Pre-match.

Stockport County vs. Blackpool on the first of March. Not just the first day of the month but also my first home game for 2 months – and what felt like the first day of sunshine for about 10 years!

County travelled to Blackpool at the start of the season and game away with 3 points and high spirits. Spirits that haven’t, really, deflated much over the course of the 24/25 season.

Before kick-off The Hatters sat in 5th place, playoff-country. Squeaky bum time from here on in.

Kick-off.

Which made the sloppy start to the match extra disappointing!

A long ball over the top wasn’t dealt with, and there looked to be zero communication between our defence and Addai in net.

The Blackpool player nipped in and scored with a to-be-fair lovely dinked finish over our keeper.

Still in this…

We’d been the stronger team at that point without threatening too much. But two chances, from Tanto and from Bate, suggested we were still having a go.

Half-time saw Challinor go for it – a triple change made that gave the team a kick up the backside.

And then: enter Breno.

2nd Half.

Benoný Breki Andrésson, aka Breno, was the young Icelandic striker signed in the January window. Fresh off Louis Barry departing, the County fans wanted a replacement hero but have had to wait for Breno to get his chance.

In the 69th minute, he took his first. And then the 81st minute – he did nothing to dispel those hero requests! Stockport County vs. Blackpool – 2-1 to the Hatters!

Two very strong finishes were enough to turn the match round and give County the deserved win. Results in the earlier kick-offs went out way – this was a vital 3 points for the playoff run-in.

Imagine if he makes this sort of impact in a Wembley playoff final…? Let’s wait and see!