STOCKPORT COUNTY 3, NOTTS COUNTY 0
Stockport County took another giant stride towards regaining their EFL status with an emphatic three-goal home victory against fellow promotion chasers Notts County.
Two goals from captain and leading scorer Paddy Madden, sandwiched either side of an Ollie Crankshaw strike, sent County seven points clear at the top of National League.
The Hatters were playing their first home league match in March as they won this particular battle of the County’s for the first time since 2008.
County took to the field to take on the visiting ‘Magpies’, in front of another bumper midweek crowd under the Edgeley Park lights, with one change from the last league starting line-up at Aldershot 10 days earlier as Mark Kitching replaced Connor Jennings.
The Hatters created the contest’s first chance after five minutes as a quickly-taken free-kick on the left from Antoni Sarcevic, followed by a quick exchange with Madden, saw Sarcevic’s by-line cross bundled just wide of the near upright by Will Collar.
The visitors’ goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros was then called upon twice in quick succession, deflecting beyond the right post a low shot by Ryan Croasdale, before blocking a Crankshaw effort with his legs. And Jaros came to the rescue again as he parried Collar’s header from a looping Kitching cross on the left.
Despite the opening one-way traffic, Notts, without a league win in three games since the beginning of the month had seen them drop from the play-off places, were gifted a golden opportunity when an under-hit pass by Ash Palmer sent Jayden Richardson through on goal. But after rounding Ben Hinchliffe, Richardson inexplicably fired over into the Cheadle End.
A few minutes later, Richardson again looked set to score but, after being forced left of the goal by Kitching, he saw his shot deflected beyond the near post.
The two let offs for the Hatters spurred them back into action, with Myles Hippolyte and Crankshaw having their respective, well-struck shots tipped behind by Jaros and blocked by central defender Connell Rawlinson.
Then in the 28th minute, they went ahead and in tremendous style, too, as a pinpoint perfect cross from the right by Macauley Southam-Hales found Madden, who rose to head into the far corner of the net.
Late in the half, Hippolyte was presented with a tremendous chance to double the advantage, courtesy of a long ball upfield from Hinchliffe, but the winger volleyed well beyond the right post.
The first action-proper of the new half saw the Hatters extend their lead, as a Hinchliffe clearance found Madden, whose deft lay-off for Crankshaw was duly collected and powered past Jaros.
Hippolyte fired a free-kick over before Collar’s side-footed shot from close range, following another excellent Southam-Hales delivery on the right, was kept out by the left foot of Jaros.
But the Hatters were truly out of sight following their next attack, as Hippolyte’s cross from the left evaded Collar, before being seized upon by Madden who slotted home from 12 yards.
With maximum points looking to be secure, Hippolyte twice stung the hands of Jaros, with one shot from distance and an angled attempt on the left, before substitute Scott Quigley was denied by an intervention from Alex Lacey who deflected the striker’s effort past the right post.
Stockport County (4-3-3): Hinchliffe; Southam-Hales (Minihan 84), Palmer, Johnson, Kitching; Collar (Newby 78), Croasdale, Sarcevic; Crankshaw (Quigley 61), Madden, Hippolyte. Subs (unused): Ashby-Hammond, Hogan.
Goals: Madden (28, 71), Crankshaw (48) for Stockport County.
Attendance: 7,951 (492 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.