STOCKPORT COUNTY 4, READING 1
Stockport County began a sequence of six scheduled home matches in all competitions with a pulsating and rampant victory under the Edgeley Park lights against in-form Reading.
The re-arranged league game – and first meeting with the Royals in 26 years – produced a glut of first-half goals, beginning with a strike from the returning Will Collar that was countered by a Reading equaliser before Kyle Wootton’s header and top scorer Louie Barry’s third penalty of the month put County in charge at the break. Barry added his second and the Hatters’ fourth midway through the second half to complete the ideal response to a disappointing defeat at Lincoln three days earlier.
Manager Dave Challinor had rung the changes following the reverse on the road at Lincoln City as County emerged on a mild evening in SK3 to show half a dozen of them from the previous weekend’s starting line-up. Collar re-joined the team from injury, and there were also starts for Jack Diamond, Lewis Fiorini, Fraser Horsfall, Tyler Onyango and Wootton – with Horsfall and Wootton clocking up their 100th appearances as Hatters into the bargain.
Odin Bailey, Callum Connolly, Jayden Fevrier, Sam Hughes, Tanto Olaofe and Nick Powell comprised the sextet to make way. All excepting the injured Powell were named among the substitutes on a bench that also included Ollie Norwood, an ex-Royal who had turned out on more than 90 occasions for the visitors between 2014 and 2016.
More than 10 minutes were on the clock before the first shot of the evening was registered as Barry, having been fed by a neat flick from Collar, curled an effort around the right post.
A couple of minutes later, Onyango defended well to deny Adrian Akande – who had been through on goal – and, at the other end, Wootton’s downward header was comfortably gathered up by visiting goalkeeper Joel Pereira.
Having earlier performed heroics in front of his own goal, Onyango then went on a surging run towards the Reading one – and with spectacular results, too, as he reached the box, before playing in Collar who fired into the bottom-right corner to put the Hatters ahead.
Pereira saved well from Barry to prevent a doubling of County’s initial lead, which instead lasted only 11 minutes, as Reading – who, at the start of play, nestled in the final play-off position, four points and six places above the Hatters – restored parity just before the half hour. Akande’s delicate pass fed Harvey Knibbs, whose subsequent delivery from the right was converted first time by Chem Campbell.
The Hatters hit back four minutes later to regain the initiative through Wootton, who, in front of the right post, headed home Lewis Bate’s in-swinging free kick for his fifth goal of the campaign and County’s second of the night.
And three minutes before half-time – courtesy, for the third time in four games, of a well-executed spot-kick by Barry – they had goal number three, following the penalty’s award for Andre Garcia’s foul on Diamond.
The early stages of the new half saw Ethan Pye and Fiorini fire shots over from distance and Barry connect with a Collar cross from the right to head past the far post, as the Hatters looked to build on their two-goal advantage. And six minutes after the hour, Fiorini went closer when he stung Pereira’s hands with an attempt from the edge of the box.
Shortly afterwards, however, the lead was extended in style, following a neat one-two between Collar and Barry that culminated in the latter’s low shot slotting under Pereira to make it four. Both Hatters, as well as the impressive Fiorini, then promptly earned themselves well-deserved rests, as County made a triple-substitution with a little over 20 minutes remaining.
One of the replacements, Bailey, unleashed a low drive narrowly shy of the right post in the closing stages, and Fevrier, as a later arrival, set off on a lung-busting run in added time that saw his eventual shot kept out by Pereira.
But while the scorers were not troubled further, the Hatters ended their October schedule as they had begun it – with a fine win, and one that, on this occasion, propelled them back up a couple of positions to 10th.
Goals: Collar, (18); Wootton, (33); Barry, (42 pen), 68), Reading 1 (Campbell, 29).
Stockport County (4-2-3-1): Addai; Onyango, Horsfall, Pye, Touray; Bate (Connolly 90), Fiorini (Bailey 69); Diamond (Fevrier 79), Collar (Olaofe 69), Barry (Norwood 69); Wootton. Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Hughes.
Attendance: 8,128 (860 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.