With various players pulling their weight in their most recent performance, one player shone like no other.
The successive EFL League One home draws carried a familiar theme. In both games, Stockport County scored first, had strong all-round displays, and failed to eventually kill the contest. Naturally, it is easy to consider the goal-scorers or creators for the best player of the week but the writer holds an unpopular view.
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Jack Diamond, fresh from being voted by fans as player of the month for August, impressed again. Ollie Norwood earned the official man-of-the-match in this week’s draw against Reading. Kyle Wootton, sitting joint-top on the scorer’s list with five, was clearly in with a shout.
Nevertheless, none of these performances would have been possible without the stability and impetus provided by Odin Bailey. The 25-year-old, characterised by energetic and selfless running, allowed others around him to perform with freedom and to their best. The versatile midfielder’s contributions – without a goal or assist this campaign – can easily be ignored for the top awards, but certainly not by his teammates. The consistency and his willingness to offer passing options to Norwood, providing balls to Diamond in the spaces he thrives in, and offering an outlet to his back-three make him the writer’s Player of the Week.
The 40-yard through ball to send Diamond clear on the counterattack, was the icing on his performance. Had the chance been converted, the Hatters would have had an unassailable two-goal cushion and a certain three points. Instead, it went begging, and with it, County’s shot at the elusive home victory. They were left with a second straight home draw — but Bailey’s influence was unmistakable.
READ MORE: Diamond shines brightest as County fans crown Player of the Month
Header image: By MGPetch – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145729592
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