League One

According to the Coventry Telegraph, millionaire American businessman Preston Haskell IV has bid to buy financially stricken Coventry City.

The news comes ahead of an expected announcement on Thursday night, which will see administrators outline the League One club's dire situation. 

This as per the Coventry Telegraph, report:

Suspended Sky Blues life president Joe Elliott and former vice chairman Gary Hoffman have made bids on behalf of the property tycoon (Haskell) ahead of tonight’s disclosure of the administrator’s findings.

In an interview with local BBC radio, Elliot said Haskell's attempt to buy Coventry has been a long time in the planning and should be viewed as "extremely serious." The proposed bid, if accepted, would also see Haskell's group take a 50 percent share of City's Ricoh Arena stadium.

Coventry could use saving.

With reported debts in the region of £60 million (BBC Sport), the midlands club have been in dispute with the company who own their stadium, Arena Coventry Ltd, and have been facing the possibility they might have to leave the city they take their name from.

Should this bid be successful and all aspects meet the Football League's due diligence requirements, Coventry fans would have renewed optimism about the club's future. 

Why Would Haskell IV Be Interested? 

Coventry have suffered a monumental fall from grace over the last decade or so and now find themselves a jobbing midtable team in English football's third tier. But it wasn't always thus.

Having reached the top flight in 1967, they stayed firm—through the dawn of the Premier League era—for 34 straight years until being relegated in the 2000-01 season. Their most famous day came on May 16, 1987, when they beat Tottenham in a memorable FA Cup Final (exactly 26 years ago Thursday, as pointed out by the BBC report).

During their time rubbing shoulders with clubs like Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool, Coventry drew regular crowds around the 20,000 mark. Those numbers have slipped with their fall from grace, but Haskell IV clearly sees potential in bringing them back.

Coventry were formed way back in 1883. They have a grand tradition and a brand most football fans will be familiar with. The term "sleeping giant" is bandied around freely, but there's certainly potential for growth were City are concerned.

Who is Haskell IV?

BBC Sport have put together a quick reference guide to the man who would be Coventry's new owner in its report. An Economics graduate from USC, he is the son of billionaire Preston Haskell III, who owns a share of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team.

Haskell III is the founder of The Haskell Company, a wildly successful construction firm in the U.S. whose website boasts revenues of $590 million and reportedly has quite the flair for entertaining.

A Time Life report from 2011 reads, "Texan billionaire Preston Haskell has gained a reputation over the past few years for throwing the most lavish New Year's Eve parties the country has ever seen."

His son Haskell IV has been living and working in Moscow, Russia for the last 20 years. This Bloomberg profile speaks of his diverse business interests, which include him being the founder of Office Solutions and co-owner of a property business in Moscow called Forum Properties.

Whatever he's up to, it's clearly bringing in the dollars. Even if it wasn't, his father could probably lend him a few.

Before the Coventry story emerged, Haskell III reportedly showed interest in buying another club in financial disarray, Leeds United (The Times).

American Owners in English Football

If the deal goes through, Haskell IV will join a host of other American owners who are banking on English football clubs.

There are currently five Premier League teams under American majority rule—Manchester United (the Glazers), Liverpool (John Henry), Arsenal (Stan Kroenke), Aston Villa (Randy Lerner) and Sunderland (Ellis Short).

The implication here is that owning an English football club with global reach makes for an attractive addition to a portfolio for the American businessman. The downside for U.S. soccer is that the money being poured by these men into teams abroad is not being spent on teams at home in the MLS.

Coventry fans won't care about that. They just want their club back where they think it belongs. Haskell IV might well have the capacity to make that happen.

The English FA's tier system is one of the most compelling setups in the sports world. Scanning through the nPower Championship's (and League One's) promotion contenders in early May is an annual rite of spring. Rising through England's ranks has an everyman feel to it, and who doesn't love a good underdog success story.

Then there's the foot of the table.

Wolverhampton are on their way down to League One after spending 2011-12 in the Premiership. A sad story, but what about the plight of 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth. Pompey's freefall through the English ranks found them at the bottom position of League One this campaign (only QPR and Reading have less points in all of jolly old England, Conference included).

@andi_robboDear Portsmouth FC, you absolutely suck fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn…”

— MrsRobinson2B (@crazygirl90x) March 23, 2012

How does a club go from winning the FA Cup and playing in Europe (2008-09 UEFA Cup) to relegation to League Two and two administration stints in three years?

