Cheadle Town 1-2 Stockport Town
An annoying/frustrating (delete as appropriate) defeat on three fronts: one, it was to neighbours who have only just moved in recently; two, the goals we conceded were in the "soft" category and three, it puts us out of a cup competition.
The first significant incident of the game after 7 minutes saw us go behind. Mottershead's scuffed shot from within the penalty box looked meat and drink for our defence but in attempting to clear it Mike Kennedy could only get his legs in a tangle and divert it past Steve Piggott.
We then grew into the game and were extremely unlucky not to equalise on the 17 minute mark: Chris Sherrington's fierce effort from a tight angle cannoning off the underside of the crossbar and somehow refusing to to in.
Ten minutes later Rathburn was through but had the ball snatched from his feet at the last minute by the Stockport keeper before we were given a reminder of the dangers of Nathan Neequaye down the other end as he was allowed to win the ball on the byline and put in a dangerous cross: thankfully it was ballooned over the bar.
On the 26th minute we did draw level with a wonderful individual effort courtesy of Rick Whyatt who danced through Stockport's midfield and defence before firing high into the net.
Rick Whyatt and Chris Sherrington celebrate after Rick had put us level with a superb solo effort
We then finished the half strongly. Just two minutes after Rick's leveller Darryhl Mason crossed in from the left for Josh Westmerland to surely side-foot home but his effort sailed over. Darryhl himself was through on goal a minute later but a heavy touch let him down, enabling the keeper to collect.
Rick Whyatt then went through on the stroke of half-time, saw his shot parried out to the edge of the box to Chris Sherrington but a bobble at the wrong moment meant his effort ended up in a Tennyson Road garden.
It's a shame that half-time came along as our momentum went and we started the second period sluggishly, conceding to give Stockport the lead once more just six minutes into the restart.
There seemed to be a period of "after you, Claude" defending as a corner from the right came in and rolled around in our six yard area. Ensuring that the "former player scores against you" box was to be ticked, Matthew German slid in and stabbed the ball over the line.
Just five minutes later and we almost drew level once more as Darryhl Mason's clipped ball into the box was headed against the post by a Stockport defender.
After that the match, and our efforts on goal, petered out. The closest we came was on 82 minutes with a Dean Nolan outside-of-the-foot shot whistling over the bar with Stockport then testing Steve Piggott late on with two efforts as injury time beckoned, denying Nathan Neequaye a goal on his return to Park Road in the first instance.
Another cup campaign beckons this weekend as we return to the FA Vase and a tricky away tie at Handsworth Parramore.
TEAM: Piggott, McLaughlin, Pearson, Trucca, Kennedy, MacAuley, Rathburn (Nolan), Westmerland (Coan), Mason, Whyatt, Sherrington (Coan). SUBS: Nolan, Pegler, Coan.
