STOCKPORT COUNTY 5, WOLVES U21 3
Sixteen-year-old Stockport County substitute Joe Astles scored twice late on to ensure victory for the Hatters in their opening group-stage game in the Vertu Trophy at Edgeley Park against Wolves U21s.
Wolves had edged proceedings by the odd goal in three when the two clubs met in the same competition three seasons ago but, on this occasion, County came out on top after a higher-scoring affair that saw defences breached eight times.
An extraordinary quarter-hour spell early in the first half yielded four goals as Wolves went two-up – only to be promptly pegged back by County, courtesy of a Nathan Lowe brace. Odin Bailey’s first goal of the campaign then put the Hatters ahead after the break, albeit very briefly before Wolves levelled – leaving Astles to grab the headlines with two acclaimed strikes on his first-team debut.
Shortly before the clock struck 7pm on a mild Edgeley evening, the Hatters took to the field for an earlier-than-usual kick off showing nine changes from their initial line-up at Wigan in League One three days previously – with Brad Hills and Malik Mothersille the only survivors.
Additionally, three substitutes used in WN5 were selected to start, and one of those, Joseph Olowu, was handed the captain’s armband for the second successive Tuesday night, having also led out County against Latics in their earlier League Cup meeting.
Christy Grogan took his competitive bow as a Hatter on the left side of a three-player defence while a youthful County bench included Corey Edwards who, the previous day, had arrived in SK3 on loan from Rochdale to the U21s.
The young, primarily teenage, visitors, wearing squad numbers in the range between 36 and 76, were skippered by relative veteran, 21-year-old Alfie Pond, who had spent four months on loan at County during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Hatters earned the night’s first corner after a couple of minutes when taker Bailey’s recycled cross found Hills, whose header was held by visiting goalkeeper Josh Gracey.
The next chance fell to Wolves six minutes later and put the visitors in front after Tom Edozie’s run down the left flank culminated in a shot that was scuffed but more significantly deflected inside the near upright.
County sought to restore parity through Bailey and Arian Allen who respectively stung Gracey’s hands and drilled beyond the right post. But three minutes after opening their account, the visitors struck again following a defensive slip that let in Mateus Mané, leaving the England youth international striker to advance into the Hatters’ area and blast home.
The Hatters halved the arrears ahead of the first half’s mid-point when Lewis Fiorini’s sublime through-ball was calmly left-footed underneath Gracey by Lowe for the Stoke loanee’s third goal of the season in all competitions.
And, four minutes later, Lowe and County had a second following a poor clearance by the roaming Gracey that enabled the forward to slot home into an empty net from 30 yards to level the scores.
A raft of chances fell to Wolves during the remainder of the half’s normal time as Mané saw a shot caught by Hinchliffe, Ethan Sutherland unleashed a low shot from the left narrowly shy of the far post and Hinchliffe used his feet to keep out Wesley Okoduwa.
In the course of time added on, and at the other end, Mothersille’s delivery from the left found Allen whose header was deflected past the far upright.
The Hatters, upon the resumption, made a triple-substitution that included senior competitive debuts for Edwards and striker Marcus Kouam and, within six minutes, got their noses in front for the first time as Bailey latched on to Che Gardner’s cut-back from the left before executing a fine sweeping finish high into the net.
But County’s advantage was just to last for six minutes more with Okoduwa rolling the ball in from close range after latching on to Sutherland’s cross from the left shortly before the hour.
With 12 minutes remaining, Okoduwa struck County’s left post but, by way of demonstrating the fine margins principle immediately afterwards, the Hatters proceeded to the other end where another defence-splitting pass from Fiorini found Astles who, four minutes after his introduction, belied his tender years with the calmest of finishes to restore County’s lead.
Four minutes later, incredibly, Astles notched a second by dinking over Gracey after Kouam had flicked on Hinchliffe’s ball downfield.
Eyebrows were further raised towards the end of an entertaining night when 10 minutes of added time were announced. During that spell, Hinchliffe denied substitute Daniel Angel at point-blank range, Luke Rawlings fired past County’s left post, and Okoduwa prodded beyond the opposite upright but the scorers, ultimately, were not troubled further.
The Hatters will visit Salford and entertain Wigan during the autumn in their remaining group games of the competition.
Goals: Lowe 20, 24), Bailey (51), Astles (79, 83) for Stockport. Edozie (9), Mane (12), Okoduwa (57) for Wolves.
Stockport (3-4-3): Hinchliffe; Hills, Olowu, Grogan (Watson 46); C Gardner (Astles 75), Fiorini, Bailey, Dodgson (Edwards 46); Allen, Lowe (Kouam 46), Mothersille (Mee 61). Subs (unused): Metcalfe, Lawless-Williams.
Attendance: 1,014 (65 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.