PREVIEW | Stockport County vs Wrexham AFC

We make our first trip to Edgeley Park since 2021

22 September 2023

Phil Parkinson’s men will be aiming to be make it four unbeaten away fixtures on the bounce when they visit Edgeley Park tomorrow.

Once title rivals, the two clubs will battle it out again with three huge points at stake for both sides.

The Red Dragons go into the fixture four points ahead of Stockport County, knowing a victory could propel them into the automatic promotion spots.

Dave Challinor’s side narrowly missed out on back-to-back promotions last season, losing out in a penalty shootout to Carlisle United at Wembley.

It would have been their first time in Sky Bet League One since the 2009/10 season, but an agonising defeat meant they would lose out on promotion.

The match is set to be a poignant one, with Paul Mullin set to make his 100^th appearance in a Wrexham shirt.

THE RECAP

Last time out, the Red Dragons were 3-0 winners against a former play-off rival in Grimsby Town.

Ollie Palmer, Will Boyle and Elliot Lee all found themselves on the scoresheet, capping off what was a scintillating attacking performance.

At the opposite end of the pitch, it was the first home league clean sheet of the season, with an assured performance between the sticks.

The Mariners failed to threaten Mark Howard during the 90 minutes, as the defence nullified any wave of attack from the visitors.

It could have been more for the Red Dragons, with Steven Fletcher and Sam Dalby testing Jake Eastwood, but he was more than equal to their opportunities.

Not only did the win propel the Club into fourth place, but it also extended our unbeaten league run to seven games.

The game also marked Paul Mullin’s first start of the campaign, after coming on as a substitute the previous week against Doncaster Rovers.

EYE ON THE OPPOSITION

Despite their slightly slower start to the season, any visit to Edgeley Park will prove difficult, and this weekend will be no different.

The Hatters sit 11^th in the table, with only one defeat at home coming against league leaders Gillingham.

However, since then they have earned back-to-back victories, picking up six points against AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons on the road.

Summer signing Louie Barry has proved to be their dangerman in the final third, bagging five goals in the first eight games of the season.

The former Manchester City and Barcelona youth player joined County in the summer, on loan from his parent club Aston Villa.

Not the traditional route for a young player, but he has been key to their upturn in form over the previous weeks.

Challinor bolstered his squad with other crucial additions in the squad, most notably former Manchester United starlet, Nick Powell.

The 29-year-old arrived at Old Trafford for a fee of up to £6 million, after impressing highly at Crewe Alexandra.

It didn’t work out for him at the Red Devils and found regular first team football at Wigan Athletic and Stoke City.

Their last home victory came just under a month ago, with Barry scoring the only goal of the game in a narrow 1-0 victory.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

In the 2021/22 season, there were three highly competitive fixtures between the two sides, who were both vying for promotion and a chance to play at Wembley.

Tomorrow’s hosts claimed victory in the first game, with former manager Simon Rusk edging out the Red Dragons.

Mullin got the opener in front of a rapturous away end less than a minute into the contest; however, Paddy Madden and Ryan Rydel turned it around to earn the three points.

Before the return league fixture, there was the small matter of the FA Trophy Semi-Final to determine who went to Wembley.

The game was destined for penalties until Mullin scored a sublime dinked finish from 30 yards out to send Wrexham ahead in added time.

He lobbed County stopper Ben Hinchcliffe once more moments later, wrapping up the game and sending the Red Dragons to Wembley.

With both sides having one win a piece, they faced off once more in a game that could have shaped the title race.

Parkinson’s men beat County 3-0 at Y Cae Ras, with a Palmer double taking centre stage, along with yet another goal from our number ten.

HOW TO WATCH

UK supporters who aren't at the STōk Cae Ras can still tune into the fixture by purchasing an audio match pass. Match, month and season passes are available to access the commentary.

International supporters will be able to watch the live video stream.

To view all package options, click here

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT | Stockport County 5–0 Wrexham AFC

Red Dragons winning streak halted by heavy away defeat

23 September 2023

Tanto Olaofe scored a hat-trick as Wrexham’s winning streak was halted by a clinical Stockport County side at Edgeley Park.