Sorry, the blame does not lie solely at the feet of lovable old Huckster Harry.

Starting in 2007, the club sank a lot of money into players that brought little long-term return—including Sulley Muntari, John Utaka, Peter Crouch, Younes Kaboul and Jermain Defoe. The club's fall from grace began in earnest in the 2009-10 campaign with a fire sale of many of these players.

Despite these measures, paychecks started bouncing in October of 2009. A transfer embargo prevented the club from making important moves during the winter window and the club entered administration in February of 2010.

As a result of Pompey's insolvency (some £135 million in debt), a nine-point penalty was levied in March 2010. Relegation from the top flight was inevitable and confirmed in early April of that season.

In 2010-11, Pompey finished 16th in its first Championship campaign since 2002.

After owner Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov ran afoul of Lithuanian law in late 2011, the club found itself in dire straits once again, leading to another stretch of administration starting in February of 2012.

This time a 10-point penalty was assessed, which proved too much of a burden for PFC to stay in the Championship (Pompey would have finished on 50 points—good enough for 18th position over Peterborough, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Barnsley—but with the penalty they ended up in 22nd).

Portsmouth's first season in the third tier in 30 years would prove to be even more catastrophic than the previous campaign. Relegation cost the club its entire roster and coaching staff and an additional 10-point garnishment was enacted December 2012.

Financial malfeasance notwithstanding, the club was simply dreadful this past campaign, including a 23-match winless streak that began in October 2012 and didn't end until March 2 with a 2-1 win away to Crewe Alexandra.

While things have looked bleak on the pitch and in the boardroom for four seasons running, it's not all doom and gloom on the South Coast. As per a report in The Guardian, The Pompey Supporters Trust completed its purchase of the club on April 19 with an eye towards reinvigorating the club's spirit.

PFC will surely be one of England's most storied clubs to ever play football in the fourth tier. To some degree, they have done Leeds one better by slipping all the way to League Two—Leeds has been adrift since 2003-04, dipping to League One just once in 2006-07.

A trip to football Siberia (actually, such exotic locales as Morecambe and Dagenham will be on Pompey's itinerary in 2013-14) is not necessarily a death sentence as Wolverhampton proved after their crisis in the 1980s (granted, Wolves are crap, again).

We shall see what happens to Portsmouth F.C., a once-decorated club (First Division league titles in 1948-49 and 1949-50; FA Cups in 1939 and 2008) that has fallen on hard times. Oblivion seems like a harsh fate—let's hope a turnabout is on the cards.

January 26th was a mammoth day for both Luton Town and Milton Keynes Dons. Both sides dumped Premier League opposition out of the FA Cup to secure potentially lucrative ties in the fifth round of the tournament. 

Yet that magnificent day has been followed by inconsistent and faltering form from both. Between Luton and MK Dons, eight games have been played since their victories over Norwich and QPR respectively. In these games, both teams have lost three and drawn one. 

This downturn in form has caused MK Dons to lose touch with the play off positions in League One. Earlier in the season they were fighting for automatic promotion, yet now they are struggling to remain in the top half of the table. Even by winning their games in hand, at best they would find themselves eight points behind the top six. 

You sense that if they do not make the playoffs this year, manager Karl Robinson may be out of the door. 

Luton Town have also fell away from the playoff positions in the Conference Premier and need to win all of their games in hand to eradicate the gap. 

With less than a third of the league season remaining, both sides must now muster the results to push themselves back into contention. 

This may be especially difficult for the MK Dons who lack an instinctive and regular goal scorer. 

Maybe it is therefore a good thing that both sides suffered comprehensive defeats in the fifth round of the FA Cup today. 

MK Dons did not show any sign of a good performance in the first half of their match against a resurgent Barnsley side. After finishing the half 2-0 down a slight glimmer of hope was afforded to them when they pulled a goal back. Barnsley dominated the final minutes however and came out 3-1 winners. 

Luton Town put up a fight in the early stages against Millwall but ultimately paid the price for some poor defending, before going down 3-0. 

It would be a travesty to see either side miss out on a chance of promotion once more. Multiple failures to gain promotion in recent years have caused fans to become frustrated. 

A fabulous cup run is thrilling while it lasts, but when its over without a trophy to show for it, results in the league have to be there. 

Sadly and especially for the MK Dons, the task at hand is going to be tricky. It is up to the teams to try and turn their league campaigns around and ensure there can be better in store for the fans of both sides.

