retired_eneko5613

A long, long time ago, or so it seems, we drew West Ham in the League Cup first round. Now it's time to fulfill that fixture, and attempt to progress in this particular competition for the first time. I toy with the idea of changes, but there isn't really a fitness problem to justify it. There are one or two players who would definitely benefit from a run out, though, and of those Barker and Foley Sheridan get starts.

Less than 5000 show up, but the League Cup is renowned for it's lack of pulling power. Those regulars who found alternative forms of entertainment would have been disappointed at missing the way we opened the game. Elgert was finding space down the right again, and his 6th minute cross caused chaos as it headed towards Barker. Ukrainian defender Holovko won the header, but he was unbalanced and could only steer the ball into the path of Bastow. Once again the youngster made no mistake to put us 1-0 up. The superior opposition were never going to accept this lying down, and they came at us in force, with Michael Ricketts being guilty of spurning a couple of opportunities after the restart. Right now we needed solidity and experience. We got them, as after 28 appearance, Richie Barker finally decided to put his name on the scoresheet. Challinor provided the cross, and the experienced head of Barker put the home fans into a frenzy at 2-0. Perhaps all the celebrations went to the heads of the Stalybridge players too, as they failed to defend for the remaining eight minutes to the break, allowing Paolo Vernazza to sneak a stoppage time goal to bring West Ham right back into the game.

Mackie had to come off at the break, and Cameron was introduced. there was no point telling the lads to try and defend the game out, as that sort of philosophy rarely comes off against superior opposition. Indeed, it has been clear in both games this season that attack is our best form of defence, so I ask for more of the same. The lads try to give me what I ask for, but we rarely string three passes together as West Ham push and push for an equaliser. Izzet and Soma had the best chances, but to be honest our defence stood up to what was thrown at them. There was even time for Barker to resume his woodwork target practice deep into stoppage time.

League Cup 1st Round. 24th August 2004.
Stalybridge 2 West Ham 1 Bastow 6 Barker 32 / Vernazza 45

A huge win for us, on a par with the league scalps we took when in the Conference. In fact there was probably a bigger gulf between these two sides, with West Ham fielding millions of pounds worth of talent and 5 internationals. They now have to go back to trying to get back into the Premier league.

Our reward for a such a hard fought victory is a trip to The New Den. Millwall are in the fourth season of a Division 1 - Premiership yoyo session, and have spent £18m in the summer, aiming to ensure that their stay in the top flight is more than one season. Nicky Butt (after four seasons at Sunderland) and Laurent Robert (just one season at Villa) make up the majority of the spending. There is no doubt that we face a difficult task!

retired_eneko5613

It's back down to earth quickly though, and a trip to Kenilworth Road and Neil Adam's unbeaten Luton side. The reserves manage to win their meet up 2-0, but at the cost of injuries to Toms and Aitchison. Something tells me our task will be that little bit more difficult! First of all, though, there's the matter of Neil Mackenzie's future to sort out. Now all the papererwork is completed, I can reveal that third division Hull City won the race to sign him with a bid based on £120k up front and another £30k depending on appearances. The Irish club couldn't match that, and we wish Mackenzie all the best at the end of the M62. It's useful to keep the coffers topped up as well, not that we desperately need it.

Neil Mackenzie (Stalybridge 19/11/02 - 27/8/04) Played 54 Scored 17 Assists 5 Man of the Match 2 AvR 7.15

There are no changes in the side to travel to Luton, who field most of their £2.5m worth of summer signings for this game. We can't afford to be scared of players with that sort of price tag if we are going to survive in this division though. It's a quiet start of the game, with both sides testing the water. A foul on Mackie after 14 minutes not only led to a promising looking freekick and a yellow card for the offending Luton player, but also resulted in Darren limping from the field. Cue the arrival of Andrew Cameron. But it was at the other end where the breakthrough was made, as right back Thomas Helveg found himself in a shooting position and made no mistake, scoring his first goal in 8 years! Luton clearly had the upper hand in midfield, and they demonstrated this with some neat interplay. No goal came directly, but we lost our shape badly, and eventually central defender Chris Coyne was allowed to run straight through the middle of the park to add a second goal. This caused the lads to lose their cool a little, and the repercussions went on that little bit too long, allowing Fox to break free and set up Liam George a minute later for the third. Game over? Well at least we had half time to try and sort things out.

