Huddersfield Town vs Stockport County

Huddersfield Town story posted by Andy Dixon on 10/12/2002
Around 334 hours after losing to Colchester United, Mick Wadsworth's men face Carlton Palmer's Stockport County, who are sat at a lofty 15th place in a division the terriers seem to be finding difficult. Many fans say that the league table never takes shape until after Christmas, but with Town currently 23rd (and only 12 points off the play-off places) it looks as if the terriers will have another relegation battle on their paws.Huddersfield Town vs Stockport County

With only 15 league goals and 4 wins, Huddersfield Town are rapidly turning into a shadow of the shadow of the team that was flying high at the top of the first division on Christmas Day only a couple of years ago. With the team perilously perched above the elephant graveyard of Nationwide League Division Three, they will have to play like globetrotters and fulfil the unlimited potential that each player has, but players like Thomas Heary, Kenny Irons and Simon Baldry, just aren't doing at the moment.

With Chris Holland, Nathan Clarke and Gareth Evans still failing fitness tests, Town still have the injury worries that have hampered their season from the start. However, a cold McAlpine crowd will be able to welcome back local hero Andy Booth, who managed to survive just over 60 minutes last Wednesday in a reserve game against Barnsley.

For any young fans out there, Andy Booth is the Huddersfield lad who helped us gain promotion from the second division in 1995, but after brief spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham Hotspur (where he played in the Premiership!) he re-joined the terriers as a saviour figure, yet failed to stop us from being relegated to Division Two. Last season he played alongside Leon Knight and Delroy Facey, but hasn't really played alongside Martin Smith or Jon Stead to any significant period of time because of the series of injuries he has endured this year. Nevertheless, his last league game saw him score Town's only goal in a 1-1 draw against Crewe Alexandra in August. The illustrious and infallible local hero is joining forces with Town's latest signing, Lee Ashcroft who is on a month's loan from league leaders Wigan Athletic. Town fans world-wide will be praying for the duo of Booth and Ashcroft to concoct a goalscoring partnership over the festive period which will lift Town out of the relegation zone.

Our Cheshire opponents will be looking for their eighth win of the campaign, however their last away game saw them lose get thumped to 4-1 by Plymouth Argyle, who also eliminated them from the F.A. Cup last Saturday 3-0. However, they won their last home league game 2-1 against lowly Wycombe Wanderers. The terriers last league game was a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Colchester United, while the last McAlpine outing ended in a poor 3-2 loss to struggling Swindon Town.

After last week's Christmas shopping I will be glad to get back to the Mac and I'll endeavour to be wrapped up nice and snug with my blue and white bobble hat, knitted mittens, striped scarf and earmuffs, not forgetting my thermos full of Bovril. Hopefully Phill will produce another cracking match report for you all to savour.


Andy's Prediction:
After a long rest, Wadsworth will have had plenty of time to focus his men on gaining that fifth victory that seems so hard to attain. So I believe that with a degree of concentration and huge support for messieurs Booth and Ashcroft Town will be victorious with a final score of 3-0. Boothy will score a brace, while captain Steve Jenkins grabs his first goal of the season.


Previous Meeting:
Saturday, 13th January 2001:
Huddersfield Town 0 vs 0 Stockport County (Division 2 match)


Swindon's One to Watch:
Luke Beckett
Stockport's 26-year old top scorer with 17 goals signed for them last season from Chesterfield for ?120,000 and will be hoping to add to his tally this Saturday as he opposes Scott Bevan and the rest of Town's defence.


Probable Town Line-up:

[Formation: 4-3-3]
1. Scott Bevan (goalkeeper)
20. Steve Jenkins (right-back)
22. Kevin Sharpe (left-back)
5. Adie Moses (centre-half)
17. Eddie Youds (centre-half)
33. Dwayne Mattis (central midfield)
7. Danny Schofield (right midfield)
??. Lee Ashcroft (centre forward)
19. Martin Smith (centre forward)
9. Andy Booth (centre forward)
10. John Thorrington (left midfield)

Substitutes:
35. Phil Senior (goalkeeper)
27. Nat Brown (centre-half)
29. Jonathan Worthington (central midfield)
8. Kenny Irons (central midfield)
14. Jon Stead (centre forward)

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