Stockport County have delivered Wrexham and Mansfield Town a helping hand: View
The Hatters’ may have presented their fellow promotion hopefuls with a gift last weekend
Stockport County’s win boosts top promotion candidates Mansfield Town and Wrexham.
The Hatters’ emphatic victory restores confidence and creates breathing room at the top.
MK Dons’ heavy defeat could shake their confidence, putting pressure on the fourth-placed team.
Stockport County’s emphatic win over MK Dons may have assisted not only themselves but also their fellow top-three companions, Mansfield Town and Wrexham.
The race at the summit of League Two is tight, but the road is running out for those clubs that are chasing down an automatic promotion spot.
Having been in first place for a large part of this campaign, Stockport looked to be faltering at the worst time, having won just one of the seven games previous to the MK clash.
However, hitting five without reply is bound to have reinstated confidence at Edgeley Park, and the clubs on either side of the Hatters in the table may be almost as pleased with the win.
A perfect result at the perfect time for Stockport County
Dave Challinor’s side had gone unbeaten in their previous five games and had gained all three points just two weeks prior against Newport County, so all was not lost in the Stockport camp, but persistent draws and questionable performances had begun to dampen what was a confident mood inside Edgeley Park earlier in the season.
If you were to ask for a result to turn that tide and return to a more positive footing, a 5-0 routing of a fourth-placed side that looked in fantastic form would surely be high on the list.
Despite playing large parts of the game without the ball – the Hatters had 36% possession to the Dons’ 64% – County looked incisive in a way that has felt lacking in recent games.
With three of the last eight fixtures now coming against the three lowest-ranked teams in the league, Challinor will be hoping his side can carry that lethal streak into those games that have every chance of becoming scrappy, stifling affairs, as clubs fight for Football League survival.