It's the fans after all who will remember the pain of a poor league campaign more than a valiant but expected cup exit. 

It now appears to be a case of when, and not if, a Premier League footballer will follow in the footsteps of Justin Fashanu by coming out of the closet.

The barrage of support being brandished about for such an eventuality is making it clear that teammates and clubs would support a gay player. 

Talk of marriage equality in the media and houses of parliament has been frequent, with a sway towards public acceptance of same-sex relationships and the rights these entail. 

Last month West Ham United player Matt Jarvis discussed possible reactions towards gay players in an interview with magazine Attitude. He insisted on the positive response a player would get from his teammates if they were to come out and what this could subsequently mean for the world of football. 

Others such as Gareth Southgate have been vocal about the lack of impact such a revelation would have in the dressing room.

Consequentially you get a growing opinion that within the game there are few who actually care. Instead it's a player's ability that becomes the first and foremost focal point. 

This week the revolution may have begun. Former Leeds United and American international Robbie Rogers has taken the step that many thought would not happen again. Rogers is the first English League player to come out since Justin Fashanu in 1990, in conjunction with the news that he is to retire from professional football at the age of 25.

It's not clear whether Rogers is quitting football due to his coming out, although he has stated that "now is my time to step away. It's time to discover myself away from football." It would be a shame if Rogers felt uncomfortable with the idea of continuing to play with everyone knowing his secret.

Is he fearful of the reaction from those around him?

The FA have been quick to offer their support, in the hope that they can change Rogers' decision on retirement, if it is only as a result of his coming out.

Since transferring to Leeds, Rogers has only played a handful of games, including a short loan spell at Stevenage. Niggling injuries may have caused this anti-climactic move to the UK, and may just be the reason why Rogers wants to focus his attentions away from a sport that his body has not been able to cope with. 

His decision to come out may have beneficial repercussions nonetheless.

England has made massive strides since Justin Fashanu's suicide, which many attributed as a direct result from the way he was treated after coming out. 

Rogers could be the catalyst that starts to bring football in line with the progress towards equality that has been gained over the past decade. 

In the biography I Am The Secret Footballer, the writer does suggest that it's the media and the fans who could provide a deterrent to a player wanting to come out and keep on playing. 

It's highlighted that the media has "no gay footballer to chew up and spit out." Sol Campbell is also used as a case in point to illustrate how a small minority of fans can retaliate. Homophobic chants as offensive as those used towards Campbell show that this small minority may not be ready for an out and proud player to be in the game. 

It's therefore for the FA to regulate the game in the same style and manner to which they have tackled racism. A zero-tolerance policy can be applied to ensure that clear instances of homophobic abuse do not go unpunished. 

What is just as important, is the helpful and positive response to Rogers' brave coming out that is required to ensure others follow in his footsteps and that of Swedish footballer Anton Hysen. 

As soon as a coming out becomes about as common as an Ashley Cole indiscretion, there will be no such negative reaction to deter those who want to be the role model that emerging players can look up to. 

FA Cup shocks do not come any bigger than Luton Town's 1-0 triumph over Premier League Norwich City. 

The fifth-tier side held their own at Carrow Road to book a place in the last 16. In the process, they became the first non-league team since Sutton United in 1989 to knock out a Premier League outfit. 

Also, in the fourth round, League One side Milton Keynes Dons thrashed Premier League's QPR 4-2. The result ended a promising start to Harry Redknapp's time at Loftus Road.  

Both results proved that underdogs, in the heat of competition, can seize the opportunity to progress. It is what the FA Cup is all about. 

When you consider their recent history, such results and cup runs are a welcome return. Frustrations in their respective league campaigns can be subverted and inspired by sensational triumphs. 

Luton Town's demise was heartbreaking. As a side who originally signed up for the Premiership, they found themselves relegated from the league in 2009 after three consecutive drops. 

The last of these was the biggest pill to swallow for the Hatters. A 30-point deduction for financial irregularities saw Luton demoted, even after they tried valiantly to overcome such an extortionate deficit. It was a punishment their fans and players did not deserve. 

After suffering that indignity, they have found themselves stuck in the Football Conference after multiple promotion bids stalled via playoff defeats or end of season slumps. 

Then you have the MK Dons, a team born out of controversy, who have remained rooted to League One football under similar circumstances. Three playoff defeats in four seasons has been the excruciating outcome of hopeful seasons. 

