Stockport County 1 Mansfield Town 0

Last updated : 11 February 2007 By Footymad Previewer
In-form Stockport County hung on for a sixth straight victory against Billy Dearden's spirited Mansfield side.

Even more impressively, the home side also secured a sixth clean sheet on the spin in the 1-0 win.

It was Stockport who opened the brighter on a cold, damp afternoon at Edgeley Park. Anthony Elding saw a powerful drive bravely blocked by Stags' defender John Mullins, before he screwed a shot disappointingly wide from 12 yards.

Mansfield hit back on 15 minutes as they were only denied by a quite superb save from Wayne Hennessey. Martin Gritton was in loads of space 15 yards out, but his low drive was wonderfully beaten away by County's agile 'keeper.

It was Stockport who took a deserved lead with 17 minutes gone. Michael Rose curled in a dangerous corner-kick, Matt Hamshaw failed to clear at the near post, and there was Elding who rammed home the loose ball from eight yards for his fourth goal in five games.

Gritton was putting in plenty of graft up front for the visitors, and on 25 minutes, he got up well for a header from Hamshaw's cross, but Hennessey saved comfortably.

Mick Boulding then saw a shot deflected for a corner-kick, but as half-time approached the home side were looking quite comfortable at the back.

Again Hennessey had no trouble plucking a Simon Brown shot out of the air, but on 38 minutes Stockport fluffed a great chance to double their advantage. Alex Baptiste nudged Anthony Pilkington over in the box, but Adam Proudlock saw a less-than-clinical spot-kick saved by Jason White.

The visitors were buoyed by this, and almost immediately Mick Boulding raced away at the other end, only to see his shot well saved by Hennessey.

County roared out of the blocks for the second half, and just a minute in, skipper Gareth Owen found himself in unfamiliar territory when he was only denied by a point-blank save from White.

However, Mansfield still looked well capable of getting back on terms and full-back John Mullins smashed a shot inches wide.

County substitute Adam Griffin came close to making his mark on 64 minutes. He was mighty unlucky when his cheeky overhead kick looped over White before bouncing back off the crossbar.

Minutes later the crossbar denied Mick Boulding at the other end as his shot bounced out following a run from his own half.