Dave Challinor calls Stockport second half ‘non-event’ in Harrogate draw

Disappointed Stockport boss Dave Challinor described the second half of his side’s 0-0 draw against Harrogate as a “non-event”.

County were unlucky in the first half as they hit the woodwork twice, but both sides struggled to create much at all in a poor second half.

“Based on the performance in the first 20 or 25 minutes then we are disappointed of course,” said Challinor.

“We started the game really well and created a few good chances to score.

“It just seemed that as the game went on, though, it turned into a match between two teams bereft of a bit of confidence.

“Collectively we’re disappointed, but we have to take the positives from the game as a whole.

“We just needed that goal in the first half to back up the good work we’d produced.

“We didn’t do that, and so the game, and the atmosphere, started to get a bit edgy.

“We were in need of some motivation I guess, but instead we became that bit edgy and consequently the quality worsened.

“The second half was a non-event, I suppose, but it’s up to us now to show that belief that, in turn, creates confidence.

“We work so hard during the week, and we know we are capable of producing some really good stuff, so it’ll come as we get more and more used to this division.”

Stockport bossed the opening 45 minutes, but they could not find a goal.

Their luck was out, though, with both skipper Antoni Sarcevic and Ollie Crankshaw hitting the crossbar.

After the break neither side created much in the form of clear-cut opportunities, with Harrogate perhaps going closest late on when Alex Pattison’s strike was superbly saved by Vit Jaros.

Harrogate did, at least, end a run of four straight Sky Bet League Two defeats.

Boss Simon Weaver was content, particularly with his team’s second-half improvement.

“I think we deserved a draw in the end,” said Weaver.

“It was a gritty second-half performance from the lads, after what had been a very indifferent first 45 minutes.

“We just weren’t at the races in that first half, and we were hanging on at times.

“We were sleepwalking to a defeat.

“We knew we had to sharpen things up in the second half, and that’s exactly what we did.

“Don’t forget Stockport are a strong side here.

“This is a fantastic football club, and there was a big crowd in here again baying for blood.

“It was night and day between the first half and second half from us, though, so I’m not going to be too hard on the players.

“I think we’ve shown again that we’re continuing to grow as a collective unit, and that bodes well for the rest of the season.”