What could I tell the team? There was no point laying into them, despite Batty, Elgert and one or two others performing distinctly below par. Instead, we reminded them that this wasn't the first time they had been 3-0 down at the break, and that coming back was a possibility, no matter how remote. Nothing was forthcoming immediately after the restart, and an underperforming Bastow made way for Friars ten minutes later. This change, at least, seemed to signal some sort of improvement. His first shot, 15 minutes later, fizzed just over the bar, before he hit the post a minute after that. The rebound fell to Barker, who reacquainted himself with the woodwork. If only the goals were 6 inches bigger in each direction, Barker would have a hatful! It wasn't long, though, before Friars provided Ommel with a goal scoring opportunity, and the on fire striker finished with aplomb. Rallying to the cause, Challinor headed home a corner with 9 minutes to go, and Luton were rattled. When a freekick was awarded on the edge of the area for a foul on Barker, the remaining home supporters were looking distinctly agitated, but keeper Banks was just equal to Friars' shot in what was the last action of the match.

Division 2 Game 3. 28th August 2004
Luton 3 Stalybridge 2 Helveg 19 Coyne 34 George 35 / Ommel 73 Challinor 81

Mackie joins the contingent in the treatment room and will miss three weeks with knee ligament trouble. Along with Friars, he's the only one who can really come out of the game with any credit.

retired_eneko5613

We need to bounce back from that performance, and at least we have a Monday night game to exorcise the memory. It's at home as well, but unfortunately it's against top of the league Bristol City. There are some tired legs in the camp, so Friars, Collins, Harris and Riordan will all start. Bastow loses his place due to underperforming and Mackie through injury, with Barker and Foley Sheridan being the leg-weary ones. Acuña will try life on the right for once.

It's another record league attendance, as the Bower Fold rocks to an almost entirely partisan 6463 fans. Four minutes later you could hear a pin drop, as a four man move by the Robins ends with a defender scoring against us again. Stig Inge Bjørnebye finds himself at Bristol City after a short term contract at Wycombe, and is on fire from the left back position. Our confidence at home is a different prospect, though, and we don't crumble this time. Friars fires in another dipping shot which narrowly clears the crossbar, before a Harris corner is headed home by Sergio Ommel who still can't stop scoring. Friars clears the bar again, and both he and Harris provide some work for City keeper Evans. As the attacking continued, Riordan struck the crossbar and with Harris running through unmarked there was only one outcome. 2-1 to the Stalybridge! The visitors could have equalised a couple of times before half time, but they were well marshalled by the defence and ensured we carried out lead into the break.

Much of the same outlook in the second, and within 3 minutes Riordan has lifted a shot disappointingly over the bar. The Scot is struggling to keep up with play, and Sutton is sent to warm up with a view to coming on. Evans keeps his side in the game with another cracking save from Friars which he just manages to tip round the post, and the resulting corner is cleared at the second attempt by his defence. The visitors did eventually break out into attack, however, with ex Sheffield Wednesday and Anderlecht striker Gilles De Bilde breaking down the left. He put in a wicked cross which the defence had to deal with, but Collins' header heads in the wrong direction and leaves Batty helpless. It was not what Collins deserved in his first start of the season. Surprisingly, the league leaders sat back, and seemed happy to settle for the draw, and that left Evans to perform acrobatics in the goal as our attack minded players pressed for the winner. Sutton, eventually on the pitch not long after the equaliser, should have doen better with a couple of chances, but no winner came. The man of the match award went to Harris. Good lad!

