Stockport County 5-1 FC Halifax Town

FC Halifax Town were thrashed 5-1 by Stockport County on a miserable Boxing Day afternoon at Edgeley Park.
Stockport County v FC Halifax TownStockport County v FC Halifax Town
Stockport County v FC Halifax Town

It was well and truly a Christmas stuffing for The Shaymen, who were a distant second best against a rampant County side, for whom the excellent Elliot Osborne netted a hat-trick.

Festus Arthur had set Stockport on their way with the opener, while there was also an own goal by The Shaymen, who scored through Liam McAlinden.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It's now two wins in 13 games for Town, whose confidence looks paper-thin.

The Shaymen were lacking in all areas here - defensive stability, attacking threat, cohesion, commitment and creativity.

Stockport, meanwhile, were hungry, sharp and clinical.

If this run carries on much longer, the play-off places will be disappearing into the distance soon.

Pete Wild was forced to field a patched-up defence due to the absences of Jacob Hanson, Nathan Clarke and Jerome Binnom-Williams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Shawn McCoulsky and Danny Williams were dropped to the bench, with Cameron King making his first start for a month.

Strong hold-up play by Nyal Bell allowed Osborne to burst into the box before his shot hit the outside of the post inside the first minute as Stockport started as they would go on.

The hosts possessed good movement and strong running off-the-ball, and looked confident inside the final third.

Most of Stockport's problems at the back in the early stages were self-inflicted through failing to clear the ball, but The Shaymen couldn't take advantage.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Adam Thomas' deflected shot was beaten away by Sam Johnson after a quarter of an hour, before Osborne's cross just evaded the lunging Bell near the penalty spot, as the hosts played the smoother, more fluid football.

Jamie Allen was Town's best attacking outlet early on, but the visitors struggled to offer a threat of their own, with crosses cleared and attacking moves breaking down.

McAlinden linked-up well with King just outside the box midway through the half, but the latter scuffed his shot wide.

Town fell behind when Tom Walker's corner was met with a header at the far post by Festus Arthur, which was probably deserved on the balance of play.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tobi Sho-Silva had a header deflected behind shortly afterwards for Town, for whom King looked by far the likeliest player to create something.

The contest was summed up 10 minutes before the interval when a Town corner was cleared and County broke at speed, with the dangerous Osborne charging up-field before Thomas dragged a shot across goal and wide.

Halifax simply weren't offering the same intensity and penetration in their play.

King did his best to try and make something happen, but could only do so much with his fellow Town attackers out-of-sorts, creating few, if any, clear cut chances.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The same couldn't be said of the home side, and Osborne doubled their lead after the marauding left-back Tyler Garratt cut the ball back to him and he fired the ball low across goal.

Johnson then palmed away Osborne's shot from outside the box before the half-time mercifully arrived.

The best that could be said of Halifax was they'd not sat back and had tried to attack, but they'd again been ineffective going forward, and defensively they looked nervy and fragile.

It already appeared game over when Osborne scored his second and County's third less than 10 minutes after half-time when his low shot sneaked under Johnson, who will surely feel disappointed to have been beaten from what was a very angle.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Some of the travelling 530 Town fans then booed the decision to take off King in place of Jack Redshaw.

That was the least of Pete Wild's problems though, as his side began to capitulate, conceding a fourth, from another Stockport corner, when the ball appeared to go in off a Halifax player.

Just when things couldn't get any worse for The Shaymen, they got marginally better as McAlinden got one back with a superb low shot that cracked in off the far post from the left of the box.

Stockport had taken their foot off the gas by now, resulting in more possession for Halifax, who at least kept trying to play. But that was the least that could be expected, and it was too little, too late anyway.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Things did get worse when Town were caught badly out of shape at the back, leaving too much space for Osborne to run into, and his shot was deflected in by Matty Brown.

Stockport could have had more if they'd remained in top gear, with Town long-since running on empty.

Stockport: Hinchliffe, Minihan, Palmer, Arthur, Garratt, Keane, Turnbull, Thomas, Osborne (Cowan 82), T Walker (S Walker 76), Bell (Mulhern 67). Subs not used: Leesley, Ormson.

Scorers: Arthur (25), Osborne (43. 53, 73), own goal (61)

Shots on target: 7

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 3

Halifax: Johnson, Maher, Staunton, Brown, Duckworth, Cooper, Nolan (Williams 62), Allen, C King, McAlinden, Sho-Silva (McCoulsky 72). Subs not used: Appleyard, Macdonald, Redshaw.

Scorer: McAlinden (65)

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 9

Corners: 5

Attendance: 5,536 (530 away)

Referee: Daniel Middleton

Town man of the match: Cameron King