County 2 Blackpool 1

Introducing… Benoný Breki Andrésson!

Mar 03, 2025

Monday 3 March 2025

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NEXT HOME GAME: Charlton Athletic – Saturday 8 March, 12.30pm

NEXT AWAY GAME: Northampton Town – Tuesday 4 March, 7.45pm

Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Blackpool supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Monday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

Dave Philbin was in the Cheadle End on Saturday afternoon for a wonderful view of Benoný Breki Andrésson’s first couple of goals for County. Matt from Mitch Cook’s Left Foot was at the other end of the ground, getting a load of grief off our new security team along with lots of other Seasiders. A lively afternoon on and off the pitch, summed up for you below.

Today’s edition is sponsored by DT Plastering Services and Damp Proofing Specialists. A big thank you to David.

Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.

Total distance so far: 216.74 miles

Total steps so far: 353,516

Total raised so far: £2,270

Total completed streets so far: 474 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)

Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.

Des Junior

✍️ Saturday’s match in one word

Dave: Eventful.

Matt: Deflating.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

Dave: I thought we’d have enough to repeat what happened at the seaside in August. I know they hadn’t lost since Boxing Day, but when you have that many draws you may as well win a couple and lose a couple instead! Wasn't sure how we’d set up after last week's defeat but I was expecting a big reaction. That reaction became extra important after the early kick-offs went in our favour.

Matt: We're vaguely in form, you haven't got Louie Barry, we're better away than at home, c'mon 'Pool!

🧐 Post-match thoughts

Dave: It doesn't matter how you get them, as we approach the final 10 games there's only three things that matter: the points. We got them. The overriding thought after the match was that it was nice to be walking home whilst it was still light!

Matt: Typical 'Pool - big away following, we don't deliver. Been the case for what seems like about three years now. Can't remember the last really good away day with a big following.

🔵 Verdict on County

Dave: Another tale of two halves. Poor in the first half, creating very little and giving up too many chances. The goal was a poor one to concede, and thanks to the post at the Cheadle End it stayed 1-0! Some excellent subs from DC coupled with a probable bollocking at half-time, we came out with a point to prove. A great ball from Tanto and an even better finish from Beno (is that the nickname we're going with? Beno? Breki?) set the tone for the half. Camps is becoming somewhat of a revelation off the bench at the moment, popping up with the big moments when it matters, and did so again for Beno’s composed header. Some big saves again from Addai in the second half after a mistake in the first, and three points were sewn up, capitalising on Wycombe, Wrexham and Bolton all dropping points in the lunchtime kick-offs.

Matt: I thought County were a combination of clinical and cynical. First half you chopped Sonny Carey down three or four times ruthlessly to stop our breaks and just took the booking as par for the course. Second half you were vastly improved but you didn't make too many clear cut chances - but those you made, you made count.

🟠 Verdict on Blackpool

Dave: We saw why they had been unbeaten for so long in the league, they looked really strong at the back and dangerous on the attack. Had they been more clinical they'd have won the match, but that lack of a cutting edge is probably why they haven't managed to turn all those draws into wins.

Matt: First half pretty good, second half pretty poor. We lost the midfield when you rejigged at half-time and we also missed our chances when they came.

🎩 Top Hatter

Dave: Tanto. I’ve been critical of him in the past but recently he’s shown a calmer side to his game, and Saturday was arguably his best game in a County shirt. Andrésson rightly takes the headlines, but they don't get written without Tanto's input in my opinion.

Matt: I like your 4 (little lad but very classy) and your 9 (both big and fast with a decent bit of skill) but it's hard to look beyond the lad who scored twice.

🏖️ Top Seasider

Dave: Fletcher.

Matt: Albie Morgan by about a mile. Got around, distributed some class balls including setting up the goal and two of our three other decent chances. Generally excellent.

👂 Atmosphere

Dave: I thought the atmosphere was the best it has been for a while at home, especially in the second half when it was needed. I was critical of the Iceland Clap after the Barnsley game, but I haven't stopped doing it since Saturday! If he scores, get your clap out.

Matt: Atmosphere was good in the away end and fortunately it was sunny. However, heavy handed and really poorly thought through stewarding put as much of a dampener on things as the result. Your club has to have a look at whoever it is they're employing because they're not trustworthy in my view.