Division 2 Game 4. 30th August 2004.
Stalybridge 2 Bristol City 2 Ommel 15 Harris 26 / Bjørnebye 4 Collins 64(og)

We drop to 13th, and one of these days we might actually get a game against a side not near the top of the table! At least the board enjoyed the game, so I don't suppose things could be that bad.

retired_eneko5613

It's award time, and Dean Harris is the first Stalybridge winner this season. He carries off the young player of the month award, presumably with ease given his one goal and two assists. The head of the Youth Academy pays me a visit. I'd almost forgotten who he was, but he introduces me to Bobby Gee, a 16 year old Striker who he considers good enough for the senior squad. He features in the 4-1 reserves defeat against Colchester, where Aldo choses to play him in midfield for some reason! Matt Hocking suffers a twisted ankle in that game and misses another month of action.

The coach party for the long, long journey to Colchester is joined by Liam Burns, back to fitness again after his broken leg. He's not match fit, so will not be taking part this week, but it's good to have him back with the squad. Barker returns to the team, and that's the only change. Colchester are in 18th, but still highly rated by the scouts that watched them.

It's a hot, hot day in Essex, 34 degrees according to the pitchside thermometer, so it's set to be an energy sapping game. Danny Schofield misses a sitter in the second minute after Batty pushed away a Neil Sorvel shot, and we don't need telling twice to pull our socks up. Ten minutes later Barker is free in the area when Challinor delivers a freekick. The ball comes to his feet and those behind the goal start to hide in case of a nasty deflection off the woodwork. But not this time, as we're 1-0 up with a fine strike. Ommel's not having a good game by his recent standards, but that doesn't matter because Richie has the taste for goal now, and he's on the end of a Harris cross to make it 2-0 before the half hour mark. With the official holding up the stoppage time board, Harris puts another ball in the box and unbelievably Barker has a hattrick. We're all in shock, to the extent that no-one really notices Schofield sneaking in to score just before the referee signals the end of the half.

We notice alright when Sorvel adds Colchester's second midway through the second half though. Ommel is replaced by Riordan, as he tells us he's got a knock on the shin. Some people might say he's feeling upstaged, but I doubt it. It's last gasp defending to hold on to the three points, but we manage it. A valuable three away points and a man of the match for Richie Barker. There'll be some celebrations on the coach home!

Division 2 Game 5. 4th September 2004.
Colchester 2 Stalybridge 3 Schofield 45 Sorvel 65 / Barker 12,28,45

Up to 9th, and more plaudits from the board. It's nice to have them on your side!

retired_eneko5613

Acuña makes another transatlantic trip, but it's fruitless again. 1-0 to Paraguay in Santiago this time. For the first time this season, the youth system throws out a couple of players simultaneously. Perhaps misguided, I still hold out hope that one day one of our own products can go all the way. The two new members of the full squad are Shaun Gordon (Right sided midfielder, aged 18) and David Dicks (Central midfielder, aged 18) Peters, Toms, Hart and, most importantly Leo, are all back to full fitness ahead of the visit of 19th place Darlington. Neither Ommel or Barker deserve dropping, so Leo will start his comeback on the bench.

There's another record league crowd at the Bower Fold, with 6490 fans in total packed into the small ground. Darlington's tactics are different, a 5-3-2 which doesn't seem to offer them many attacking options. We soon get control of the midfield, and our full backs Elgert and Jaszczun get to roam forward at will. It's an Elgert cross that sets up the first Stalybridge goal, Barker grabbing his 5th of the season, and enjoying his newfound goalscoring abilities. We kept things tight until half time, but I had a good feeling about this 1-0. After all, Darlington had shown absolutely nothing so far.

