Manchester City scrambled a desperate point from a wretched performance
against a team who have now gone 15 games without a win, equalling an unwanted
club record.
City's saviour was defender Richard Jobson - who headed home with just 11
minutes left.
But promotion-chasing City's escape was more due to the catalogue of
misfortune that handicapped their local rivals than anything else.
County lost key men Kevin Francis, Ian Moore and then - crucially - excellent
defender Jim Gannon, and it was too much for them to hang onto a first half lead
after that.
City were poor. Jobson and Gerard Wiekens were ponderous and slow at the back,
while Robert Taylor continues to struggle up front.
County battled for their lives, and managed to hold out at the end under a
tremendous barrage, the least they deserved.
City could hardly have expected anything else but a fierce, passionate
examination, regardless of County's terrible recent form, even if Joe Royle's
team were given a glorious start with a goal after just seven minutes.
Mark Kennedy's run and cross from the left was met by Robert Taylor's downward
header. The ball could well have been on its way past Carlo Nash anyway, but
Jamie Pollock was on hand a yard out to make sure.
But City were unable to build on that fine start, being subjected to County's
long ball game and spirited midfield battling.
County exerted intense pressure with everything being hurled forward at the
giant Francis, while a stream of deep throws into the box caused continual
problems in the heart of City's defence.
It was nasty at times. Tony Dinning was booked for a two-footed lunge at Nicky
Weaver that enraged the City keeper, while Pollock was booked having walked a
thin line with referee Jeff Winter with dissent and persistent fouls.
The County pressure paid off after 28 minutes when Karim Fradin's through ball
sent Moore clear of a square back line to run on and sidefoot the ball past
Weaver.
Before the restart, Francis departed with an ankle injury, no doubt to the
relief of City's hard-pressed defenders.
But it brought little relief, as the pressure increased with City unable to
clear the ball, making matters worse for themselves by continually squandering
possession.
Jobson was booked for dragging down Moore, and Weaver made a marvellous double
save from Fradin and another from Dinning before County grabbed the lead two
minutes from the break when skipper Mike Flynn flicked home Ali Gibb's corner in
the six-yard box.
The pattern hardly changed after the break and County squandered three fine
chances to go further ahead inside the next 15 minutes.
Moore turned Gerard Wiekens and fired just wide, Dinning put Sean Connelly
clear in the box and he also shot the wrong side of an upright, before Weaver
saved superbly from Dinning.
City were disjointed and unable to get anything from Flynn and Gannon at the
heart of County's back-line.
Substitute Paul Dickov came on and produced City's first chance of the second
period with a low drive wide of the far post, a rare threat to Nash's goal.
The loss of Gannon, carried off after 72 minutes with his legs strapped
together, really put County under pressure, and Nash made excellent saves from
Wiekens and Kennedy as City battled for an equaliser.
It came on 79 minutes when Richard Jobson headed into the far corner from
Richard Edghill's cross. City had a Jeff Whitley shot kicked off the line by
Fradin in the final, desperate minutes, but a victory really would have been
harsh on the hosts.
Teams:
Stockport: Nash, Connelly, Nicholson, Flynn, Gannon (Byrne 74),
Cooper, Gibb, Dinning, Fradin, Moore (Bailey 64),Francis (Lawson 31).
Subs Not Used: Gray, Elliott.
Booked: Dinning.
Goals: Moore 28, Flynn 43.
Man City: Weaver, Edghill, Granville, Wiekens, Jobson,
Bishop (Dickov 61), Pollock, J. Whitley, Kennedy, Goater,Taylor.
Subs Not Used: Horlock, Wright, Grant, Wright-Phillips.
Booked: Pollock, Jobson.
Goals: Pollock 7, Jobson 79.
Att: 11,212
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
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