Burr’s boys to take Stock after defeat (From Worcester News)

Burr’s boys to take Stock after defeat

12:25pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Reports

Stockport County 2
Harriers 1

A SEASON has plenty of bumps and obstacles and out-of-sorts Harriers encountered a Stockport shaped pot-hole on the path to the Blue Square Bet Premier play-offs on Saturday.

To put it simply, Harriers were not at their best and they paid for a lack of sharpness in both boxes against County, who were delighted to pick up the points to boost their own relegation battle.

The Aggborough outfit have loftier ambitions at the opposite end of the table and despite defeat, they remain in the final play-off spots after results elsewhere went their way.

Steve Burr’s side are in an excellent position because of an extraordinary run of results, with this defeat only the second in 16 games and as a result, the manager felt his side had been unlucky to lose.

He said: “I thought we did particularly well, but in the end we just didn’t finish moves off.

“We’ve had numerous chances, we started really brightly.

“I don’t like to be disrespectful to Stockport because they won the game, but in the first-half they had one shot and scored.

“We kept going, played some great football in and around the box, but we couldn’t finish.”

The Hatters’ goal came so against the run of play that it left Harriers stunned.

The visitors should have been ahead in the opening minute.

Jamille Matt harried a ragged looking Stockport defence and Lee Hendrie hit a right-footed shot, only for 18-year-old keeper Ian Ormson to make a mockery of his tender age with a fine diving save.

The away side had been so dominant in the opening stages County’s 21st-minute goal shocked the Aggborough outfit to their core.

Ormson’s goal-kick was flicked on and as the defence dithered, Sean McConville broke free and then applied a firm right-footed finish from the edge of the box.

Things got even worse when luckless defender Tom Sharpe was seriously injured while tussling with Paul Turnbull on the half-hour mark.

The makeshift right-back caught his studs in County’s patchy pitch and twisted his knee, which saw him stretchered from the field and taken to hospital. He was replaced by winger Dave Hankin.

Despite the double setback, Harriers had more of the ball but simply could not create any chances in the final third.

Like the first-half, Burr’s side started the second period brightly only to find themselves further behind in the 55th minute after more erratic defending.

The Harriers’ back-line was caught out when they thought the ball has gone out of play for a throw-in on the left.

However, Daniel Rowe was left unmarked 25 yards out and drilled a low-effort between keeper Tony Breeden, who had been slow to react, and the bottom left post.

Sixty seconds later, Harriers threatened to produce their trademark fight-back when Nick Wright’s shot from the edge of the area deflected wickedly off Daniel O’Donnell and caught out Ormson to reduce the arrears.

But the expected onslaught did not come. Harriers huffed and puffed but Stockport defended en masse to keep the visitors out.

Substitute Anthony Malbon created Harriers’ best opening, back heeling the ball to Matt, who powered to the edge of the box and pulled the ball back to Hendrie.

The former Aston Villa man had time to control the ball and pick his shot but blazed a first-time effort over the bar.

But in the end, Harriers could not produce their normal last-ditch heroics and Burr admitted his team are too often giving themselves too much to do.

He said: “We can’t leave things until late to get something out of the game and that comes with putting your chances away.”

Harriers: Breeden 6, Williams 6, Jones 6, Wright 6 (McQuilkin 67), Sharpe 5 (Hankin 34), GITTINGS 7, Matt 6, Demetriou 6, Storer 7, Bradley 5 (Malbon 46), Hendrie 7. Subs not used: Guinan; Lyness.

Stockport: Ormson, Holden, O’Donnell, DL Rowe, McConville (Cole 89); Halls, Mainwaring (Nolan 72), Elliott (Gritton 57), Piergianni, Turnbull, Connor. Sub not used: DM Rowe.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson.

Attendance: 3,728.