This season, they have come close to chasing automatic promotion, however three defeats in their last six games has seen them drop to eighth in the table. They are seemingly only playoff hopefuls once more. 

An FA Cup fairytale is always a welcome occurrence for any team in the lower leagues. The financial rewards gained from ties against Manchester United or Manchester City could be revolutionary. 

Yet you can't help but feel that for Luton and MK Dons, their ambitions in the league need to remain a primary focus. By currently standing in positions outside of playoff qualification, a good run of form is required to provide at least the opportunity to gain promotion. 

As both have knocked on the door in multiple recent seasons, there needs to be that extra push to gain the desired outcome. Promotion can come into fruition for both if they use their incredible exploits in the FA Cup to inspire results. 

One question needs to be considered. What would be the point of defeating Premier League sides if they cannot triumph over the lesser-able squads around them? It would only serve as another year where the main goals and objectives for the clubs are not met. 

What awaits Luton and MK Dons in the FA Cup remains to be seen. Luton Town will certainly relish the idea of an away fixture against one of the big boys. MK Dons manager Karl Robinson would surely love a fixture against his home team Liverpool. Maybe even a tie between the two neighbours could provide a highlight of the fifth round.

Whatever the case may be, both sides need to use the momentum and cash incentive from their cup campaigns to boost their league ambitions. Should both achieve the long-awaited promotions, then their seasons can fully be determined as a riveting success. 

It was ended with casual flick. It couldn’t really have been more cruel. After ninety minutes of admirable defensive resolve, the underdog of AFC Wimbledon looked to have earned the draw their efforts deserved and a home cup replay to boot.

Yet the brilliance of the FA Cup is tied up in its unpredictability—things rarely run to script. Milton Keynes Dons were the favorites, but the match transcended the confines of the conventional cup game. The script was somehow irrelevant, voided by the enormity of the occasion and the ramifications of this one match some ten years in the making.

It was a classic story of betrayal, heartbreak and ultimately redemption. One club becoming two—a phoenix rising from the flames of the original "crazy gang."

The catalyst of the simmering animosity that underpinned today's game was a decision to allow the old Wimbledon FC, FA Cup winners in 1988, to relocate 60 miles from their prodigal home to a purpose-built all-seater in Milton Keynes.

Supporters of the original Wimbledon, outraged at the acute sense of betrayal, disowned their club, and after significant investment from the ardent supporter base, AFC Wimbledon were founded in 2002.

Starting out in the ninth tier of English football, the club secured a ground share with Nearby Kingstonian, and their admission to the Combined Counties league for the 2002/03 season was secured.

Player trials were held on Wimbledon common, and the club’s first game, a 4-0 friendly loss to Sutton United, was struck by extraordinary scenes where supporters stormed the pitch in jubilation at still having a team to support.

Although the club failed to get promoted in their first season in the Combined Counties League, finishing third, the average home gate was a remarkable 3,000, higher than Wimbledon FC, who were plying their trade in the old First Division.

The culmination of the bad blood came in 2004 when Wimbledon FC were granted the right to rename themselves MK Dons, a decision that still rankles AFC fans today. Fans, outraged at the decision to maintain the moniker "Dons" with the new club bearing little resemblance to its original team, perpetuated a feeling of deep resentment between the sides.

Indeed, a TalkSport poll two weeks ago debating the removal of "Dons" from the Milton Keynes club’s name to facilitate a severance between the sides received 68 percent approval.

AFC Wimbledon have, in the intervening years, rocketed up the footballing pyramid, securing five promotions in nine seasons and last year reclaiming the football league status.

MK Dons, meanwhile, have stayed relatively consistent over the past decade, moving from League One to League Two and back again and strongly challenging for promotion over the past three seasons. After a ten-year hiatus and an ever-lessening class divide, the clubs don't play in consecutive football-league divisions.

The match was never going to be about the result.

Many AFC Wimbledon fans, still too bitter at the perceived injustice that was served against them, boycotted the match, and many of those who attended refused to purchase refreshments that would financially benefit MK.

The game, for the most part, was a tense, stagnant affair. Don’s attacking predilection and obvious supremacy in class were mostly stifled by an admirable Wimbledon defensive display.

It took until the brink of the halftime whistle for the deadlock to be broken, but it was shattered in some style. Former Irish international Stephen Gleeson picked up the ball fully 30 yards out, unleashing a sumptuous strike with the outside of his right foot that flew past Wimbledon keeper Neil Sullivan.

