WYCOMBE WANDERERS 1, STOCKPORT COUNTY 2
Stockport County hit the road for the first time in the new season with a trip down to Buckinghamshire and came away with a second straight win after prevailing by the odd goal in three at Wycombe Wanderers.
For the Hatters, it was a speedy return to the ground which, just over three months earlier, had hosted their final regular fixture of the 2024/25 campaign.
The sun shone brightly on proceedings, just as it had done on the first Saturday in May and County, having triumphed back then over the other team that proceeded to suffer defeat in the semi-finals of the play-offs, once again enjoyed a maximum points-haul at Adams Park, exactly 35 years on from the stadium’s staging its inaugural match.
Kyle Wootton’s second goal in as many games gave County an early lead and a sublime strike by Jack Diamond shortly after the break looked rather comfortably to have secured victory.
But the Hatters had to withstand some late pressure from the Chairboys, who, having missed a penalty on the hour, scored 16 minutes from time to set up a tense finish.
The Hatters took to the tree-lined field in their new green third kit showing one change from the starting line-up at Edgeley Park against Bolton six days previously. Joseph Olowu was handed his debut taking the place of fellow recent signing Malik Mothersille, who, after passing a fitness test on the pitch, was named among the substitutes.
The Chairboys won three corners in the same number of opening minutes before County earned one at the home end. A short delivery from Owen Dodgson, and exchange with Callum Camps, led to a low shot by the Burnley loanee that was gathered up by goalkeeper Mikki van Sas.
Diamond tried his luck shortly afterwards, courtesy of a well-struck effort from the left that flew past the far post. But with their next attempt, in the ninth minute, the Hatters went ahead as further good work by Diamond on the left saw him cut in before pulling the ball back for Wootton to convert from close range.
A couple of minutes following the half-hour, home skipper Luke Leahy’s cross from the left found Dan Casey whose low, powerful header was cleanly caught by Corey Addai. And, five minutes before the interval, the County keeper used his left leg to keep out Fred Onyedinma following a Wycombe break.
The Hatters began the new half calm and confident in possession. And once they found themselves in the final third, half a dozen minutes after the resumption, their advantage doubled with the proverbial gem of a goal from Diamond, who, having advanced to the hosts’ area from his own half, curled a shot from the left into the far-top corner of the net.
Wycombe responded by making four changes ahead of the hour and almost immediately were awarded a penalty when Corey O’Keeffe brought down Dan Harvie only for the spot-kick, taken by newly introduced substitute Alex Lowry, to strike the left upright.
The hosts’ quartet of replacements also included their leading scorer in the previous season, Richard Kone, who tested Addai with a low shot from the edge of the area. And with their next attack of note, they halved the arrears through Jamie Mullins, whom Lowry teed up to drill home with just over 15 minutes left.
Much of the remaining play was confined to County’s half as the hosts strove to restore parity. Nerves were not eased by the announcement of seven minutes of added time and, during those, Addai had to be at his best to tip over a Leahy shot that had taken a deflection towards goal but, ultimately, the Hatters held firm to maintain their winning start to the campaign.
Goals: Mullins (74) for Wycombe. Wootton (9), Diamond (51) for Stockport.
Stockport: Addai; Olowu (Bailey 65), Connolly, Pye; O’Keeffe, Norwood, Moxon, Dodgson; Camps (Lowe 65), Wootton, Diamond (Andrew 86). Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Mothersille, Fiorini, Allen.
Attendance: 5,590 (861 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.