All Things Stockport County

              County saved their best performance of the current pre-season until last coming   away from Edgeley Park today with a handsome and well deserved 2-0 win over Championship side Preston North End . This was a top grade showing from County who were faced with a Preston side that played to win from the off, but who`s   radar was off -County`s wasn`t, and a resilient exhibition of `in your face football` saw them finish the 112 minutes of the game looking for a third goal with North End clinging on. Actually, County thought they had got that third goal already but a fantastic finish by Louie Barry was ruled out late on by the officials. It mattered not in the end; the blues had claimed a good win against strong opposition and in the process returned Will Collar to meaningful match day activity that saw him claim an opportunist goal and introduced us to Louie Barry who looks every bit as good as his advanced publicity. In short, a cracking win, thoroughly well deserve

    County`s penultimate pre-season game, a very useful run out, saw them lose 1-0 to   Championship side Blackburn Rovers last night at Edgeley Park. There was little between the two sides throughout – Rovers eye catchingly neat passing game mostly matched by County`s pleasing defensive work. They attacked their opponents   with intent at times but there was little in the way of a finish to go with it and that was largely the way it was with the visitors too. If it was   disappointing to see the match decided by a truly iffy penalty it was by no means a surprise with both sides struggling to provide that vital spark at the sharp end where it mattered. But, all that said I think it was a very useful run out against a side 2 divisions above them in the UK football pyramid so no big moans at all and I give particularly   honourable mentions to Jordan Smith who impressed between the sticks for the blues, to Ethan Pye who looks a solid option for the County manager on the left of