Hillmen get off the mark

Glossop North End got their first points of the 2024/25 North West Counties Premier League season with a dominant 4-2 victory on the road at Stockport Town, on a warm and sunny Monday evening.

The build up to the game was far from ideal as first defender Joe Pennington was a late withdrawal from the squad due to a muscle injury causing a reshuffle in manager’s plans in defence and then, in the warm up , ‘keeper Max Povey aggravated a niggle from the weekend and had to withdraw which pressed youngster Charlie Gladwin into his first action of the season. Otherwise the team saw Lee Rick return to anchor the midfield as captain and wingers Lekie Ajibode and Jamie Nicholson recalled on the flanks with Tom Lawless dropping to the bench and Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro unavailable.

The hillmen started the brighter of the two sides in the late evening sunshine and were soon in front. A long throw from fullback Phil Perry caused trouble for the Stockport defenders and as the ball fell to Lewis Reilly he looked to sweep the ball home only to see Stockport’s Jack Atkinson handle ball on the line. His hand was deemed to be in a natural position so it was a yellow card for the defender and a penalty to Glossop with Reilly cooly dispatched for his second in three games.

Frustratingly Glossop allowed the hosts to level within minutes of going in front as midfielder Josh Edwards was able to bundle the ball over the line after a header from a corner, needlessly conceded, had struck the woodwork and GNE’s defence were unable to scramble the ball clear.

Despite the setback of conceding their lead so quickly Glossop bounced back and quickly regained control of the game with Conal Gallagher and Abdul Djalo controlling things from midfield. It was these two who combined to restore GNE’s lead just before half time as Conal’s through ball was well finished by Abdul to send the Hillmen in at the break deservedly in front.

Despite being forced into an early substitution after just a few minutes of the second half with Lee Rick forced off, replaced by Gabe Hughes, Glossop were soon in the ascendancy and looked likely to add to their lead, which they did on the hour mark through Lekie Ajibode. In the moments preceding the goal however there were excellent defence blocks from Jack Hopkins, who was pressed into action at centre back, won all his headers and was solid next to James Badrock in the heart of Glossop’s defence, and a great sliding block tackle from Dylan, McMahon which set up a counter attack where Conal and Abdul combined and as GNE’s #10 skipped past defender Jeffery Oni, who had been carded earlier in the game, he was chopped down, whilst through on goal giving the referee, who was competent throughout, an easy decision to brandish a second yellow, and the subsequent red card to reduce the hosts to 10-men. The resulting free kick was excellent from Jamie Nicholson’s left foot but the quality of the strike was bettered by the brilliance and bravery of the save from Joshua Schofield. It was the resulting corner, after a delay for treatment for the‘keeper, which saw Leke’s effort bundled over the line and the goal awarded by the assistant referee.

Brodie rang the changes with three more substitutes coming on, including a composed debut from new signing Oliver McKay in middle of the park, and it was substitute Tom Lawless who added Glossop’s fourth with a powerful finish following good work from
Leke who had carried the ball on a counter attack and played a cross field ball to Tom who had taken a good touch to control, another to set himself up to drill the ball through the onrushing keeper’s legs to make it 4-1 to the hillmen

Despite Stockport adding a consolation second, again through midfielder Josh Edwards, who was later sin-binned, GNE finished the stronger, against 9-men, and the late pressure should have resulted in a fifth goal as first Tom Lawless hit the post from seven yards out and then, from the resulting corner James Badrock shot straight at the keeper from similar range.

Glossop remained comfortably in control of the final stages to claim a valuable three points on the road, our first of the season. After the game Brodie was pleased to get off the mark and commented on the volume of chances created and he singled out Jack Hopkins in particular for his defensive display.

This coming weekend Glossop return to FA Cup action as they host West Didsbury & Chorlton on Saturday in the preliminary round.