SALFORD CITY 1, STOCKPORT COUNTY 1
Stockport County shared the friendly spoils having made the short trip up to Salford City for a penultimate senior warm-up game ahead of their League One campaign.
County took the lead through a trialist shortly after the interval before being pegged back by the Ammies eight minutes from the end of a contest that had seen each side also have a goal ruled out for offside.
The Hatters, sporting their striped second kit for the first time, and with three trialists in their starting line-up, took to the field on a cloudy evening in M7 for a slightly early Friday night kick-off at 7:30pm. County’s bench, meanwhile, comprised a septet of younger players at the club, including Arian Allen, Saul Gardner and Max Metcalfe who had all turned out for the side that visited Spennymoor for Glen Taylor’s testimonial six days earlier.
County earned an early corner after Owen Moxon and captain Kyle Wootton had seen shots blocked in quick succession and, just ahead of the 10-minute mark, the League Two hosts were awarded four quickfire ones, albeit without their leading to clear-cut chances, at the end housing the travelling supporters.
Eight minutes later, the Ammies put the ball in County’s net, although a flag was raised to chalk off the scrambled effort through a crowded six-yard box. On the half-hour, Odin Bailey, who had plied his trade for the hosts during 2022/23, went close to scoring against them courtesy of a well-struck shot that goalkeeper Matty Young did well to parry around the right post.
Five minutes before the break, Moxon blasted narrowly wide of the left upright, as sunshine from earlier in the day briefly gave way to darker clouds and a touch of drizzle.
Two minutes following the resumption, Benoný Andrésson was played through on goal but Young, at full stretch, got his fingertips to the Icelandic striker’s low drive from the right and the danger was cleared.
At the other end, Ben Hinchliffe parried behind a strike from Ben Woodburn before the deadlock was broken by the Hatters, with Trialist A converting at the second attempt from close range, following Bailey’s cross from the right.
County, like Salford in the first half, had a goal disallowed at the away end after Bailey, just ahead of the hour, looked to have come back to haunt his former club with a header on the rebound from a blocked Wootton shot.
With 14 minutes remaining, a double-change up front saw Andrésson and Wootton rested but the next, and final, attempt of note was fashioned in tremendous style by the hosts as Ossama Ashley let rip with a thunderbolt of a strike from 25 yards that flew past Hinchliffe and into the top-left corner of the net for Salford’s equaliser.
Goals: Ashley (82) for Salford. Trialist A (53) for Stockport.
Stockport County (3-5-2): Hinchliffe; Grogan, Trialist (A), Trialist (B); C Gardner, Fiorini, Moxon, Bailey, Trialist (C) (Watson, 66); Andrésson (Kouam, 76), Wootton (Allen, 76). Subs (unused): Metcalfe, Wogan, Mee, S Gardner.
Attendance: 1,321 (467 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.