Logic, at this point, would say game over, but it seemed as if 42-year-old Sullivan, a player for the former Wimbledon, was AFC’s lucky charm, as Jack Midson scored with a powerful diving header midway through the second half.

That was how it stayed until the second minute of added time, when Dons substitute Jon Otsemobor nonchalantly swung a heel at a speculative late strike. Flicking over his head, ,evading the desperate dive of Sullivan and nestling in the top corner, it was a fluke not befitting the occasion.

Otsemobor looked for a second, struck with visible shock at what he had achieved before the stadium erupted. It was cruel for Wimbledon, but cruelty is a condition to which the FA Cup is accustomed.

In reality, however, the result would simply have been the cherry on top of a cake that AFC Wimbledon have created over the past ten years—a cake made of the sweat, tears and exertion of ten years of tumultuous emotion, which has finally paid dividends. 

The cake did not need the cherry—the cake has been made. For the fans of AFC Wimbledon that is enough.

Gut-punches.

That will be the term those in the blue and yellow of AFC Wimbledon will most use to describe the goals scored by Stephen Gleeson and Jon Ostembor.

MK Dons fans will simply remember them as the shots that beat back those who would not adapt to the future laid out before them.

The match at Stadium mk between the Dons and the Dons had been feared to occur last term as the two sides were lined up in the second round draw of the F.A. Cup

Only Wimbledon’s loss in a reply prevented it from happening last season, but a replay win this term pitted the two together at last, not to mention started a media circus that enveloped the clubs for weeks.

Those unfamiliar with the story will not understand the anguish and indemnity that League 2 outfit Wimbledon feel towards League 1 side MK Dons.

The closest comparison might be the midnight exit of the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis and the resulting furor that the new Baltimore team, the Ravens, exhibit towards their former entity.

What is no longer in doubt is that the new Dons now have a small bit of bragging rights to hold over their phoenix club counterparts after goals near the end of both halves saw the Milton Keynes outfit advance to the third round of the F.A. Cup.

While the fans were in raucous and rancorous tones, the play on the field was relatively subdued.

Wimbledon, a point above the League 2 relegation zone, was content to let the hosts play in front and to the sides while keeping the middle congested.

The plan limited MK Dons to few chances for the first 44 minutes of play, until Gleeson hit a 30-yard rocket that broke the deadlock.

The goal changed the complexion of the match as Wimbledon were forced to go on the offensive to level the tie.

After some initial offensive movements, Wimbledon struck with a well-played one-two that saw Jack Midson bury a header past David Martin.

Cue the rapturous response and mini pitch invasion by the blue and yellow faithful.

After play was restored, the match entered the same sort of lull that was prevalent in the first half, with the only move of note by MK Dons erased by an offside call.

In the dying moments, Wimbledon nearly snatched a victory after Steven Gregory stole the ball off the MK Don defense, and only Martin’s outstretched right hand denied the Dons a moment of delirium.

It proved to be critical because of Ostembor’s winner.

A corner two minutes after the Gregory chance was barely cleared by the Wimbledon defense. The return shot of Zeli Ismail was back heeled by Ostembor over the despairing lunge of Neil Sullivan.

Cue the rapturous response and mini pitch invasion by the white, red and black supporters.

With so little time left, Wimbledon had no real chance to reply aside from a few desperate heaves at goal, and so it went that MK Dons won the first ever meeting between the sides.

It is a bitter blow to those who made the trip from Wimbledon as, perhaps more than anything else, the fans wanted the new Wimbledon to strike a blow for those who were faithful to the city and history of the club.

The club can take solace in the fact that they made life difficult for a side nearly 40 places above them in the Football League hierarchy and need to use this momentum to move away from danger near the foot of League 2.

MK Dons fans, while not as emotionally invested in the fixture as the Wimbledon faithful, will no doubt enjoy the rights that come from being the sole victors in the history between the two clubs.

It will live long in the memory but short in the present as the squad, sitting three points out of the automatic promotion spots in League 1, must press on towards the Championship.

For some fans, the match represents some form of closure over what was a schism that altered the lives of thousands.

Some will grit their teeth and march on, feeling they are still the victors in what will be a contentious debate for years and years.

Other will simply enjoy the day out and remember when they were there to watch the old and new Dons collide for the first time.

The FA were forced into acute embarrassment last night as, in the wake of their admonishment of the Serbian crowd trouble in the week, a British football fan took to the pitch to strike Sheffield Wednesday keeper Chris Kirkland in the face.

