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Non-League Matters: ‘Proud’ Stockport look to end winning drought after holding leaders to determined draw

Stockport manager Alan Lord has praised his side’s ‘determined’ display after drawing 0-0 against league leaders North Ferriby United.

The result also left the County manager with praise from home town fans despite the Hatters continuing their run of poor form.

It is now eleven games since Stockport last won and with this weekend’s clash against seventh place Brackley Town, that run could well continue.

The result at North Ferriby was certainly a welcome boost for Lord though, that proved his players can get results against the more superior sides in the league.

“I was really pleased with them,” said Lord.

“It was a proper resolute, determined and full of character performance and we haven’t had that recently and hopefully we gained a bit of confidence out of it.

“North Ferriby are a powerful side and the team’s that are doing well in this league have all got big profiles and I think we have to seriously consider that.

Lord admitted he is keen to bring in just this type of player to bolster his squad.

“Some of the players that I’ve been speaking to actually fit that type of bill,” he said.

“They’re hard to handle, tough and uncompromising so it is a commodity that I think has to be brought in to County.”

As well as the team putting in a resolute performance, Lord was met by handshakes and encouraging words by fans that have been critical of him and the team in recent weeks.

“The fans were referring to the fact that the players are digging in for me, they’re putting their bodies on the line and I think that was quite a good summing up from quite a few of them,” he said.

“We had a good turnout again from them and they’ve had a rough time in the past few weeks but they came and I think they’ll look at that result and think we steadied the ship a little bit and now we have to push on.

“The players did themselves justice and they did the club proud.”

Elsewhere in the Skrill North Division, Altrincham take on North Ferriby with the chance of closing the gap to new league leaders AFC Telford United, who they lost 3-1 to last weekend.

In the Skrill Premier, Scott McNiven’s Hyde face Cambridge United after losing 2-0 to Salisbury City at Ewen Fields.

The result meant the Tigers have gone a full calendar year since their last league victory at home.

Image courtesy of County TV, via YouTube, with thanks

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