Stockport came into this game in 5th place, looking to build on their 2-1 victory over Burton on the weekend. Meanwhile, Stevenage started the evening firmly in mid-table in 13th, 13 points away from both the relegation zone and the playoff places.
Stevenage won the reverse fixture 2-1 back in December thanks to a winner from Jamie Reid, but both sides had recently been in inconsistent form. County had only won 2 of their last 5 matches, and Stevenage were 4 matches without a victory.
Team News
Dave Challinor made 3 changes to his County side from the team that played in the victory over the weekend. One change was enforced, as Brad Hills replaced the suspended Ethan Pye following his late red card. Jack Diamond was brought in after his bright cameo off the bench and Fraser Horsfall made his first start of 2025 following his return from injury.
Stevenage manager Alex Revell said that his team deserved more and were unfortunate to lose 1-0 to Leyton Orient, and he backed that up by naming an unchanged side.
Match Summary
The opening exchanges were even, as both sides began proceedings by sizing each other up. Stevenage had slightly more of the ball, but there were no shots to note and neither defence was stretched.
It took about 15 minutes for Stockport County to have the first chance of the game. Ibou Touray got down the left-hand side and delivered a cross which was only cleared as far as Jayden Fevrier. His effort from just outside the box curled narrowly over the crossbar, giving the Stevenage defenders an early warning of his shooting capabilities.
Stevenage ignored their warning, and they ended up paying the price for it. 10 minutes later, Fevrier found himself in space to shoot from a very similar position. His shot was struck powerfully and stayed low, and it deflected cruelly off former Stockport defender Carl Piergianni into the opposite corner, giving the Hatters a 1-0 lead with his second league goal of the campaign.
Stevenage attempted to respond, but a shot from the edge of the box from Louis Thompson flew high over the crossbar without troubling Corey Addai in the Stockport goal.
Dan Kemp then hauled down Ollie Norwood in a dangerous position, earning a yellow card in the process. Norwood himself took the freekick, and his cross found Horsfall unmarked, but the County defender was unable to find the back of the net.
The first half was a tense affair, with possession evenly split between the two teams and only 1 shot on target all half. The sides shared a combined 0.17 xG, but the Hatters had the lead heading into the interval.
The second half was a complete contrast, as it had an incredibly lively start with both sides looking for a response straight after the restart.
Stockport came into the second half with the strategy of exploiting Stevenage’s narrow formation by targeting the wings, and that tactic immediately paid dividends for them.
First, Jack Diamond had a brilliant chance to double the Hatters’ lead. He found himself bearing down on goal after Tanto Olaofe had squared the ball to him from a wide area, but he was unable to finish. Brad Hills then had a shout for a penalty waved away after he was felled in the box by Jordan Roberts.
That mattered little, as moments later it was 2-0. Olaofe once again found himself in a position to play the ball across the face of goal, and this time he found Kyle Wootton. His shot was saved by Stevenage keeper Murphy Mahoney, but the rebound bounced off Luther James-Wildin and into the net.
Stevenage had 40 minutes to get themselves back into the game, and they almost responded immediately. Kemp went straight up the other end, but his shot from range was deflected wide. From the resulting corner, he found himself with a free header, but he put his effort over the crossbar from 6 yards out.
Stockport County did not sit back on their lead, and instead they looked for a third goal that would kill the game. Wootton once again found himself with a scoring chance, but his header from inside the 6-yard box sailed high over the crossbar.
Once again County were not made to pay for their missed opportunities, and then they were clinical to extend their advantage to 3-0. Lewis Bate slipped a pass through to Jack Diamond. The winger had been lively all game, and he jinxed his way through three defenders before slotting under Mahoney to ensure victory for the Hatters.
Stevenage pushed forward as they sought to get themselves onto the scoresheet. Charlie Goode found himself on the end of a cross from Elliot List, but the defender was unable to turn home from in front of the goal.
Stockport managed to keep their clean sheet, as they saw the game out in a dominant fashion. The result means they picked up a comfortable victory that may prove crucial in the race to secure promotion.
This victory summarises how impressive the Hatters have been this season. They had the same number of shots as their visitors (12) but were able to generate 2.1 xG compared to 1.27 for Boro. This shows how clinical County are with their opportunities, which will serve them well heading into the pivotal business end of the season.
Dave Challinor was clearly impressed with his side, saying, ‘We saw the best of some of the lads in the second half.’ He also spoke excitedly on County’s playoff chances, saying that the upcoming Exeter match was, ‘A chance to tee ourselves up nicely for the final five, with each game becoming more and more exciting.’
The result means that County stay 5th with 6 games to play, although they look more likely to earn a playoff spot as they move 9 points clear of Reading in 7th and to within 7 points of 2nd place Wrexham. Stevenage meanwhile stay in 13th and extend their winless run to 5 games.
Stockport’s next match is on Saturday at Exeter City, whilst Stevenage host relegation threatened Crawley Town.
