Vauxhall Motors 2 v 0 Stockport Town
The Motormen returned to winning ways at the Syncreon Arena on Saturday but once again they were made to fight every inch of the way against a decent Stockport Town side to clinch the points to enhance their promotion prospects.
This was their 20th league victory and keeps Mick McGraa’s side in the top driving seat of the NWCL thanks to two lovely strikes from Ryan Cox and Ben Holmes.
Early on Stockport showed their appetite for the game with Adam Freeland testing Ryan Crump in the home goal with a rasping shot from just outside the box which the keeper turned around the post for a corner. Shortly after Motors striker Cox wasted a great chance to steer his side in front but they didn’t have long to wait as the same forward fired home from the left-hand edge of the area beyond the reach of Joshua Ollerenshaw into the bottom right corner of the net on 26 minutes.
Motors put the visitors under pressure at the start of the second half in what was a really feisty match, ironically with only a couple of bookings, one for each side. Within minutes of his introduction Kieran Hamm brought a smart save out of the Town goalie as he struck a fierce shot towards the near post from the inside left slot.
And it wasn’t long before the Motormen grabbed the crucial second goal on 77 minutes. Influential Glenn Rule was brought down outside the area and up stepped Ben Holmes to curl a superb left-footed free kick into the near side of the net from the right flank.
That cushion was important as Stockport always carried a threat and had gone close just before Motors second goal when Jardel Depieza flashed a shot across goal but home custodian Crump will be delighted by this clean sheet.
Vauxhall: Crump, Mason, Heath, Carlin, Mitchell, Rule, Holmes, Cooper, Cox (Hamm 70), Noon (Ruffer 80), Cross (Burkey 81). Subs not used: Drummond
