Cheadle Town 2-2 Glossop North End

It has been something of a tumultuous summer at Park Road for one reason and another so we were extremely pleased to get some actual football played the other night against Glossop North End for the first of our pre-season friendlies.

In order for both (new) managers to get a look at as many different players as possible, it was decided to run this match as 3 x 30-minute periods; a tad transatlantic but it served a purpose.

As is the case each summer there was a mix of faces new and familiar and it's going to take Anthony Trucca the full course of the pre-season programme to find his perfect mix.

Things almost got off to a demoralising start as Glossop were awarded a penalty in the first minute; thankfully Adam Rigby was equal to it, a save that wouldn't have done his confidence any harm whatsoever.

Nine minutes into the second period we broke the deadlock when George Clary received a cross from the right and turned neatly before poking home from close range.

A gathering of thoughts and opinions at the end of the second period

Glossop drew level on 63 minutes when a long ball was gathered and finished well into the top corner before the power of a shot from the right on 83 minutes was too much for Ryan Allcock and he just couldn't prevent it from rolling in and giving Glossop the lead.

Tom Russell clattered the crossbar before we deservedly drew level with three minutes remaining. A short bout of head tennis in the box was finished off by Tom Ratican - hero of the Reserves' Stockport DFA Final - who headed home at the far post.

A good workout for all and plenty of food for thought...for both managers we should imagine.

Many thanks to the Glossop North End fans who turned up in numbers and gave us an impressive attendance of 224.

Cheadle Town 2-2 Glossop North End

And so the curtain falls on this season's pre-season activities. If the adage of "starting as you mean to go on" rings true for the rest of the season then we're in for a treat; we have been a joy to watch over the past three weeks.

And none more so than in the first 16 minutes of this encounter against Glossop North End of the Northern Premier League First Division, 16 minutes that saw two exceptional goals rattle the back of the GNE net.

First up, after just two minutes, was Liam Tongue. Seizing possession in midfield, he drove forward and unleashed one of his howitzers from distance.

Nathan Tosum then got in on the act with a vicious, dipping shot from fully 25 yards out. Anything that Liam Tongue can do....

In between those two goals was a decent chance for Mike Sherrington as he latched onto a threaded ball from Thab Magida only to see his attempted dink excellently clawed away by the GNE keeper.

The first half ended with GNE starting to get a foothold in the game. Their no11 managed to fashion himself some space at the edge of the area before screwing a shot horribly wide before their no3 let fly from distance, forcing our Ben Jupp to acrobatically tip over the bar.

Ben was on hand again minutes into the restart, denying Astley Mulholland from close range before they reduced the arrears on 50 minutes when Mike Norton hooked an already goalbound shot past Jupp.

Liam Tongue raced through on goal shortly afterwards but side-netted his chance before Norton was through again just before the hour mark, shovelling his shot just wide this time.

Good work down the right from Mike Sherrington on 66 minutes was almost rewarded but his cut-back was cut out at the last minute before Magida could sweep home.

With just four minutes remaining GNE got the equaliser. A lofted ball into the Cheadle box was headed down into the path of an awaiting forward who lashed home with ease from close range.

A shame from our point of view as it looked as though our grit and resolve in the second half was going to fashion us the win...but perhaps deserved from a GNE perspective given their much-improved performance in the second half.

Our thanks to our friends at Glossop North End for the pre-season match and to their band of merry followers who, as ever, came in numbers and good spirits. All the best for the forthcoming season.

The next time we take to the field it will be for real and a baptism of fire as we are flung straight into the FA Cup.

To Penistone and all that it may bring.

STARTING XI: Jupp, McLaughlin, Pearson, Russell, Shaw, Dunn, Hincks, Tongue, Tosum, M Sherrington, Magida. SUBS: Piggott (gk), Milne, Whyatt, Connolly, Horan.