STOCKPORT COUNTY 2, BARNSLEY 1
Stockport County made it five victories in a row, courtesy of an early Saturday afternoon triumph at Edgeley Park against Barnsley by the odd goal in three.
In what was a first meeting between the sides in SK3 for 20 years, a first County victory against them in more than 22 was achieved through a Tanto Olaofe strike and Will Collar spot kick within four first-half minutes of each other with the Hatters going on to prevail despite a late Barnsley consolation.
The result propelled County to within two points of third-placed Wrexham, and established a winning sequence last enjoyed by the club in the third tier nearly 70 years previously.
Wrapping up warm in the stands was the order of the day as County took to the field in chilly, overcast conditions for a lunchtime start to accommodate live television coverage and with a starting line-up showing one change from that at Leyton Orient a week earlier.
Newly arrived defender Brad Hills, on loan from Norwich, went straight into the side – replacing the injured Macauley Southam-Hales, who was temporarily on the sidelines with a minor knock. Of the Hatters’ two other players signed on deadline day at the beginning of the week, Owen Moxon was named among the substitutes, but Barnsley loanee Sam Cosgrove was ruled out under his deal’s terms of turning out against his parent club.
County’s starters also included an ex-Tyke in Callum Connolly, who had made a trilogy of appearances for Barnsley whilst on loan from Everton in 2016. And, by way of a reverse connection, the visitors’ manager, Darrell Clarke, was a one-time (and one-game) Hatter having very briefly plied his trade at EP as a Hartlepool loanee two decades ago.
Ten minutes had passed, with drizzle in the air, by the time the contest witnessed its first attempt of note with Ibby Touray latching on to Ollie Norwood’s looping cross from the right, before firing over the Railway End crossbar. And, just over a couple of minutes later, Lewis Bate tested goalkeeper Joe Gauci with a low drive from the edge of the box that the Australian international between the sticks dived to smother.
Five minutes ahead of the half-hour, the visitors – sitting four places but only one point outside the play-off positions – had their sights on County’s goal for the first time as Jon Russell’s delivery from the right forced Ben Hinchliffe to back pedal before it drifted harmlessly wide of the far post.
At the other end, Kyle Wootton connected with a Touray cross from the left to head beyond the far upright. But, within a minute and with their next attack, the Hatters went ahead through Olaofe, who ran on to an exquisite through-ball from Bate, shrugged off the attention of US defender Donovan Pines and fired past Gauci for his eighth goal of the campaign in all competitions.
Ten minutes before the break, County’s advantage was doubled, when, on the right side of the Barnsley box, Josh Earl tripped Kyle Knoyle who, a minute or two beforehand, had seen a close-range shot deflected behind. Referee Jacob Miles immediately pointed to the spot, and Collar stepped up to send Gauci the wrong way with his first penalty of the season and maintaining in the process his own 100-percent record from 12 yards as a Hatter and enabling County to go in at half-time two goals to the good.
The visitors began to show some more attacking intent upon the resumption. Top scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn – who had been something of a League Two goal-getting nemesis for County while at Mansfield during 2023/24 – curled a shot wide of the right post, before Adam Phillips stung Hinchliffe’s hands from distance.
As the hour approached, County’s keeper was again called into action after Russell connected with a Keillor-Dunn cross from the left to send a close-range header towards goal, but Hinchliffe was equal to the effort diving down quickly to keep it out.
Midway through the second half, County introduced Benoný Andrésson and Moxon for their league debuts as Hatters. And, shortly afterwards, Hinchliffe was again on hand to deny Russell, who had headed on Corey O’Keeffe’s corner from the left.
The Tykes continued on a mission to reduce their arrears through Phillips, who blazed beyond the left post, and Keillor-Dunn, whose chip goal-wards was punched clear by Hinchliffe and header, five minutes from time, was glanced wide.
Gauci, at full stretch, tipped away a low shot from Andrésson to deny the Icelandic youngster a first County goal – albeit coupled with a flag up for offside – and, true to the principle of fine margins, the Hatters, upon the announcement of three minutes added on, found their lead halved, rather than extended, as Russell brought the ball down for Keillor-Dunn to fire in off the inside of the left post.
But the Hatters held firm to repel any further breaches, as they further cemented their hold on fourth place as well as sending the home supporters home happy, not to mention, thanks to the early finish, in broad daylight for the first time in over three months!
Goals: Olaofe (31), Collar (35 pen) for Stockport. Keillor-Dunn (90) for Barnsley.
Stockport (4-3-3): Hinchliffe; Hills, Connolly, Pye; Knoyle (Moxon 67), Collar, Norwood, Bate (Bailey 79), Touray; Wootton, Olaofe (Andrésson 67). Subs (unused): Addai, Diamond, Rydel, Hamilton.
Attendance: 10,148 (1,192 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.