Game Fifty Six - Stockport Home

3 March 2009

After several home draws in a row, our form at the Walkers Stadium could see the undoing of our bid for the title if we're not careful. For some reason, the decent performances that we are putting in on the road are not being reflected in front of bigger crowds at our own venue. Stockport was a chance to put this right but their likely tactics of 10 men behind the ball meant it would probably be a long night once more.

After work, I headed over to the Highcross pub to catch up with an old friend from school who had gotten in touch after discovering me through this blog. Must have been 7 years since we last spoke and so we had a lot to catch up on and a long season of football to discuss. An all round good time and hopefully it won't be another seven years until we catch up again!

As we left the pub, it was like being in a rainforest with the rain pouring down and the wind whipping around us. My umbrella didn't last long and Mary Poppins clearly lied to me as I didn't float straight to the stadium at all... it was more of a random stumble being blasted from all sides by the strange weather conditions. By the time me and Mark made it to the stadium, we were soaked to the skin with water dripping off everything - not a nice way to watch a game. Met Helen and Jobber outside the stadium briefly before heading in and trying to dry off.

The groundsmen were out in force trying to keep the puddles from forming on the pitch but were starting to fight a losing battle as the wind swirled round. My old man showed up, doing his impression of a drowned rat too and you got the feeling it wasn't going to be a night to warm us all up.

Kerrea Gilbert did his best to warm the crowd up inside 90 seconds though as his deep cross was deflected into the corner by a Stockport defender. Clearly an own goal but he appears to have been given it somehow meaning that every player in our starting 11, bar the goalkeeper, has scored this season - quite an impressive stat really.

2 minutes later though and the curse of the ex-player struck again as Chris O'Grady, a player who never set the world alight in his short career with us, smashed in an equaliser from the edge of the area after a neat turn and shot. A very good goal - we never knew he had it in him (and I dont think the Stockport fans did either)!!

The next 20 minutes were just a mixture of frustration as free kicks and crosses flashed across the goal just needing a touch to take them in. Nothing would fall for us in the box and time and time again, a chance was lost and the ball was smashed back towards the half way line. It was clear that the visitors had come for the draw and they persisted in passing the ball between the defence and had no interest in even crossing the half way line - it bordered on the pathetic at times.

There were no real attempts on goal for the remainder of the first half, and even till half way through the second half, the two goal keepers were left with very little to do. But when they were needed, they were up to the task. A mistake by the defence let in Johnson but debutant goalkeeper Stockdale preserved our unbeaten run.

Stockdale had to be at his best again in the last minute to keep out a long range O'Grady strike and it ended up being another night of disappointment at Filbert Way. We made our way out of the stadium, back into the elements, reflecting on more dropped points and wondering if we will ever win at home again.

Sorry that this was just a short entry but Ive had things to do recentley and it's been hard to find the time to fit this in. Special thanks to Bedsfox though for identifying the man mentioned in the last entry (see the comment at the end of it for details.) Next up is Martin Allen and Elvis Hammond's return to Leicester for the first time as bottom of the table Cheltenham come to the Walkers looking to turn the league upside down.