Stockport 2 Plymouth 1

Last updated : 12 April 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Stockport County's brave bid to avoid relegation took another turn for the better as they managed to pick up an important victory at home to visiting Plymouth.

A 40th minute goal from Aaron Wilbraham, who came on as a substitute to score two last weekend, gave the Hatters the lead in an action-packed duel at Edgeley Park.

But Marion Keith levelled matters in the 72nd minute with a brilliant header after County had twice seen efforts cleared off the line.

However, Stockport managed to achieve their win when Jon Daly scored from the penalty spot after Jason Bent had been sent off for a deliberate handball, blocking Wilbraham's header on the line.

It was a spirited performance from the home team who were without a string of key first-team players.

As early as the first minute Plymouth could have taken the lead when skipper Graham Coughlan saw a header go just wide of the left-hand post.

Three minutes later Wilbraham had a good effort for County, but he fired over the bar after being played through by Gordon Greer, the on-loan Blackburn Rovers defender.

However, Carlton Palmer's men were unlucky not to take the lead when John Hardiker could only watch in dismay as his powerful header from an Anthony Tonkin cross was blocked on the line and cleared to safety.

Michael Evans saw a looping header sail over the crossbar for Plymouth in the 24th minute as both sides battled to find a breakthrough.

And it should have been County who went in front moments later, but Wilbraham this time could not get any venom on his shot after a good pass from James Goodwin, and Pilgrims keeper Romain Larrieu dealt with the danger easily.

But Larrieu nearly turned villain for the visitors after he was left stranded on the edge of this own area trying to intercept a long ball from Goodwin. Tonkin latched on to the loose ball, but he fired agonisingly over the woodwork.

Aaron Lescott also went close with a vicious 25-yard-yard drive, but luckily for Plymouth Stuart Malcolm managed to get his body in front of the ball and the shot was deflected wide.

However, it was from a Lescott corner which resulted in County sneaking in front. Plymouth made a mess of clearing his ball from the right and Goodwin was able to slot through to Wilbraham, who was never going to miss from inside the six-yard box.

Plymouth, to their credit, nearly hit back immediately when on-loan midfielder Kieran McAnespie saw his left-footed shot well-saved by County's Swedish shot-stopper Ola Tidman.

McAnespie though had to save his side from going two behind early in the second half, clearing Dave Challinor's header off the line.

Stockport did not relent and nearly doubled their lead when goalscorer Wilbraham saw a glancing header fly across the face off goal and when David Worrell slipped, Jon Daly saw his shot cannon off the crossbar.

But the real turning point of the match came when Bent handled a goalbound header from Challinor and Daly made sure from the resulting spot kick.

Wilbraham had a goal disallowed for offside and Plymouth came close through Coughlan, but County took a giant step closer to staying up after this important victory.