🙏 Hopes for the rest of the season

Dave: 4th in March? Play-offs as a minimum. Another big set of fixtures tomorrow night could take us closer to the autos, and yes, I'm getting carried away and think we're in with a shout. I understand why people say it, but I have to say, I am sick of the whole “not ready to go up" bollocks. We'd recruit for the level as we have done every time we've gone up. Is any side ever ready to go up, bar Birmingham this year? We're 4th in March; if the aim isn't promotion now then we might as well pack up and say bye to football. All in my humble opinion.

Matt: Our season is done. Just want to find some reason to be optimistic about next year so it would be one of our own players hitting some real form or finding an unexpected youth player coming through or something like that.

😀 Best part of the day

Dave: The noise when the second goal went in. Felt a huge moment!

Matt: A spectacularly good pint of Robinsons after the game in the Arden Arms.

😡 Worst part of the day

Dave: The manner in which the first goal went in.

Matt: Arguing with your stewards (and I'm not really the arguing with the stewards type).

The British Library receives a copy of every single book published in the UK. In the same fashion, Des Junior believes a detailed record of every County game should be preserved for the history books. So here’s the full story of our 2-1 victory at home to Blackpool on Saturday 1 March, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

1.05pm: I’m in Prince Albert at the moment.

1.06pm: Have you asked him?

1.07pm: Consent, consent, consent. Especially when Prince Alberts are involved.

1.14pm: Milwall’s keeper off sent off after eight minutes. Horrendous high boot to the face.

1.15pm: Nigel Clough will be putting a bid in for him shortly.

3.03pm: This is the queue for the Pop Side… at three minutes past three.

3.08pm: Well that was fucking awful. Can’t give Addai the benefit of the doubt anymore.

3.09pm: Seemed like he got caught in two minds whether to come or not. (Which isn’t good for a sweeper keeper.)

3.24pm: For a good team we don't seem to deal with going a goal down at all well. I'm pessimistic about getting anything from today now.

4.53pm: Always loved Iceland, me.

4.54pm: That’s a huge win.

5.34pm: Very much ‘a game of two halves’. After a weak first half where only Tanto was better than average, with several players being way below par, DC changed personnel and shape at half-time, then we mostly dominated and deservedly took the win with two very well created and coolly finished goals. Job done, even if we did make hard work of it by going behind.

6.17pm: Outstanding second half today. DC got it right again with the subs, but also changed our approach in the second half, where we were much more aggressive - I felt they bullied us a bit first half. So kudos to DC again. Camps and Andrésson were superb but so was Hills, Pye, Tanto. The sheer effort players put in every week staggers me. No passengers out there, no one phoning it in. They might not play well sometimes but the effort cannot be denied.

7.46pm: Where’s everyone gone?

7.52pm: Prince Albert. Bellis is holding court!

8.06pm: The shots are out now already.

2.30am: Walking across Mirrlees. It’s cold. Trump is an absolute c*nt.

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Photo of the day

~~EastEnders~~ ~~legends Phil and Grant Mitchell.~~

Not only did Dave Philbin write the Blackpool match report for us this weekend, he also grabbed a selfie with Sean Connelly, who was back at EP for the game. One photo, two County legends.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (15) at 6pm, followed by A Real Pain (15) at 8.30pm.

➡️ Click here for tickets.

🍺 Food and drink

Happy Hour at Covent Garden Café (SK1) between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. If you spend £20 or more you get to roll the dice, and if you roll a 6 your bill is half price!

Enjoy a coffee and a cake (pictured above) for just £6 at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). The perfect excuse for a catch-up! 12pm - 4pm.

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.

A number of venues are featured on The Scarf My Father Wore such as The Crown (SK2), The Alexandra (SK3), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Three Tunnes (SK7), Flute & Firkin (SK12) and The Ram’s Head (SK12). Support them this month by popping in for a few drinks or a bite to eat.

🎶 Free jukebox

The Nelson Tavern (SK1). From 6.30pm.

Random snippets from old County programmes

#8 - County v Barnsley, 26 December 1998

Jon Keighren prefers football to Foot Locker on Boxing Day. Good lad.

There’s something a bit special about Boxing Day fixtures. With such a congested fixture list, many managers are calling for a winter break. United boss Alex Ferguson has long believed that a few weeks off would help the English game. All it would do is deprive the supporters of some of the best entertainment of the year. Boxing Day is always a highlight - early kick-offs and big crowds are usually the norm. What better way to recover from the festive excesses than to be here today for our victory over Barnsley? And it’s got to be better than going shopping.

Footnote: County lost 1-0.