STOCKPORT COUNTY 3, CRAWLEY TOWN 1
Stockport County returned to Edgeley Park for the first time in three weeks and registered a first success of 2025 on home turf with a two-goal victory against struggling Crawley Town.
First-half goals from Will Collar and Macauley Southam-Hales put County well in control of proceedings and, in the event, settled the eventual outcome as the Hatters enjoyed a first triumph in nearly two years over the visiting Red Devils having drawn on three successive occasions since breaking their hearts by the odd goal in three at EP on Valentine’s Day 2023 and, by virtue of the latest three points, moved up one place in the table to fifth.
The strong gusts wrought on the previous day by Storm Éowyn were just a memory around SK3 by the time the Hatters took to the field in glorious winter sunshine and with a starting line-up unchanged from that for their most recent League One fixture at Reading a week earlier.
There were two changes to the substitutes from the Reading game, featuring the return to the bench of a familiar face and the appearance on it of a new one. Club Captain Lewis Bate was back in the matchday fold following his recovery from an injury suffered at Huddersfield on Boxing Day while the recently arrived Micah Hamilton went straight into the squad less than 48 hours after the announcement of his loan from Middlesbrough.
There were two Hatters – Callum Camps and Tanto Olaofe – making their 100th County appearances, and they fittingly enough looked to combine and create an opening in the first minute, but the latter’s through ball to the former ended up crossing the left by-line for a goal kick.
Another pair linked up to go closer in the fifth minute as Collar’s looping cross from the right was met by Kyle Wootton only for the acting skipper’s point-blank header to be parried by visiting goalkeeper and Ghanaian international Joe Wollacott.
Half a dozen minutes later, Wootton nodded wide of the far post after latching on to another delivery from the right, this time by Southam-Hales. But a few minutes beyond the first half’s mid-point, the Hatters took the lead their sustained early pressure merited.
Collar, who earlier in the month celebrated his 150th outing as a Hatter in the Crystal Palace FA Cup-tie, opened the scoring by heading home Kyle Knoyle’s cross from the right and putting County deservedly in front.
Wollacott then denied Camps by tipping a low shot around the left upright but, eight minutes after opening their account, the Hatters’ advantage was doubled.
Wootton, following some excellent hold up play, fed Southam-Hales to his right, before the Welsh wing-back drilled past the diving Crawley keeper and into the far-bottom corner for his second goal of the month and County’s second of the afternoon.
The visitors, who had been promoted from League Two with County in May 2024, were at kick-off occupying the second relegation position, five points adrift from safety, made a change upon the resumption involving the withdrawal of Will Swan, who, while at Mansfield, had proved a tricky opponent for the Hatters in seasons past.
County, meanwhile, began the second half in similar attacking mode to that which had prevailed during much of the first with Collar, a couple of minutes in, meeting Ollie Norwood’s corner from the left and heading against the Railway End crossbar.
A quieter spell followed before the Hatters’ inaugural substitutions were made with 20 minutes left and brought both Bate and debutant Hamilton into play.
Ibby Touray then unleashed a shot from the left that narrowly cleared the bar but, that attempt notwithstanding, there was nothing of further note to report by way of final-third action, as County comfortably saw the game out to make sure of a second league win running.
Goals: Collar (25), Southam-Hales (33) for Stockport.
Stockport County (3-5-2): Hinchliffe; Knoyle (Rydel 85), Connolly, Pye; Southam-Hales, Collar (Hamilton 70), Norwood, Camps (Bate 70), Touray; Wootton, Olaofe (Diamond 70). Subs (unused): Addai, Andrésson, Bailey.
Attendance: 8,960 (179 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.