STOCKPORT COUNTY 2, BRADFORD CITY 3
Stockport County’s Vertu Trophy campaign came to an end in the retitled competition’s first knockout round, after defeat by the odd goal in five at Edgeley Park against Bradford City.
The lively tie with the League Two Bantams – whom County had met once before, and narrowly beaten after another high-scoring affair, in the then Autoglass Trophy more than three decades earlier, saw Bradford net twice within two early first-half minutes, before goals from Ollie Norwood and Odin Bailey got the Hatters back on level terms ahead of the interval, only for the visitors to regain and ultimately retain the lead just following the hour.
The Hatters took to the field for an early kick off on a dry but chilly Tuesday night showing nine changes from their League One starting line-up that had faced Exeter in SK3 three days previously. Only Fraser Horsfall – who took the captain’s armband in Lewis Bate’s absence – and Jay Mingi survived as starters, although half a dozen players who had begun the Saturday match were named among the substitutes.
The visiting side, which itself featured six differences to Bradford’s initial team at the weekend, included a former County player in defender Neill Byrne, who had been a popular member of last season’s League Two title-winning squad at EP. His fellow Bantam and ex-Hatter from 2023/24, Antoni Sarcevic, was, however, ruled out of participation due to an ankle injury.
With just over five minutes played, the visitors had a glorious opportunity to take an early lead through top scorer Andy Cook who surged through on goal after intercepting a loose ball from Ryan Rydel but Corey Addai, between the County sticks, advanced off the line and used his legs to keep out the striker’s shot.
But eight minutes later, Bradford went ahead as Ciarán Kelly’s delivery from the left was flicked on by Cook to Calum Kavanagh who fired home from close range.
Upon the quarter hour, the Bantams doubled their advantage again following a move that originated on the left flank with Cook, on this occasion, applying the decisive finishing touch after latching on to a Lewis Richards cross.
A degree of remedial positional reshuffling ensued for the Hatters, who halved the arrears after Jack Shepherd’s foul on Tayo Adaramola near the left edge of the Bradford box presented them with a free kick which Norwood whipped into the net off the crossbar for his first goal in a County shirt.
Norwood’s next act in an increasingly entertaining affair was to launch a ball into the visitors’ box that was met by a weak defensive back header enabling Bailey to beat goalkeeper Colin Doyle to the ball and then loop it over him to restore parity only 18 minutes after County had gone two down.
The scorers were to be troubled no further before the break, but visiting captain Alex Pattison saw a well-struck shot smothered by Addai, before Adaramola, by way of an extra talking point, was shown a yellow card in added time for re-entering the field of play after treatment, but without apparently having done so at the correct place from the sidelines.
County introduced Michael Mellon, who had returned to the squad following an injury in early November, at the beginning of the second half. And the on-loan striker from Burnley was quickly in action with a couple of attempts, first connecting with Adaramola’s cross to head narrowly over and subsequently half-volleying beyond the left post.
At the other end, Richards and Brad Halliday stung Addai’s hands with venomous shots in quick succession, before the County ‘keeper saved with his legs from Pattison and kept out a volley by Corry Evans.
The visitors were enjoying a good spell of pressure and capped it a few minutes after the hour-mark when Kavanagh scored his second and Bradford’s third by converting a Pattison cross from the right. Then, shortly afterwards, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international looked set for his hat-trick, and a chance of putting the tie beyond doubt but Addai again came to County’s rescue by sticking out a foot to block.
The Hatters, in response to going behind once more, saw them again change formation and regain a greater share of possession albeit, alas, without applying a cutting edge in the final third ahead of the final whistle that signalled their exit from the competition.
Goals: Norwood (26), Bailey (33) for Stockport. Kavanagh (13, 63), Cook (15) for Bradford.
Stockport County (3-4-3): Addai; Hughes, Horsfall, Rydel; Diamond, Mingi (Mellon 46), Norwood (Connolly 69), Adaramola (Bate 75); Fiorini, Olaofe, Bailey. Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Touray, Pye, Wootton.
Attendance: 1,433 (270 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.