County's Stock is rising

Last updated : 04 June 2007 By Gary Moss

Top Goalscorer: Anthony Elding (9)

Player of the Season: Gareth Owen (Defender)

Owen, 24, has fast become a fans favourite at Edgeley Park. He has shown some fine form this season and has been rewarded with a permanent deal with the Hatters.

Owen... consistently County's rock

The former Oldham man has been an absolute rock for the play-off chasing side throughout this campaign.

Owen boasts 41 first team appearances which was a testament to his consistent level of play. He was by far Stockport's most steady performer.

Wayne Hennessey played magnificently in Stockport's unbeaten run whilst Anthony Elding and Liam Dickinson bagged some crucial goals. Tes Bramble in the middle of the park also had a fine season. There were many contenders.

Against Notts: The points were shared between the two County's this season. In the opening months of the season, Junior Mendes grabbed the games only goal to give Notts a slender 1-0 win over Stockport at Meadow Lane.

But, on Boxing Day, the Hatters took their revenge and the Magpies like so many other travelling teams came away empty handed from Edgeley Park. Anthony Pilkington and Liam Dickinson struck second half goals to condemn the black and whites to their fifth loss in the last six games.

Defining Moment: Despite a 5-0 drubbing of Darlington on the final day of the season, it was not enough to secure the Hatters a play-off berth. It was always out of their hands but they knew if they won their game at the Quakers they would stand a chance of breaking into the top seven.

They smashed five past Darlo but still missed out with other results going against them. It is not often in football that fans will be gutted after a comprehensive 5-0 away win.

Highlight: Breaking the record for nine consecutive clean sheet wins. Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was in inspirational form as County set a new Football League record. Comfortable wins over the likes of Swindon, Walsall and Wycombe made it that little bit extra special.

It's a record that really will take some beating and County's play-off bid can almost single headedly be put down to this fine run of form.

Lowlight: It has to be missing out on promotion in such dramatic fashion.

Many Stockport fans may have taken eighth spot at the start of the season, but having come so close to success, it made it a bitter pill to swallow when they missed out on the final day of the season.

The Mad Verdict: County vastly over-achieved this season when you consider the players in their squad compared to that of other mid-table teams such as Peterborough, Wycombe and Notts.

Gannon... needs congratulating
That aside, manager Jim Gannon must be congratulated for how close he took his squad. Their home form was impressive as they suffered just five defeats in their own back yard all season. Only the top four teams in the division won more home games than the Hatters.

But you cannot help than feel that if it wasn't for their record-breaking run of nine straight clean sheet wins it could have been all so different for the Hatters- relegation fighting perhaps.

What it does also show is how easy it is to turn from an aimless League Two side into a play-off pushing outfit.

A series of individual displays from the side earned them some head turning results but these displays were too few and far between in the end.

It was Stockport's early season form that cost them a play-off place. They won just one of their opening eight games and lingered worryingly above the drop zone. This was far from an ideal start to any season that was to end in promotion.

Finishing eighth may actually be a blessing in disguise for Stockport.

It gives the squad the incentive to push on for promotion nest time around yet in truth they probably would have been out-classed as was the strength of quality of this year's play-off sides.

What's Next? After being so close to the play-off's this year, surely next season they must make that dream a reality.

The Hatters were denied a shot at the big time merely on goal difference and it signals how far the club have come since being touted as possible relegation candidates at the start of the season.

Jim Gannon will be hoping he can make the right summer recruits to prepare his side for a play-off chasing campaign as of August.

County have a fairly large squad in comparison to other sides in the division and with a few new faces it could signal glory next year.