Sunday 5th March
North West Counties Football League First Division South
Brocton 1 Stockport Georgians 0
Brocton were unchanged from the side that drew at Abbey Hulton in midweek with Jake Thomas, Adam Weldon, and Kenny Devoir all still missing through injury. Stockport Georgians came into the game just outside the play-offs in 7th position. A big crowd was in attendance for the 6th game of the weekend in the NWCFL Groundhop.
Brocton could have made the dream start, cutting through the Stockport defence inside 30 seconds but the ball seemed to stick under the feet of Christian Blanchette who couldn’t get his shot away. Stockport forced an early corner when a cross from Finlay Bartram took a deflection. The corner was played in to Paul Connor but he dragged his shot wide. In the 12th minute, a cross from Connor Haddaway was headed behind for a corner by Sam Corbishley. Brocton were awarded a dubious free-kick on the edge of the area for a foul on Reg Smith. Willl Whieldon played the ball to Smith, but his shot was blocked. Brocton were playing the better football with clear cut chances at a premium. Smith tried his luck from 25 yards with James Hodges making a comfortable save. In the 27th minute, Tom Vaughan fouled Sam Hind on the edge of the Brocton area. Sam Oliver took the free kick which skimmed the Brocton crossbar. Whieldon volleyed wide from a decent position on the half-hour mark. Stockport were happy to play the ball out of defence, but they tried it once too often and Smith caught Hodges in possession, luckily for the visiting keeper the ball ran out for a goal kick.
Half-Time: Brocton 0 Stockport Georgians 0
Stockport introduced Hamid Addai at half-time and he was off target following a run at the Brocton defence. In the 52nd minute a speculative effort from Smith was well wide of the target. Brocton had gained the ascendancy and were pushing Stockport ever deeper. Whieldon again tried his luck with Hodges gathering easily. In the 58th minute, Smith blocked a clearance from Hodges, gathered the ball and shot to the near post where the keeper made amends with a fine save. Two minutes later, Blanchette was tripped on the edge of the area by Thomas O’Brien. Smith stepped up and fired the free kick into the bottom left hand corner of the net to give Brocton the lead. The goal spurred Brocton forward and Whieldon saw a shot deflected for a corner even though it appeared to come off a green shirt. Great approach plays from Brocton almost created number two. Ben Haddaway teeing up Blanchette whose shot was well saved by Hodges. In the 68th minute, a drive from Morgan Payne was deflected for a corner by Corbishley. From the corner, the ball came out to Payne whose shot was inches wide. Stockport were reduced to ten men in the 76th minute. Corbishley clattered Payne and the referee showed the Stockport defender a second yellow – in all honesty he couldn’t have argued with a straight red. Smith had a shot half blocked before he headed wide from a Jake Triggs free kick. Stockport continued to push forward but they failed to trouble Tony Allsopp and Brocton gained a vital 3 more points towards a playoff place.
Full-Time: Brocton 1 Stockport Georgians 0 Attendance: 457 (a club record)
Brocton: Tony Allsopp, Charlie King, Jack Bostock, Luke Haddaway (Jake Triggs 69), Tom Vaughan, Ben Haddaway, Christian Blanchette, Will Whieldon, Reg Smith, Connor Haddaway, Morgan Payne (Will Finlay 85). Subs (Not Used): Lewis Rowley, Alex Curtis, Mario Novaku
Stockport Georgians: James Hodges, Paul Connor, Sam Oliver, Samuel Corbishley, Thomas O’Brien, William Wareing (Euan Melia 78), Kyle Wych, Jack Hopkins (Thomas Russell 58), Samuel Hind, Finlay Bartram (Hamid Addai 45), Joel Atkinson. Subs (Not Used): Paul Beresford, Jack Woolley
Yellow Cards: Ben Haddaway, Whieldon (Brocton), Corbishley, Obrien, Wareing (Stockport Georgians)
Red Card: Corbishley (Stockport Georgians)
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