STOCKPORT COUNTY 3, ROTHERHAM UNITED 1
Stockport County’s first Saturday home match with a regular 3pm start in six weeks saw them extend their winning run to four games after coming from behind to defeat mid-table Rotherham United at Edgeley Park.
The visitors took an early lead, before Jack Diamond restored parity just ahead of half-time. Brad Hills and current top-scoring Hatter Kyle Wootton then added second-half goals to secure a victory that increased the gap between fourth-placed County and the positions outside the play-offs zone to 11 points, with four fixtures of the regular campaign remaining.
The win was also County’s first anywhere against the Millers in 17 years and a first at home since 1994, following a sequence of four draws between the clubs and one loss in SK3 up to and including the 2010/11 season which had seen the Hatters drop out of the Football League.
The blue skies of early April were continuing to show over Edgeley, albeit with some developing cloud, as the Hatters took to the field with an unaltered starting line-up from that at Exeter a week previously. There were two changes on the bench with Micah Hamilton and, making his first squad appearance in nearly three months, Jay Mingi replacing the injured duo of Kyle Knoyle and Nick Powell.
The in-form visitors, for their part, arrived at EP also on the back of three straight victories under the interim managerial charge of Rotherham-born former Hatter Matty Hamshaw, who had plied his trade in County’s midfield, and as club captain, during the 2005/06 campaign.
Owen Moxon struck the first shot of the afternoon firing beyond the left post from outside the box – with just under four minutes played. And before the next four were up, Jayden Fevrier advanced to the area before firing a low effort that visiting goalkeeper Cameron Dawson dived to smother.
But despite a bright start for the Hatters, they were then to find themselves behind as Mallik Wilks headed in after connecting with a Reece James cross from the left. And, with 20 minutes played, Corey Addai prevented a doubling of the scoreline by parrying Joe Powell’s 20-yard snapshot.
At the other end, shortly following the first half’s mid-point, Wootton cut in from the right to test Dawson with a low shot. And, around the half-hour, the same pair conjured up a moment not often seen in modern footballing times, as the ‘keeper’s kick struck the attendant striker in front of him and spun backwards towards the six-yard box, before referee Lee Swaby called a halt to play.
Crosses from the right by Hills and Fevrier led to Ibby Touray and Wootton respectively heading over the crossbar and wide of the far post. But the Hatters’ next attempt, four minutes before the break, saw them get back on level terms in style, as Diamond – teed up by Wootton – unleashed a rocket of a shot from outside the area into the bottom-right corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Moxon, as had been the case in the first half, struck the first attempt after the resumption with his shot once again fizzing past the left upright. And Diamond, shortly afterwards, earned the contest’s inaugural corner, courtesy of an effort that deflected behind off Jack Holmes.
One further strike, from distance, by Moxon – which Dawson did well to hold cleanly – preceded his replacement by Odin Bailey. And, four minutes later, Bailey’s introduction paid dividends with an in-swinging delivery from the right that found Hills, who headed home at the far post his first goal in a County shirt to put the Hatters in front.
Dawson beat away a header from acting captain Fraser Horsfall, before Wootton bagged his fourth goal in as many games, and County’s third of the afternoon, collecting Ethan Pye’s ball down the left channel, holding off visiting skipper Hakeem Odoffin, and cutting in to fire a low shot past the ‘keeper.
Three minutes later, Wootton went close to adding another after winning the ball in the visitors’ box, but his shot bobbled narrowly shy of the left post. And a late chance for Rotherham to reduce the arrears was denied when Pye superbly blocked substitute Jordan Hugill to the left of goal.
Goals: Diamond (4), Hills (59), Wootton (73) for Stockport. Wilks (8) for Rotherham.
Stockport (4-4-2): Addai; Hills (Connolly 79), Horsfall, Pye, Touray; Fevrier (Collar 55), Moxon (Bailey 55), Norwood, Diamond; Wootton (Cosgrove, 90+1), Olaofe (Mingi 90 + 1). Subs (unused): Wogan, Hamilton.
Attendance: 10,390 (1,084 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.