Clarence Acuña hobbled off not long into the second half, meaning a chance for Cameron to stake a claim. He almost did so straight away, having a shot turned round the post by keeper Bennett. Friars got his first goal of the season with 20 minutes left. He's taken his time to get going in this division, but hopefully now he can knock them in regularly. The game was rounded of nicely with something we hadn't seen for quite a while, a trademark Cameron run and shot leading to a very comfortable looking 3-0 scoreline. Comfortable sums up the game as well, as Darlington only manage two shots at goal in the entire game. The man of the match goes to Lee Collins, mainly for a solid holding performance in midfield, but also for his inch perfect ball which set Friars free for his goal.

Division 2 Game 6, 11th September 2004
Stalybridge 3 Darlington 0 Barker 25 Friars 69 Cameron 79

Hopefully, the near capacity crowd will be persuaded to come back regularly to the Bower Fold. If they do, there can be no doubt that the Chairman will have to spend some pennies expanding the stadium. That last result moves us up to 6th, and above that famous line in the league table. Good news, but tinged with a little bit of bad news, as our Chilean is out of action for three weeks.

retired_eneko5613

We welcome a new member of staff to the club. Scot David Walker joins our Scouting team, as we move towards a more professional staff compliment. Chris Barnes joins our full squad from the youth system on the same day. He's an 18 year old right sided defender. I don't fancy his chances in the long term at the club, as from an initial viewing he doesn't seem to have the right mental characteristics.

We have a midweek trip to make to Barnsley, who are struggling at the bottom of the division. The scout report is a cautious one, though, as he reckons they're a stronger side than their league placing indicates. Cameron comes in for Acuña, but the rest of the squad are fit so no other changes are required. Leo will again have to be happy with a place on the bench.

There's little sign of action from the attacking players in the early part of the game, and it's left to Challinor to open the scoring with a header from a Harris corner. Friars gets the second, but this time he does it before the break, meaning that we can go in comfortably 2-0 up. We're still just as comfortable at the hour mark, and with one eye on the weekend's fixtures, Harris and Cameron are withdrawn in favour of Foley Sheridan and Bastow. Leo joins the party shortly afterwards, but the celebrations are put on ice by late goals from Isiah Rankin and Bruce Dyer, the reds' fearsome attacking pairing who now have three goals between them. Friars has done enough to get the man of the match award, but I'm fuming that we threw two points away, even though it may have been partly my own doing.

Division 2 Game 7, 15th September 2004.
Barnsley 2 Stalybridge 2 Rankin 77 Dyer 83 / Challinor 22 Friars 35

A game of two halves, if ever there was one, and it drops us down to 8th place.

retired_eneko5613

Three days later, and we're facing Leo's old team, Cardiff, who are just one point and one place below us in the league. Rumours around the club suggest that Gary Hart may be on the way out after a cash bid was received from an unnamed Southern Premier club. Meanwhile, Leo is included in the starting eleven to face the Welshmen, at the expense of Ommel. The Dutch striker has done nothing wrong, it's simply a case of horses for courses, and I don't think he really minds letting Leo have a crack at scoring against his old club again. There are no other changes, as the lads maintain high fitness levels despite the midweek fixture.

The Bower Fold rocked again, as the Stalybridge players ran out in front of another near capacity crowd. Only 37 empty seats around the ground, and the team stepped up again to the fantastic support. It was blue and white pressure from the off, with the Bluebirds (resplendent in red for a change) having keeper Maik Taylor to thank for keeping the score 0-0. Leo had a couple of headers well saved, whilst at the other end Batty kept out Justin Jackson and Peter Thorne whenever the visitors put any moves together. The last five minutes of the half saw Taylor pull off three saves in rapid succession, to deny Cameron and Friars from opening the scoring.

