STOCKPORT TOWN 3, CHADDERTON 2
Four straight wins has lifted Stockport Town to seventh place in North West Counties League, Premier Division.
But the latest victory against second-placed Chadderton will long be remembered for 90 minutes of madness and mayhem.
The festive season arrived early with referee David Chisnall cast as the pantomime villain as he sent off two players, booked 11 and sinbinned a further two for dissent, one being Town player-manager Paul Turnbull.
It was utter carnage with Town coach Scott Thompson describing it as the “strangest game of football I have ever been involved in”.
“There were different challenges for the players – 11 versus nine, 10 versus nine – but the players adapted to what was thrown at them,” he said.
“The main thing was we managed to get over the line, despite the circumstances.”
Carl Taylor, Chadderton’s joint manager, had no arguments with Ethan Sutcliffe’s sending-off for a stamp, but described the match official as “card happy”.
“The second sending off {James Purfield] was for a genuine attempt to play the ball and left us with a mountain to climb,” he said.
“If we had remained with 10 men, I am sure we would have won the game.”
Indeed, late in the game, Chadderton had two great chances to snatch a point with headers from Jacob Ngoy and Muis Bibire Bello flying agonisingly wide.
Town made the perfect start establishing a 2-0 lead in the opening half hour through Markell Foulds’ header and Keane Barugh’s solo effort after a brilliant jinking run as he cut in from the right to find the net from a tight angle.
Adam Dale halved the deficit with a close-range shot but Chadderton finished the half with nine men as Sutcliffe was sent off and Lewis-Simon Byrne sin-binned.
Chadderton, who have now lost three in a row, showed spirit as Matthew Crothers’ penalty made it 2-2 early in the second period.
Purfield’s dismissal just short of the hour was a huge blow as nine versus 10 became nine against 11 for the last 25 minutes.
Chadderton battled and showed great spirit but Barrugh struck a 73rd minute winner for Town. After a couple of shots were blocked, he found the net with a low drive.
The visitors had nothing to lose as they threw everything at Town late on and really should have converted the two clear-cut chances that could have salvage an unlikely point or even three in this topsy-turvy clash.