League Two champions Stockport County are preparing to lift the League Two title on Saturday afternoon, following our final home game of the season against Accrington Stanley.
A remarkable, dramatic 5-2 win away at Notts County on Tuesday night, County’s seventh victory in a row, was enough to crown Dave Challinor’s side as champions with two games of the season to spare. It’s County’s third league title in the last five years, and our first in the Football League since our Division Four winners of 1966/67.
Our record 89 points means that closest rivals Mansfield Town and Wrexham can no longer overhaul us at the top, and attention now turns to finishing the season in style ahead of our final two games of the campaign against Accrington and away at Wrexham.
We take on a Stanley side currently sat 18th in League Two, having won just two of their last 13 league outings in a run that dates back to February. The side were in action at Mansfield on Tuesday night, with a late Tommy Leigh goal not enough to prevent them from losing 2-1.
Things you need to know:
- Tickets for this game have completely sold out!
- For a breakdown of everything set to take place during our title party this Saturday, click here. Please remain in your seats at full-time, to allow the players to lift the trophy and do a lap of honour to thank you for your support.
- Don’t forget to turn up early to Edgeley Park to visit the County Courtyard, which will be opening its doors from 1.00pm! For more information on all the food and drink on offer this week, click here.
- This fixture will be available for overseas supporters to watch over on Stockport County Live, whilst featuring live match audio commentary from Jon Keighren and Sam Byrne will be available for supporters in the UK. Click here to purchase your video match passes today.
Since we last met:
County went into our game at Accrington back in September off the back of three straight wins in League Two, having beaten Wrexham 5-0 in our previous outings. There was to be no ‘after the lord mayor’s show’ for the Hatters that afternoon though, as we ran out comfortable 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Tanto Olaofe, Will Collar and Louie Barry.
The result lifted a resurgent County to the edge of the play-off places ten games into the campaign, whilst for Accrington a fourth defeat in five saw them drop down to 15th.
They bounced back impressively from that defeat with four straight wins, lifting them back up into the play-off places, but their form dropped off significantly heading into 2024.
Just three wins from 13 games in all competitions from Boxing Day through to March had seen the Reds slip down to 16th, but there will still many raised eyebrows when the club announced the departure of legendary manager John Coleman following a 4-0 defeat away at Wrexham.
Barring a brief two-year spell elsewhere between 2012-2014, Coleman had been in charge of Accrington since 1999, guiding the club from non-league all the way to League One for the first time in the club’s history. Even following relegation last season, there was no surprise that the 61-year-old had been given the opportunity to lead the side back in League Two this season.
After 1,098 games in charge across his two spells, however, the club decided to make a change with 11 games of the season remaining.
After three weeks in interim charge of the club, coach John Doolan was appointed as Coleman’s permanent successor on a three-year-deal. The former Stanley player had been at the club as a coach under Coleman since 2017, with this his first senior management role.
During his interim spell in charge, the side won one, lost one and drew one to remain in 16th place, but since his permanent appointment they have won only one in six – a 3-1 win at Newport County ten days ago.
Coming into Saturday, the team sit 18th in League Two, 14 points clear of the relegation zone and 12 points off a play-off spot. A top-half finish is now beyond them this season, but they will be looking to finish the campaign strongly in order to avoid a lowest league finish since 2015. After visiting Edgeley Park on Saturday, they end the season at home to Tranmere Rovers next week.
Match Stats:
- County are now unbeaten in their last 12 league games, winning each of the last seven to charge to the League Two title.
- County can still reach 95 points this season, which would eclipse our previous club record points tally of 94 set during our National League title-winning season.
- Saturday will be Dave Challinor’s 150th game in charge of the club. On Tuesday night, DC became the first manager in Stockport County history to guide the Hatters to two league titles.
- One more goal would make this County’s best goalscoring season in the EFL since the 1933/34 season, when the club scored an incredible 115 goals in 42 games.
- Saturday will be the 70th meeting between these two sides. County have the historical edge with 32 wins to Accrington’s 22. We haven’t lost at home to the Reds since 1961.
