STOCKPORT COUNTY 0, TRANMERE ROVERS 2
Stockport County’s third and final group-stage match in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy saw them make sure of finishing top of Northern Group A, despite a two-goal defeat at Edgeley Park against Tranmere Rovers.
With the Hatters having already qualified for the second round, the questions remaining were whether they would do so as table-toppers (with a view to being seeded for a home-tie next month), and if the League Two visitors could also go through to the knockout phase.
In the event, both outcomes came to pass, thanks to County’s superior goal difference, as an entirely changed home side lost out on the night to a pair of first-half strikes by Rovers.
Shortly before the clock struck 7pm, the Hatters took to the field for an earlier-than-usual kick-off on a clear, chilly evening. Their starting line-up showed a full 11 changes from that at EP against Bolton in League One three days earlier – although all seven substitutes named on that occasion were selected to begin the tie. Ethan Pye, who had missed out on playing at the weekend because of a one-game suspension, donned the captain’s armband for the first time as a Hatter.
The Tranmere starters, meanwhile, included strikers Kristian Dennis and Connor Jennings, a couple of former County favourites now plying their trade up front at Prenton Park.
The Hatters executed the first attempt of note with just over three minutes played as Lewis Fiorini’s shot around the edge of the box was gathered up by veteran goalkeeper Joe Murphy. And a couple of minutes later, Murphy’s counterpart, Corey Addai, was forced into action, parrying a half volley that Jennings had unleashed from a similar distance.
Addai then found himself facing the other ex-Hatter on the pitch, as he deflected an angled low drive from Dennis into the right side-netting. And the end-to-end fare continued with Odin Bailey stinging Murphy’s palms with a fierce shot, before Sam Taylor connected with Zak Bradshaw’s cross from the left and headed over the County crossbar.
Just ahead of the first half’s mid-point, Tranmere broke the deadlock as Dennis properly came back to haunt his old club by latching on to a ball over the County defence from visiting skipper Tom Davies before firing past Addai and into the bottom-right corner of the net.
The Hatters endeavoured to restore parity through Jack Diamond whose shot from the right narrowly cleared the bar – but half a dozen minutes before the break, found themselves two-down, after Jennings squared from the right for Josh Hawkes to tap in from close range.
With half-time approaching, Dennis, having been played through on goal, looked for all the world as if he would extend the visitors’ advantage further only to chip tamely into Addai’s arms.
The visitors, at two goals to the good, enjoyed the luxury of resting players – including Jennings – as they made a triple-substitution upon the resumption. And while the new Tranmere arrivals settled in, County embarked on a spell of possession, albeit without creating an opportunity of note until seven minutes into the new half, when Jayden Fevrier met Tayo Adaramola’s cross from the left to head beyond the far upright.
Murphy then did well to save a point-blank shot from Tanto Olaofe, who had been fed by Che Gardner, and the visiting keeper also dived to smother an effort from distance by Fevrier who was later denied courtesy of a timely Davies block in front of goal that deflected the shot over.
At the other end, the Hatters’ captain emulated the defensive deeds of the Tranmere skipper with Pye making a last-ditch intervention to dispossess Dennis six yards out. And Murphy once again kept County out in the closing stages, when he rolled back the years to tip over a Bailey piledriver.
Goals: Dennis (21), Hawkes (39) for Tranmere Rovers.
Stockport County (3-4-3): Addai; Mingi, Hughes, Pye; Gardner, Bailey, Fiorini, Adaramola; Diamond, Olaofe, Fevrier.Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Bate, Horsfall, Connolly, Wootton, Barry, Norwood.
Attendance: 1,236 (92 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.