maintaining their dreadful record.
United had chances for Hunt, Sandford and Jacobson but could not hit the
target.
Woodthorpe was booked for a foul on Blades' substitute Greek international
George Donis on 61 minutes and then McIntosh was yellow-carded for not retiring
at a free-kick.
As frustration mounted Marcelo and Flynn also followed into referee Pyke's
book. At the end of this cracker Devlin's shot skimmed the crossbar but County
held out and Sheffield's play-off hopes were looking a distant dream.
Teams
Stockport: Nash, Gannon, Dinning, Smith, Flynn, McIntosh, Cooper,
Matthews (Moore 79), Angell, Ellis (Connelly 87), Woodthorpe.
Subs Not Used: Gray.
Booked: Flynn, McIntosh, Woodthorpe.
Goals: Matthews 46.
Sheff Utd: Kelly, Kozluk, Quinn, Dellas (Donis 57), Jacobsen,
Sandford, Ford, Campbell (Katchouro 71), Marcelo, Devlin, Hunt.
Subs Not Used: Derry.
Booked: Marcelo.
Att: 7,551.
Ref: M Pike (Barrow-in-Furness).
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