On another day, we might have had two or three by the time the referee blew the half time whistle. That is never a good feeling to go into the break with, as you are always aware of the possibility that the opposition could get a goal quickly after the break and all your hard work would be undone. So it was with a little trepidation that I asked for the players to keep things solid for the first five minutes or so before looking for the goal. They heeded my words well, and any threat emanating from the Cardiff ranks was subdued with ease. Back in search of the opener we went, but still we struggled to master the puzzle of the Welsh defence. Barker shot wide before once more finding the woodwork. Taylor again pulled off a massive save from Harris, and time ticked away. Ommel was sent on to replace Barker, and as often happens, the opposition took the subsitution as a sign to apply pressure. The Stalybridge bench gripped the edge of the seat as first Alex Smith and then Justin Jackson spurned decent goalscoring opportunites before the decisive moment of the game. Midfielder Paul Evans went in two footed on Collins, a malicious challenge which the referee decided warranted a straight red card. It still looked as though the goal wasn't going to come, as Paul Hay and Thorne (now playing centre back) kept us out. Leo, who had been quiet for the entire half, was lucky that the ref didn't notice his shove on Graham Allen, which aggrieved the Cardiff players. Doubly fortunate for us, as with only stoppage time to play he got on the end of a corner and scored the winning goal, his first of the season. The goal, against his former employers, earned him the man of the match award.

Division 2 Game 8. 18th September 2004.
Stalybridge 1 Cardiff 0 Fortune-West 90 (Cardiff's Paul Evans sent off, 70)

The win pleases the board (who I presume only saw the last two minutes) and sends us up to sixth. A solid defensive performance, at least, bodes well for the future. Especially our next game at Millwall! One of my least impressive signings, Gary Hart, seals a deal with Salisbury, netting £26k for the club. He should be a really quality player at that level, after all he wasn't that bad in the Third division. A lack of consitency cost him dear.

Gary Hart (Stalybridge 30/6/02 - 19/9/04) Played 58, Scored 5, Assists 6, Man of the Match 1, AvR 6.81

retired_eneko5613

The New Den would not be the first place most people would chose for their first trip to a Premier League stadium. However, the luck of the draw has dictated that this should be the case for us. The Scout, having braved a previous visit to the hothouse, reports that Millwall have a strong midfield which Laurent Robert and Nicky Butt will feature strongly in. It's enough to scare anyone! The players again show an insatiable appetite for the game, with none of them having any signs of tiredness entering their 4th game in 11 days. Mackie is back, and makes the bench.

What we weren't really expecting was for Millwall to run out with 9 changes from their previous game! No Butt, Robert, Rigobert Song, Sadlier, Harris or Ben Thatcher. Danny Murphy does start, though, with four other players gaining their first start of the season. The early pressure belongs to Stalybridge, with Challinor clattering the post with a header from another of Dean Harris' superb corners. Arguably, we should have had a penalty midway through the half, when keeper Green brought down Leo in the area, but the referee had other ideas. Speaking of Leo, he caused all sorts of trouble amongst the defence, and both Millwall centre backs ended the half with yellow cards. Down at the other end, Batty kept Steven Reid, Millwall's biggest threat, at bay, whilst Collins kept a close eye on Murphy. 0-0 at the break.

Ommel replaced a hobbling Barker for the second half, as we looked to make the most of the cautions received by their defenders. Class was beginning to tell, though, and Reid and Christophe Kinet started to take control of the game for the home side. Mackie came on for Cameron, and Millwall brought on Giovanni Savarese. The experienced Venezuelan striker threatened to run the show for the last 25 minutes, with Batty coming under more and more pressure. Jaszczun picked up a yellow card battling for the cause, as we failed to escape our own half for long periods of time. When we did finally escape, deep into stoppage time, the ball made it's way via Challinor and Ommel to Leo. Was he going to pop up with a last minute winer for the second game in a row? No, his header was weak and fell comfortably to Mark Bircham. 0-0 at the end of normal time.

