Des Junior’s Great Big Review of 2022: Part 4 - April
Uh-oh, we’re in trouble, something’s come along and it’s burst our bubble, yeah yeah
Tuesday 20 December 2022
I’m sure a few defensive County fans will state that Deadpool didn’t really burst our bubble, which is fair enough, but it’s not every day I get to include lyrics from 90s female pop duo Shampoo in my subheading. Whether you were shaking like a shitting dog, or felt as cool as a cucumber in April, our lead at the top of the National League was cut from 11 points to 1, so regardless of any games in hand we might have had, I think it’s fair to say one or two of us were starting to feel the pressure from north Wales. I’m looking back at April today as part of my 2022 review, which was a real topsy-turvy month, that started and ended in defeat.
Once again, a big thank you to everyone who’s bought tickets so far for our first live event in 2023 - ‘A Curry with Colin Woodthorpe’. It’s taking place at Last Monsoon in Stockport on Monday 30 January at 7.30pm. The restaurant is pretty much next to the bus station, train station and motorway, so it’s really easy to get to. We’ve sold 50% of the tickets already; hopefully we can shift the rest and have a cracking night with one of Gary Megson’s first County signings ahead of our first season in Division One in 1997-98. Colin stayed at Edgeley Park for all of our five seasons in the First Division, and he’s got some excellent tales to share with us.
You’ll also get poppadoms, mixed starters, curry, rice and naan bread. As well as a full colour souvenir programme. All for just £20. Fancy it? Send me a text or give me a call on 07816 111150, or you can email desmondhinks@hotmail.co.uk (If you’re looking for a last-minute stocking filler idea for the County fan in your life, by the way, this would make a perfect gift!)
Finally, today’s edition is sponsored by The Site Supply Company. A big thank you to Steve Cree. Check out hivis.net if you need any workwear or high visibility clothing, and get 10% off all orders with the code TSMFW.
Des Junior
Saturday 2: Deadpool (A) 0-2
Saturday 9: Southend United (H) 5-0
Friday 15: Grimsby Town (A) 1-2
Monday 18: Solihull Moors (H) 1-0
Saturday 23: Yeovil Town (A) 1-2
Saturday 30: Boreham Wood (H) 1-2
After 21 games and 111 days without defeat, April started with an unfamiliar losing feeling. Of all the places to succumb to an opponent, it was Y Cae Ras, and of all the games to do it in, it was an FA Trophy semi-final (sorry, couldn’t be arsed working out what that is in Welsh) with a trip to Wembley on offer. In a tight game between the National League’s top two, County certainly had enough chances to book a first Wembley trip for 14 years, but they didn’t take them, whereas Paul Mullin did. End of story.
Dave Challinor’s men failed to take their shooting boots to Wales (must have had them confiscated at border control) but back in England seven days later, they were well and truly strapped on, as County hit five without reply for the third time that season. After King’s Lynn and Barnet, an awful Southend side became our third 5-0 victims. The Deadpool disappointment had evaporated by 5pm, as County remained eight points clear at the top of the table thanks to goals from Collar, Hippolyte, Madden (2) and a first (and only) for Andy Cannon.
OK, wobble time. Prepare yourselves for three defeats in four coming up. After spending 11 years in non-league, it seemed County had developed a severe case of Stockholm syndrome. With the rescue lights of the Football League coming into view, it seemed County got spooked, preferring to remain with their non-league captors. To be fair, the defeat at Grimsby on Good Friday wasn’t a huge wobble. After Scott Quigley’s early opener, we were cruising in Cleethorpes, before a red card for Sarcevic 10 minutes before the break changed the course of the game. Grimsby scored twice in the second half, although our lead at the top was only cut from eight to seven, as Deadpool could only draw at home.
After Paddy Madden’s winning goals against Chesterfield, Torquay and Halifax in May, one that now gets slightly overlooked is his winner against Solihull on Easter Monday. But with Deadpool 4-0 up at home to Altrincham, this was a huge, huge, HUGE goal. Madden had already missed a penalty, but all was forgiven in the 91st minute of the game, as he tucked away Hippolyte’s cut-back to keep our seven-point lead intact.
County’s travel sickness continued the following Saturday, as we slipped up in Somerset. Yeovil had already won at Edgeley Park earlier in the season, and became the only team to do the double against the eventual champions with a 2-1 win at Huish Park. At 2-0 down, Hippolyte’s goal gave us hope, but with Collar sent off two minutes later, that was that. Fortunately, there was no damage to the seven-point lead as Woking grabbed an amusing late winner against Deadpool in front of the BT cameras as County fans were heading home a couple of hours later.
If anyone’s thinking this still feels like a stroll in the park, there were definitely a few twitchy bums in Stockport over the next seven days. With County not playing midweek, Deadpool’s 6-1 win at Weymouth reduced the gap to four points. By 5pm on Saturday it was down to just one, although County had two games in hand going into the late game against Boreham Wood, live on BT Sport. With the visitors winning 2-1 - although we almost grabbed an unlikely point with Elliot Newby’s 94th minute goal, before Hippolyte hit the post just after - April finished with County still in pole position at the top of the National League, but with the gap cut to just one point, although we did still have a game in hand in the locker.
Next Time, on Des Junior’s Great Big Review of 2022: May’s a bit of an uneventful month really. Anne Robinson announces she’s leaving Countdown. McColl’s goes into administration. The UK finish second at the Eurovision Song Contest. I’ll try and think of anything else worth mentioning before tomorrow.
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Matt Walker ‘eats’ the World Cup
🇨🇷 No 21 - Costa Rica (Editor’s Tap) 🇨🇷
“This was a challenge. Jaded and raining. A dog of a first half between Costa Rica and Japan. My breakfast burrito helped, as did the always friendly Costa Ricans, with c10% of their UK population congregating here. The pub exploded when Fuller scored and an iffy start ended with the DJ spinning Ticos tunes deep into the morning. Tremendous!”
One of my favourite football books is Matt Walker’s Europe United, in which the author and Fulham fan spends a whole season taking in a game in all 55 UEFA countries. Well he’s back with another fun challenge, to experience Qatar 2022 in restaurants and bars across London which represent all 32 competing nations. Matt has kindly allowed me to use his photos and I’ll bring you one each day, giving you a tasty flavour of the World Cup, in more ways than one.
The only Christmas gift guide you need this year
5 sleeps to go! The Scarf My Father Wore have curated a beautiful Christmas gift guide this year, from independent businesses across the UK. Have a look at the guide if you need any last-minute stocking fillers.
Today in SK
❓ Simon Diamond’s ultimate rock and roll pub quiz kicks off at 8pm at Doctor Feelgood on the market. Just £2 entry, with some decent prizes on offer.
Stockport photo of the day
The Blue Cat, Heaton Moor
A fiver to see Blossoms in 2014. You’d pay a bit more than that these days.