Substitute Brian Carrigan eased Stockport's relegation fears with the
match-winning goal against fellow First Division strugglers Sheffield Wednesday
at Edgeley Park.
The young Scot could not have found a more opportune time to score his first
goal for the club as he found the net with 14 minutes remaining to earn Andy
Kilner's side three priceless points in their battle to beat the drop.
Carrigan's goal helped in-form Stockport - beaten once in their last eight
matches - to continue to inch their way up the First Division table.
The defeat leaves Wednesday with work still to be done to preserve their
status following back-to-back losses by Sheffield United and Stockport.
The home side made a lively start with Aaron Wilbraham twice and Simon Grayson
going close in an enterprising opening.
It was no real surprise when Stockport made the breakthrough in the 42nd
minute, though there was an element of fortune as Wednesday's Steve Harkness was
unfortunate to put the ball into his own goal.
Wilbraham drove the ball in low from the left and it struck Harkness at the
near post before deflecting past stranded keeper Kevin Pressman.
Wednesday brought on Belgian international Gilles de Bilde at the restart as
he replaced Owen Morrison as manager Peter Shreeves went for an attacking
approach.
And it took de Bilde less than seven minutes to hit the target when he latched
onto a weak back pass from Stockport defender Rob Clare and rounded keeper Alan
Kelly before scoring from a tight angle.
There was a flurry of bookings, with four cautions in a nine minute spell, as
the temperature soared on a wet and miserable afternoon.
The players that had their names taken were Wednesday's de Bilde, Gerald Sibon
and Harkness along with Stockport's Leo Roget.
Kelly came to Stockport's rescue with an excellent save to deny Trond
Soltvedt.
But it was Stockport who regained the lead when Carrigan struck what could be
a priceless goal in their battle to stave off relegation.
Wilbraham played the ball in from the left, Shefki Kuqi laid to Carrigan and
he placed a shot from the edge of the penalty area low to the left of Pressman.
Teams:
Stockport: Kelly, Flynn, Nicholson, Grayson, Fradin (Wiss 73),
Roget, Gibb, Clare, Hurst (Carrigan 61), Wilbraham, Kuqi.
Subs Not Used: Clark, Woodthorpe, Bergersen.
Booked: Roget.
Goals: Harkness 42 og, Carrigan 76.
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Harkness (Haslam 73), Walker, Bromby,
Hinchcliffe (Crane 85), Lescott, Soltvedt, Palmer, Sibon,
Morrison (De Bilde 45), Ekoku.
Subs Not Used: Stringer, Geary.
Booked: De Bilde, Sibon, Harkness.
Goals: De Bilde 52.
Att: 9,666
Ref: P Danson (Leicester).
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