Millwall were clearly tiring, their lack of match fitness showing throughout the team. The first period of extra time brought only one obviously dangerous moment, with Morgan forced to foul Savarese and pick up a yellow for himself in the process. Make or break time then. Not being a fan of penalty shootouts, especially in an environment such as this, and being well aware of the tired legs on the Premier League side, I made a decision to go for it. On came Bastow, for Harris, with instructions to attack. The youngster had a chance to shoot within five minutes of coming on, but saw his shot fizz high and wide. But there was still to be a twist in this game. With the clock showing 120 minutes, a long throw by Challinor fell to Friars, who played a pass into the path of Leo. Here he was again, with possibly our last of the game. But there was Bircham again, getting a foot in, and Leo was disposessed. Following up was sub Darren Mackie. One touch to control, a second to get the ball from under his feet, and the third sent the ball flying high past the keeper! His first ever Stalybridge goal, leading to our first ever victory over a Premier League side.

League Cup 2nd Round. 22nd September 2004.
Millwall 0 Stalybridge 1 Mackie 120

Only 6700 or so fans had witnessed it, but the historic win over Millwall marked another stepping stone in my career as Stalybridge manager. It remained to be seen how much 30 minutes of midweek extra time would affect our league progression, but right now no-one was thinking of that. Jason Batty had deservedly been awarded the man of the match award, for without his bravery we would undoubtably conceded in the second half of normal time. The board are ecstatic, but I think they've got one eye on the next round. We'll have to see what the draw brings.

retired_eneko5613

Understandably, there are tired legs around as we travel to Wycombe, currently 21st in the division. Leo and Harris don't travel, with Friars and Barker dropping to the bench. The four promoted to the starting eleven are Foley Sheridan, Bastow, Riordan and Ommel. Minds were also clearly not focussed on the matter in hand, and for once we were the ones on the fortunate end of a bad refereeing decision, when perennial Wycombe forward Paul Emblen was brought down by Batty. Play on, said the referee. Emblen took the matter personally, but reacted in the right way, for him at least, by terrorising our defence for the rest of the game. He wasn't involved in the opening goal, however, which came from a direct freekick taken by Martin Grainger. He got the second though, less than ten minutes later, after breaking our offside trap. Nothing doing for us, as we limped to the end of the half in a damage limitation exercise.

Changes during the break. Riordan and FS wouldn't be walking out for the second half, Barker and Mackie would. Barker's first action was to pick up a booking, and my last throw of the tactical die was taken from me when Collins limped from the field only 6 minutes into the half. Against the run of play we got one back, Ommel rising to a corner taken by Jaszczun in Harris' absence. His 5th of the season, but he wasn't really celebrating. Picking up the pace a little, Cameron forced Taylor in the Wycombe goal into a couple of smart saves, and the keeper pulled off a double save from Friars inside the last ten minutes, but we couldn't put enough pressure on Wycombe to force the equaliser, and they always looked as though they were playing within themselves, Emblen looking menacingly whenever he got the ball.

Division 2 Game 9. 25th September 2004.
Wycombe 2 Stalybridge 1 Grainger 21 Emblen 29 / Ommel 55

Down to 7th, after a disappointing performance. However our biggest worry is Collins, who misses a month with a calf strain.

retired_eneko5613

Despite struggling to hold down a place in a Division Two starting lineup, Michael Foley Sheridan is still considered good enough for the Irish U21 squad, and receives his call up papers for the next two matches. His joy is shortlived, however, as he picks up a badly torn groin muscle in the reserve game at Wrexham. It will keep him out for 3 months in total. That's bad news for us as well, when you think about how much money he will be raking in whilst recovering. In what was a match of attrition, John Willoughby also picked up a bad injury. The game also saw the debut of trialist Richard Talbot, a forward brought to my attention by Barry Smith. He scored one and made one after coming on for Willoughby in the 4th minute. An impressive debut!

The third round draw for the league cup also took place on Thursday night, and we were paired at home with Crystal Palace. Statistically, they are the lowest placed of our three sets of opposition so far in the competition. This bodes well! Hearing them mentioned also reminds me of a couple of their players I've had on my shortlist for a while. Now is as good a time as any to take a closer look at Andrew Martin I think.