There had been little in the game until Olaofe broke the deadlock, but Stockport seized control as the striker pounced on a defensive mistake to double the lead and Louie Barry added a third.

Olaofe completed his hat-trick after the break and though Wrexham then twice hit the crossbar, Paddy Madden’s late strike sealed the visitors’ heaviest defeat under manager Phil Parkinson.

Wrexham, playing in the white away shirts for the first time this season, made just one change from the win at home to Grimsby last weekend – Sam Dalby starting ahead of Ollie Palmer.

Luke Young got the game underway and within a minute Ben Tozer had the chance to test the Stockport defence with a long throw-in. Two unconvincing clearances eventually led to the ball dropping to Elliot Lee, but he sliced his shot wide.

Lee was in again on five minutes, playing a clever one-two with Paul Mullin after Tom O’Connor’s probing pass, and opening up onto his left foot, but his low shot was too close to Ben Hinchliffe.

Four minutes later, Dalby got to another Tozer throw between two defenders at the near post but, slightly unsighted, headed well off target.

Stockport were in front on 21 minutes, however, as Will Collar ran onto Ben Hinchliffe’s ball over the top and crossed low from the right-wing for Olaofe to finish from close-range.

Olaofe should have had another on 27 minutes, ghosting in unmarked to head a left-wing cross goalwards, but with Howard stranded the ball hit the foot of the post. Antoni Sarcevic kept the ball alive and crossed for Odin Bailey, but Will Boyle read it well and cleared off the line.

Wrexham were masters of their own downfall on the half-hour, however, when Tozer misread Boyle’s backpass, which allowed Olaofe in to turn him and finish coolly from close-range.

And things went from bad to worse just two minutes later, when Louie Barry strode far too easily through the middle of the pitch to fire in Stockport’s third.

Shellshocked Wrexham struggled to conjure up a response, with Hinchliffe having little to do through to half-time.

Stockport added a fourth just five minutes after the restart, however, when Barry’s left-wing cross deflected kindly for Olaofe to head in at the back post and complete his hat-trick.

Luke Young found space for a rising, long-range shot on 53 minutes which Hinchliffe turned over.

Boyle then had a chance to pull a goal back on 61 minutes, after Hinchliffe could only half-clear from Tozer’s cross, but the defender shot high and wide.

Wrexham grew into the half, despite the deficit, and Dalby found McClean on 63 minutes, but the Irishman’s shot was beaten clear by Hinchliffe.

From the resultant corner, Mullin went even closer – his header was deflected up onto the cross bar and Lee shot wide across goal from the rebound.

Wrexham made a triple substitution on 64 minutes, with George Evans, Ollie Palmer and Steven Fletcher on for Boyle, Mullin and Dalby.

And on 70 minutes, after Fletcher was fouled on the edge of the box, George Evans was unable to beat the wall from the subsequent free-kick.

Lee was inches away from what would have been the goal of the game on 73 minutes – his rising shot from outside the area clattering the crossbar and bouncing clear.

Ethan Pye’s injury, after block Ollie Palmer’s cross, took the sting out of Wrexham’s resurgence however.

There was still time for Tom O’Connor to twice fire goalwards, after George Evans received a short corner and crossed.

But Stockport substitute Madden wrapped up the scoring in the final minute when he was left unmarked to fire in from close-range.

It meant Wrexham suffered just their second defeat of the season, but their heaviest since losing by the same scoreline to Luton Town in February 2014, with the Red

Line-ups

Stockport County: (4-2-3-1): Hinchliffe, Southam-Hales, Pye (Pond 79), Horsfall, Touray, Croasdale, Bailey (Wright 71), Collar, Sarcevic (Cotterill 90+4), Barry (Richardson 90+4), Olaofe (Madden 79)

Subs: Smith, Johnson

Wrexham AFC: (3-5-2): Howard, Hayden, Tozer, Boyle (Evans 65), Barnett (Forde 88), Young, O’Connor, Lee (J.Davies 88), McClean, Mullin (Palmer 65), Dalby (Fletcher 65)

Subs: Okonkwo, Mendy

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 9,548

Bookings

Stockport County: Olaofe (22, foul)

Wrexham: Dalby (48, foul)