Dave Challinor will take charge of Stockport County at Edgeley Park for the first time this Saturday, and in a big game too as we host in-form Bromley live on BT Sport.
County received plenty of plaudits both on and off the pitch during last Sunday’s draw at League One Bolton in the FA Cup, Challinor’s first game in charge, but focus now turns back to our National League campaign as we look to close in on the play-off places.
Our last game in the National League saw us return to winning ways after back-to-back defeats with a 5-2 victory away at bottom club Dover, under the interim management of Dave Conlon. That result leaves us tenth in the league table, still five points from the play-off places but with a game in hand.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have been flying lately despite exiting the FA Cup with a 3-0 defeat at Rotherham last weekend. A 2-0 win at Woking in their last league game was a seventh in their last nine league games – a run that leaves Bromley fourth going into Saturday’s game, three points off league leaders Boreham Wood with a game in hand.
Tickets for Saturday’s game are available to buy online now – come on down and help give our new manager a real Edgeley Park welcome, by buying your ticket today.
Our Opponents:
Bromley’s form so far this season will come as no surprise to anyone who has watched them this last year, particularly following the appointment of manager Andy Woodman in March, as the Londoners secured a play-off spot on the final day.
Woodman’s appointment came as something of a surprise at the time to some; The Ravens parting company with previous manager Neil Smith after five years and 225 games in charge, and with the club sat in seventh place.
The former Arsenal Goalkeeping Coach had only previously managed at Whitehawk in the past, but has had a big impact in his short time at Hayes Lane. Despite drawing his opening two games as manager, including a 0-0 draw at Edgeley Park live on BT, the side lost just one of his 13 games in charge at the back end of last season, securing the final play-off spot on the last day with a 1-0 win against Notts County.
Finishing in seventh meant the club had secured their highest ever league finish, beating their previous record of ninth, although it wasn’t to be in the club’s first ever National League play-off campaign, as they were beaten in the eliminator 3-2 by Dave Challinor’s Hartlepool United.
The manager has elected to retain the core of last season’s squad over the Summer, with defender Joe Kizzi and midfielder Charlie Wakefield the notable departees. Crucially, the club have managed to keep hold of last season’s golden boot winner, Michael Cheek, with the front-man already scoring ten goals this season to add to his 23 in the last campaign.
Despite a challenging start to the season that saw them lose to Dagenham and Boreham Wood in their first four games, the side have emerged out the other side of that recently, and once again proven to be a tough nut to crack in the National League.
Their recent run of form has been impressive to say the least, winning six league games in a row to rocket them into the play-off places, before securing successive draws against fellow contenders Notts County and Halifax. Having backed that up with victory at Woking last time out, Bromley will understandably come to Edgeley Park full of confidence with the top of the table in sight.
Their record now reads just three defeats in their 26 league games since Woodman’s appointment; a record that has earmarked them as genuine contenders for a first ever promotion to the Football League.
Saturday’s game is a big opportunity for either side to really lay down a marker for the rest of the campaign in front of the BT Sport Cameras, as County look to start Dave Challinor’s Edgeley Park reign with three important points.
Match Stats:
- We are unbeaten in four previous competitive meetings with Bromley, winning two and drawing two. We have yet to concede a goal against them at Edgeley Park.
- Dave Challinor has yet to lose a home league game this season, winning six and drawing one of Hartlepool’s seven home games in League Two this season.
- No team has collected more points from the last ten National League games than Bromley (23).
- Michael Cheek has gone three games without a goal for Bromley, his longest such run since April.