The end of September brings no awards to Stalybridge. The Fat Fryer takes the manager of the month award, as he steers Peterborough to the top of the table. Players awards go to Wrexham, our next opponents, and Northampton lads. There is some good news for us, though, as Clarence Acuña wins the race to be fit for our home game against the Welshmen. He'll go straight into the starting lineup, as will Harris, Friars and the fit again Leo.

6480 fans are rocking the Fold once again, and the players respond, attacking the Wrexham goal from the off. Neil Moss is having a good time between the sticks, though, and he keeps out several chances that by rights should have gone in. He doesn't have an answer to Cameron's delicate lob twenty minutes in though, and the crowd have seen a goal worth waiting for. It seems to have badly dented Moss' confidence as well, because soon after he flaps wildly at a header by Leo, which the big striker is unfortunate to see rebound off the post. Two minutes later, he gets the direction right, and a fierce shot flies past the bewildered keeper. 2-0 at the break, and Wrexham have had just one shot on target.

The Welshmen double their shots on target tally in the early minutes of the second half, but they fade away again as Bastow and Mackie bring some fresh legs into the Stalybridge attack. Five minutes later, Mackie and Ommel have combined to give Bastow the opportunity, and the young midfielder doesn't need telling twice. That wraps up the game nicely, and it looks like becoming a rout, with only some more last ditch goalkeeping from Moss keeping the score down.

Division 2 Game 10. 2nd October 2004
Stalybridge 3 Wrexham 0 Cameron 21 Fortune-West 40 Bastow 67

The board are delighted with the performance, which not only sees us move up to 5th, but also marks the completion of a notable treble over the three Welsh sides in the division. It means that the Division 2 table, after 10 games, looks a bit like this:
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * English Second Division - Saturday 2nd October 2004********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2004/5 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Peterborough 10 3 0 2 7 7 5 0 0 12 4 24 2nd Watford 10 4 1 0 10 5 3 0 2 11 6 22 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3rd Bristol C 10 4 1 0 13 4 2 1 2 7 9 20 4th Luton 10 4 0 1 13 7 2 1 2 6 6 19 5th STALYBRIDGE 10 3 2 0 11 4 2 1 2 12 11 18 6th Sheff Utd 10 3 1 1 11 4 2 1 2 6 5 17 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7th Cardiff 10 3 1 1 11 7 2 1 2 7 7 17 8th Oldham 10 4 1 0 12 7 1 1 3 5 8 17 9th Northampton 10 1 4 0 5 4 3 0 2 12 9 16 10th Reading 10 3 1 1 11 9 1 2 2 8 9 15 11th Oxford 10 3 0 2 8 6 2 0 3 7 10 15 12th Notts Co 10 3 2 0 12 5 1 0 4 7 13 14 13th Kidderminster 10 3 0 2 9 4 1 1 3 6 7 13 14th Wrexham 10 2 0 3 5 6 2 1 2 11 10 13 15th Macclesfield 10 3 0 2 7 6 1 1 3 5 9 13 16th Rushden 10 3 1 1 11 10 1 0 4 6 11 13 17th Rotherham 10 2 1 2 8 7 1 2 2 9 10 12 18th Port Vale 10 3 2 0 8 5 0 1 4 4 13 12 19th Wycombe 10 1 0 4 5 13 2 2 1 6 7 11 20th Swansea 10 1 2 2 7 9 0 3 2 6 10 8 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------21st Barnsley 10 1 3 1 8 6 0 1 4 3 8 7 22nd Colchester 10 1 1 3 6 8 0 3 2 3 5 7 23rd Wigan 10 2 0 3 7 14 0 1 4 5 12 7 24th Darlington 10 2 0 3 5 9 0 0 5 2 11 6 </pre>