The incident, which occurred during a seemingly innocuous N-Power Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds, has shook British football to its core.

Heaping shame on the hooligan culture that the sport has tried hard to rid itself of, the incident’s resonance was amplified as it was broadcast on live TV.

Leeds, a club who have a reputation for hooliganism, had been trying hard to shake off the salacious tag, only to see a small group's actions throw their reputation back into disrepute. 

The incident, in the 77th minute of the Friday-night fixture, occurred in the wake of a stunning equalizing goal by Leeds’ Michael Tonge, canceling out Jay Bothroyd’s earlier opener for the Owls.   

The goal, a long range curling effort from Tonge, was almost completely ignored in the press due to the subsequent abhorrent scenes.

Chairs were ripped from their fixings and a number of the traveling Leeds support jumped the barrier onto the pitch.

One ‘fan’ almost danced round the edge of the goal before striking the unsuspecting Kirkland in the face with a double-armed shove that sent him sprawling.

In the aftermath, the Internet was alive with aspersions about the identity of the attacker, and the incident trended worldwide on Twitter.

Speaking about the incident Wednesday, boss Dave Jones called for justice; “they are vile animals”, he said. “You talk about racism, the chanting is a form of racism. The Leeds fans are all going to get tarred by the same brush and that's not right, but they will do and they should do because it wasn't one person chanting the vile things. The authorities have to look at it and sort it. I'm talking about an incident when we should be talking about the football."

Leeds boss Neil Warnock was similarly keen to castigate the fans' actions, claiming it made him “embarrassed” to be the club's manager. 

“I thought it was an absolute disgrace. They should get the guy, prosecute him and put him in prison," Warnock continued. “I'm not proud to be Leeds manager when I see that. To see things like that on the field of play, I'm embarrassed.” 

A Leeds official statement confirmed that the club would “fully comply with police and the football authorities. After the week football has endured,” it continued “There is no place for this type of behavior and the majority of Leeds supporters will be ashamed of his actions."

James Gannon's tricky start to the season continued at Edgeley Park as Woking took all three points after Stockport controlled most of the game.

Stockport welcomed back Matty Mainwaring after he was released by Hull and signed on Non-Contract terms. He took up his place on the left side of the midfield as Daniel O'Donnell missed out for County due to injury.

Stockport made the early running as some neat inter play set Danny Rowe free, he fired wide in the first minute.

Woking went close then as Ian Ormson's goal shaking after Gavin McCallum hit the post from outside the area after some disastrous defending from the County defence.

This was the story of the game for Stockport as they continued to give the ball away in dangerous areas.

But it was County who took the lead. It was a Matty Mainwaring corner that was whipped in at the near post and summer signing Alex Kenyon clipped the ball past Aaron Howe in the Woking goal. This was Kenyon's first goal for the Hatters since he joined from Lancaster.

The Hatters were then straight on the front foot but Mainwaring's cross was too deep this time for Danny Hattersley.

Stockport's defending was very questionable at times and the first of Woking's goals just summed that up. McCallum, who had already hit the post early on in the game, cut in down the left wing and as Jordan Fagbola and also Danny Whitehead backed off him he unleashed a shot into the bottom corner of Ormson's goal. Ormson had no chance but to shout at the defence in front of him. 

At halftime the scores were level.

The first 15 minutes were all Stockport as Woking were pegged back by some excellent play from the Hatters. But chance after chance went begging as the County front line became very wasteful in front of goal. 

The best chance in this period fell to Fagbola. A short corner from Sean Newton and Whitehead was swung in and Fagbola's header was well saved by Howe on his line. 

Totally against the run of play substitue Loick Pires struck for the visitors. A break down the left from Dean Sinclair was pulled back and again as Joe Connor and James Tunnicliffe stood off the attackers Pires stroked the ball past Ormson who could only watch the ball trickle past him into the back of the net.

The only other thing to note from the game as it peat out was Jon Nolan, who was unfairly sent off by referee Declan Ford for two tackles in four minutes. His first yellow card came two minutes after coming off the bench to replace the excellent Sam Sheridan who ran the midfield for Stockport. His tackle from behind brandished his first yellow card, then a late tackle and a theatrical dive saw Nolan sent from the pitch.

Woking took the points after five minutes of injury time. Stockport did play well but some poordefending cost them dearly. This is something Gannon as a defender himself surely will be looking at ahead of Stockport's trip to Braintree next Saturday.