STOCKPORT COUNTY 1, WREXHAM 0
Louie Barry’s strike midway through the first half proved the difference as Stockport County completed a sequence of six successive home matches in all competitions with a League One triumph over Wrexham at a sold-out Edgeley Park.
In front of a five-figure crowd for the second Saturday running, leading scorer Barry’s 12th goal in all competitions secured maximum points for the Hatters and enabled them to jump another two places within the play-off positions up to fourth.
The morning rain had eased, and the atmosphere was febrile, as the Hatters took to the field showing just the one change from their most recent league starting line-up against Bolton the previous weekend. Ethan Pye, having served his one-match suspension then, returned to defence, replacing Ibby Touray, who was away on international duty with The Gambia.
There was only a single difference to the County bench as well, with Tanto Olaofe – who had been unavailable for the Bolton game due to illness – recalled in Jack Diamond’s stead.
The third-placed Red Dragons included among their starters Andy Cannon, who had spent time on loan with the Hatters in the closing stages of their title-winning National League campaign, whilst on loan from Hull, during the spring of 2022. Wrexham also handed full league debuts to Icelandic striker Jón Daði Böðvarsson, and to goalkeeper Callum Burton who was brought in to replace the injured Arthur Onkonkwo.
Böðvarsson fashioned the contest’s first attempt with less than a minute on the clock as, with his back to goal, he executed an overhead kick – albeit one lacking pace, which Ryan Rydel was able to shepherd into the waiting hands of Ben Hinchliffe.
The opening stages also saw both Macauley Southam-Hales and Fraser Horsfall pick up yellow cards before five minutes had been played. But as the game settled down, it bore witness to a second overhead kick – with Kyle Wootton hooking his beyond the near post, after connecting at the second attempt with a Southam-Hales cross from the right.
For all the bluster and excitement of the occasion, there had not been a concerted effort on goal of note until the 24th minute, when Barry – shortly following his addition to the growing list of County bookings – unleashed a peach of a curling shot into the top-right corner to put County ahead, after an Ollie Norwood strike had been blocked.
Five minutes later, Callum Connolly’s initially harmless-looking delivery from the right dipped dramatically on its approach – forcing Burton, by the far post, to tip the ball behind. County earned another corner shortly afterwards, when Will Collar’s angled shot was deflected by Dan Scarr and, following that, Burton pulled off a double save to keep out a header from Collar and Horsfall’s point-blank shot on the rebound.
The Hatters continued to press as half-time loomed with Norwood volleying narrowly over from 20 yards out; Burton deflecting behind to deny Rydel; and Ethan Pye, during the minute of added time, heading past the right post after connecting with a Rydel free kick.
The second half began much as the first had ended with Pye latching on to a set-piece ball with his head, as he powered over from Norwood’s corner on the right.
At the other end, Böðvarsson poked beyond the near post following a Ryan Barnett cross from the right before a County break saw Burton parry past the left upright a well-struck shot by Barry.
Just after the hour mark, Southam-Hales had a shot deflected past the right post before skipper Lewis Bate fired over from the resulting corner. And Hinchliffe performed wonders in County’s goal, by first tipping behind another of Barnett’s teasing deliveries from the right, and subsequently keeping out the in-swinging corner from the left by Elliot Lee.
The end-to-end fare continued, with Wootton seeing a shot tipped around the left post by Burton; the unmarked Lee heading past County’s corresponding upright; and, with a dozen minutes to play, Hinchliffe diving to smother a low drive from Barnett.
As the contest entered four minutes of added time, Olaofe broke through on goal only to see his shot blocked by Burton, who proceeded to tip over the final shot of the afternoon from another substitute, Jayden Fevrier.
Goal: Barry (24) for Stockport.
Stockport County (3-4-3): Hinchliffe; Connolly, Horsfall, Pye; Southam-Hales (Fevrier 82), Norwood (Bailey 82), Bate, Rydel (Adaramola 82); Collar, Wootton, Barry (Olaofe 72). Subs (unused): Addai, Hughes, Fiorini.
Attendance: 10,327 (844 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.