Crewe 0 County 2
An utterly ridiculous Dave Challinor leads an utterly ridiculous Stockport County side to an utterly ridiculous tenth consecutive victory for the third time in less than two years
Wednesday 25 October 2023
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and any Crewe supporters joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Wednesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
Cathartic. That’s how I’m feeling today, after our first victory at Gresty Road since the day we were relegated to the Conference. It might not be the case for the 1,041 Hatters in the away end last night who weren’t at Crewe on the day our Football League status was taken away. But for many of the 1,100 County fans who did see the final nail drilled into our coffin on 30 April 2011, I know how special last night was.
Stuart Price from The Railwaymen Podcast and Sandy McGregor from a bonkers away end reflect on the night County won a tenth consecutive game for the third time.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Colourtone. As always, a big thank you to Paul.
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: 38.66 miles
Total steps so far: 67,558
Total raised so far: £683
Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.
Des Junior
Yesterday’s match in one word:
Stuart – Cagey.
Sandy – Fan-bloody-tastic.
Pre-match thoughts:
Stuart – In terms of County, I've said all season I think they'll be the team to beat based on what I've seen or read, without seeing them play for 90 minutes. For Crewe it felt like a test of how good we really were. Are we up for the challenge of competing for the automatics this season?
Sandy – I was feeling pretty positive (well, as positive as you do as a County fan). I thought they needed a win a lot more than us.
Post-match thoughts:
Stuart – For County, nothing really changed. There was less skill involved than I was expecting, and more long, direct play, but very good at stopping us play, very big, very organised and ultimately good enough for the win. For Crewe I think that shows us we are not quite near the top, but we competed well, and I don't think there was anything to suggest we were thoroughly outplayed.
Sandy – Even more positive. The long hike back to the car passed in a flash.
Verdict on Crewe:
Stuart – No shots on target is obviously a concern, but I think that was down to stockport nullifying us very well. We are still the top scorers in the EFL, so this is not likely to be a big problem, going forward.
Sandy – I was expecting a lot more from them. They looked as if they would have been happy with a point.
Verdict on County:
Stuart – Very good. I think if that's how you play every week you’ll be lining up in League One next season.
Sandy – Job well done. Scrappy first half. Second we absolutely dominated. 'The League's Best Attack' had three shots, none on target. Says a lot. Wootton back doing what he does best.
Top Hatter:
Stuart – I'll pick a couple out. Former Crewe midfielder Sarcevic controlled the middle of the park very well, and Ethan Pye I was very impressed with. I thought he took Tracey out of the game completely.
Sandy – Think I might have to give it to Ethan Pye. Getting better with every game. Snuffed out Tracey and even started making forward runs. Sarce was outstanding but ran out of gas in last 15. To be honest Sarce could be man of the match any game.
Top Railwayman:
Stuart – Luke Offord had an excellent game, carrying on the form he's been showing all season.
Sandy – Nobody stood out.
Atmosphere:
Stuart – I was watching at home on iFollow, as I live outside the UK, but there seemed like a decent following, both for the home and away fans. It's a shame it was a Tuesday night game, as I do think there would have been a few more there if it was a traditional 3pm kick-off.
Sandy – Boisterous. We were in the stand at the side on the left. County fans were in good voice. Definitely raised things as the game went on. I didn't hear much from Crewe. It’s a derby against local rivals who are top of the league. Surely that should get the adrenaline pumping?
Hopes for the rest of the season:
Stuart – Let's see, we're nowhere near as bad as people predicted us to be. I'm yet to see anyone, other than County, who I think are shoo-ins to be out of the league at the end of the season. Heart says aim for top three; head says top 10. I'm hoping we get somewhere in the middle and end up with three extra (victorious) games to end the season.
Sandy – I hope and believe we can go up as champions. The league is stretching out at the top now. The teams you would expect to see contending are getting to the front. Really pleased we are not playing catch-up.
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 2-0 victory at Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday 24 October 2023, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…
8.04pm: I see Crewe have provided the referee tonight.
8.05pm: Fucking dire isn’t he?
8.09pm: Looks like Barry’s hamstring has gone?
8.10pm: Might be the last we see of him for a while.
8.35pm: Frustrating game so far. We are not great tonight and not terrible. Lots of sloppy passes and unforced errors but Sarcevic and Croasdale having good games. Pitch is shite. Barry likely out for months. They’re solid and dangerous. Crewe have conceded the most on-shot targets in League Two and we’ve only had one. On the flip side we’ve defended largely well. Overall lack of quality I think. Big second half coming.
9.11pm: Get in! God, I love Kyle Wootton.
9.12pm: So simple. Great jump.
9.33pm: FUCKING GET IN!
9.34pm: Thank chuff for that. I'd have taken Tanto off half an hour ago.
9.55pm: Crewe were a bit baffling, they almost played for a draw. An odd performance whilst we were immense.
11.07pm: From a Crewe fan on Facebook: “Watched a team tonight head and shoulders better than anything I've seen home and away playing against my team Crewe. Stockport definitely going up. Great performance.”
Give your car a lick of paint
Granted, Stockport used to be a little rough around the edges. But the town’s getting a good old lick of paint these days, with fancy new offices, apartments, bars and restaurants springing up. You can’t be driving up and down the A6 in a tatty car with chipped paintwork, so give your car a nice lick of paint too. Colourtone is your go-to company for that. They’ve been servicing the automotive and industrial markets in Cheshire and Greater Manchester for decades, and carry an extensive range of car paint and industrial paints.
Visit colourtone.com for further details.
Photo of the day
Gresty Road, Crewe
An absolute belter from Ben Walker. Check out his website stockportcountyshirts.co.uk for some shirt belters that you can wear to the match. (Or the pub.)
Today in SK
🍷 Food and drink
Fancy a few midweek drinks tonight? The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including a Doubles Bar for just £4.50, a comprehensive range of shots for £2, and 3 for £6 on Jägerbombs.
For those on a gluten-free diet, finding a nice portion of fish and chips to tuck into can be quite difficult. But on a Wednesday at Fishers of Cheshire (SK2), gluten-free meals are available. Open till 9.30pm.
Lite bite meal deal at The Friary (SK3). Cod or haddock, served with chips, and a side of peas, curry or gravy. Plus tea or coffee. £9.95. 11.30am - 7.30pm.
Wine Wednesday at TRUNK (SK7) from 5pm. 50% off all bottles of wine from 7pm. Call 0161 222 9260 to book a table, and mention “The Scarf My Father Wore” to receive a 15% discount off the normal tapas menu.
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