McAteer stunner seals the points for Parkes's men

UNTIL Jason McAteer clinically made Stockport County pay for a monumental mistake just 11 minutes from time, this game had long been marked down as another of those to forget - in a hurry.

The man in charge of quality control had clearly pressed the wrong button, or was dozing on the job.

But the Blackburn visitors had only travelled a short distance to witness the First Division continue its frantic, frustrating and frankly scrappy course through the winter months.

And they were due to make the return journey in a state of relief, if not exactly triumph, with three points safely stowed away.

What do you say to someone who had flown halfway across the world from Brazil - home of the really beautiful game - to see his Stockport favourites make just one decent attempt on goal in an entire undistinguished and lacklustre 90 minutes full of unforced errors?

Hard luck, maybe. Or simply give him the number of a good psychiatrist. Failing that, the Samaritans are always worth a call . . .

Honestly, I'm not making it up, they announced the visitor from afar at half time!

All that mattered for Rovers, however, was that they claimed the victory, their first in five League matches.

For Trevor Francis made the point in midweek that if you are involved in a game that is readily forgotten, make sure the result is well worth remembering.

Rovers did that by producing the fight rather than finery needed to prosper in this division.

For once, they also benefited from the kind of individual blunder that has cost them dearly in recent weeks.

And how they celebrated a goal and win that could yet prove significant if they can only get their act together for long enough. After the defensive debacles of Barnsley and Bolton, it was encouraging to see Rovers solid at the back for the second successive game.

But they were not dominant enough in midfield, despite winning the second half battle against greater numbers.

Stockport were happy to contain rather than go for gold and they had hardly threatened by the time McAteer grabbed the winner. It was then too late for them to step up a gear.

They had to continue to rely on the long-throw tactics of Mike Flynn or set pieces and Rovers had always looked well organised enough to cope.

Worryingly, however, Rovers did not make too many chances for their own attackers. They reverted to 4-4-2 but missed Damien Duff's creativity.

And the lack of goals from the front men remains a concern.

On the back of three successive away defeats, cramped Edgeley Park was not exactly the best spot to visit.

County boss Andy Kilner prowls the touchline like a rebel with too many causes, feeling the world is against his team and giving the officials earache. In truth, his contribution probably did more to wind up his own players - helping a couple of them to get booked - than to encourage them.

Then there was his 'twin' sat near the Press box, directing operations in full voice, attempting to referee the game and all in the kind of 'industrial' language that certainly didn't bother me but can't have done much for an impressionable young lad in the next seat, or the female fans on neighbouring rows. And there was also the matter of a deteriorating pitch.

All round, not exactly the Copacabana but, happily for the Rovers fans on the open terracing, the sun was shining - in more ways than one by the end of the game.

With Callum Davidson moving forward to compensate for the loss of Duff, Rovers kept the balance in their side though there was precious little to appreciate from either side in the opening half.

Matt Jansen had a couple of moments when you thought he might have cracked it but he so frustratingly failed to deliver.

At the other end, Stockport had a period of pressure after the early sparring without troubling Alan Kelly. But they were only inches from taking the lead just before the interval when Karim Fradin's shot was on its way in until Broomes stuck out a leg to save the day.

After the break, I cannot remember one single serious Stockport attempt at goal - on or off target.

Rovers had to make a couple of last-ditch tackles, Simon Grayson once doing particularly well. But they might also have grabbed the lead in the 59th minute from a great free-kick position, Jansen's effort hitting the wall.

Gradually taking command, Rovers thought they had scored through Ashley Ward's 73rd minute close-range drive but County keeper Ian Gray came to the rescue and did so again less than a minute later by diving at Garry Flitcroft's feet. Finally came the breakthrough. Dailly's excellent long ball found Davidson on the left but his cross went straight to Shane Nicholson. The defender, however, got himself in an awful tangle, in came McAteer on the edge of the penalty area and a cracking 20-yard shot flew just inside the keeper's left-hand post.

It was a happy ending for Rovers to a day that promised for so long to be rather dour - especially if you were the boy from Brazil!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.