Stockport: Conrad Logan, Gareth Owen (Keith Briggs 88), Ashley Williams (c), Gary Dicker, Matty McNeil, Adam Griffin (Anthony Elding 52), Anthony Pilkington (Jason Taylor 70), Paul Tierney, Dominic Blizzard, Adam Proudlock, James Smith

Subs: Chris Adamson, Greg Tansey

Town: Glynn Garner, Darren Moss (Neil Ashton 46), Stewart Drummond (c), Darran Kempson, Dave Hunt, Marc Pugh (Danny Hall 85), Kelvin Langmead, Dave Hibbert, Michael Symes (Stuart Nicholson 76), Ben Herd, Colin Murdock

Subs: Chris MacKenzie, Jimmy Ryan

Attendance: 5473

Ref: A Penn
Assistants: M Naylor, N Smith
Fourth Official: D Mohareb

Marc Tierney has failed to recover from his ankle injury picked up in the midweek defeat at Yeovil. Darran Kempson comes into the starting line-up with Colin Murdock expected to slot into the left-back slot. Neil Ashton has no reaction after he recovered from his broken elbow and is added to the bench.

It was an edgy start to the game from both sides who were trying to play so nice football but neither was taking hold of the game.

The best chance dropped to County after a good Town attack broke down with the ball being quickly played out of defence, it was then lifted over the Town defence to find Adam Proudlock free in on goal, he went to slot it past Garner but Kelvin Langmead put in a brilliantly timed sliding tackle to block the shot behind for a County corner.

The pressure was coming from County and they were pegging back Town at times and putting a lot of crosses in to the Town box. Garner was coming for a lot of balls but for the first time this season he failed to deal with a couple balls and this invited pressure onto the Town goal.

Town's chances had been few and far between and the best they had to show was a long range effort from Stewart Drummond after he had swivelled well on the edge of the box, but it was easy for Logan in the County goal.

County were still seeing a lot of the ball and Town couldn't really get hold of the play. The Town defence were doing well to soak up the pressure but the County midfield were pushing up to play a really high line but Town were holding well.

The Town grabbed the lead pretty much out of nothing, the ball was played out to Pugh on the left and he took play forward, the got near to the edge of the County box but was forced to put the ball back onto his right foot, then put in a great cross to the back post to find Dave Hibbert who rose well to put a superb header across the goal that dropped in to the net.

Town could have been 2-0 up moments later after Symes and Hunt combined well in the midfield before putting a good ball out to the right for Moss to run onto, he hit a great first time cross that found Dave Hibbert but he smashed his header just over the County bar.

Town's lead only lasted about 5-minutes before County were level, they had a good period of pressure that saw the ball come to Matty McNeil on the edge of the Town box, he looked for the angle and drilled in a low shot that was blocked, the ball then fell to Proudlock who shot as Kempson slide in but the ball flew lot into the far corner of the net to make it 1-1.

It was still the home side who were having the better of the pressure but Town were managing to keep County at bay and the score remained 1-1 until half-time:

Half-time: 1-1

Town started with a change of personnel with Neil Ashton coming on to replace Darren Moss, with Town looking like they maybe switching to three centre-backs.

Town had the best of the pressure with first Neil Ashton having a good sight of goal and then a corner saw the ball with Stewart Drummond, he span well to get a shot if but it was deflected behind for another corner.

There were chances dropping to both sides but the best were coming to the visitors with Michael Symes having two great chances, the first a curling shot that was blocked for a corner by Ashley Williams and then a good ball in found Symes in behind the defence but he miss hit his shot and the ball bounced wide.

County should have taken the lead again with just over quarter of an hour of the half gone, the impressive Adam Proudlock got the ball but was forced away from goal by Murdock, Proudlock kept going and then curled a superb cross across the face of the goal and luckily for Town Elding who was sliding in at the back post failed to connect.

Town had a great bit of pressure where County couldn't get the ball out of their own box, shots came in from Ashton, Hibbert, Drummond and Symes but all were somehow blocked and County finally managed to get the ball clear and relax.

Proudlock had been causing problems all afternoon and when the ball came to him on the edge of the Town box he showed great strength to hold off the challenge of Murdock, the County striker then twisted to get a sight of goal but Murdock had recovered to come across and block.

County were still having the lion's share of the possession and when another quick break saw the ball put into the back post it looked dangerous for Town, the ball dropped to Jason Taylor who had found space at the back post, but just when it looked like he would smash the ball home Colin Murdock came across to get an important block in and Garner cleared up.

County were getting nearer and nearer to getting a second goal and there were a few hearts in mouth times for Town, one of these was when from a corner Proudlock curled over another good ball, Williams flicked in on and then McNeil flicked on a header from close range but Garner was equal to it and pulled off a great save.

Town nearly forced the home side into giving away a goal after a long kick downfield from Garner saw the ball bounce high up towards the County box, Nicholson was scurrying towards it with County keeper Conrad Logan and Paul Tierney coming to clear, the County pair got in each others way and then ball bounce agonisingly wide of the far post.

As the game entered 3-minutes of injury time County had another great chance of a goal from another excellent corner delivery. The ball was curled in-swinging towards the goal but Garner managed to get a fist to the ball, it fell to Keith Briggs on the edge of the box and he drove in a superb low shot that Ben Herd did well to throw himself in the path of to divert for another corner.

Full-time: 1-1