Stockport County 2 Bolton Wanderers 0 ( Football League 1) Sunday 3 August 2025

County opened their 2025-26 season on a high, beating an impressive Bolton Wanderers side 2-0 at Edgeley Park today.

I am guessing that Steve Schumacher the Bolton Head Coach, will feel hard done by, as his team gave the blues a considerable run around for long stretches of the game- their passing being of rare quality at times as the visitors wide men, especially the excellent Amario Cozier- Dubery constantly threatened.

But in response County did what County do – ignoring the flotsam and frills eventually emerging with all the points by virtue of 2 strikes – the first late in first half added time via debutant Malik Mothersille , the second coming late in the second half with large portion of Karma as Kyle Wootton got on the end of a free kick to seal the games fate at the back post.

A good start then, but Dave Challinor will not need me to tell him we have lots to work on before our next outing.

But you cannot beat 3 points as a start can you , so ,for now, I will cling to the old 70`s / 80`s adage “ Ignore the quality….feel the width”!

…………………………………..

Edgeley Park was bulging at the seams as I arrived just in time to see the game commence.

Bolton had bought wisely in the close season and one of their key acquisitions, Amario Cozier- Dubery, was to the fore straight away – County pleased to concede a corner after the speedy winger had burst into the box. It looked to be getting a tad worse for County as the kick came over and Xavier Simons met the ball full on whacking it goalward, but we breathed again as Addai`s dive saw him push the shot onto a post- Cozier-Dubery`s follow up also dealt with by M.O.M Corey Addai.

That was 5 minutes in, 2 minutes later County escaped again as Norwood overdid the casual stuff losing the ball on the edge of the County box- Wanderers looked energised by the blooper but then gave us a glimpse of why, despite their sleek passing, it was County who would take today`s honours- there was little on the end of the neat play !

That said, we were beyond 10 minutes now , and the blues had produced nothing of note in reply.

County did offer some encouragement on 13 minutes, thanks to a move initiated by Corey O`Keefe and carried into the opposition box by Jack Diamond . Jack`s industry won us a corner, but we wasted this much to the amusement of over 1200 in the away end.

It went on , as a steal by Malik Mothersille got pulses racing - a cry of “handball` piercing the gradually warming SK3 air claiming a `hand to ball `moment in the visitors box – but Mr Bell the Referee wasn`t interested so any chance was gone

Soon though Bolton`s greater urgency allied to a clutch of pinpoint passes forced County onto the back foot – Addai doing really well to keep Cozier-Dunbery`s strike out at the foot of his near post.

Chris Forino was next to show for Wanderers with an impressive run , the County cover melting away as he went. Sadly for him he then proceeded to ruin the enterprise with a badly choreographed dive upon entering the box. Mr Bell again failed to show interest and County had escaped again!

It went on much in the same vein- Bolton trying to pass County`s heads off- John McAtee on the end of a neat pass by Max Conway -his shot drifting wide as the liner`s flag went up for offside!

It was torrid stuff for a time- County hanging on grimly , Corey Addai to the rescue again as he went full stretch to deny the irritatingly lively Cozier-Dubery following an 80 yarder from keeper Teddy Sharman- Lowe that showcased perfectly Bolton`s mastery of the passing game!

The 27^th minute saw County give the visiting keeper something to do at last and it came via the busy Owen Dodgson whose run saw him ping a cross in Mothersille`s direction only for Sharman- Lowe to claim the ball coolly.

Dodgson was in action again within a minute or so, but at the other end where his intervention was needed to block McAtee`s run into the box that had laid waste to County`s midfield and defensive cover. The offside flag sorted matters for County from the corner as a lob by Simons was headed against a post by Conway.

It was the 36^th minute before County responded with anything of note and it came via a brilliant cross field ball by Dodgson to Mothersille- the corner won offered much but County went short with this, and the chance was gone.

Back came Bolton at the gallop with a veritable blizzard of accurate passes that saw Carlos Mendes- Gomez put through by Cozier- Dubery only for a diving save by Corey Addai to deny him!

County responded 3 minutes later but Wootton`s header from a neat pass by Dodgson carried the bar!

Then…almost smack on the end of normal time, Bolton pushed County back again and it took an immense tackle by Ethan Pye to stop the rampant Cozier- Dubery as he swept goal ward , and another by Corey O`Keefe to deny Simons as he followed up!

We were into added time now – a time when teams with real prospects of making something of their season show us just why that is so…..

County were mounting a counterattack through Dodgson ,but his pass on to Diamond saw his shot blocked . A melee ensued as Bolton defended desperately whilst County sensed success , the whiff of cordite in their nostrils .

The ball eventually ran clear to Ollie Norwood who whipped in a shot that headed goal ward where Malik Mothersille got a touch sending the ball into the net for a greatly satisfying debut goal!

County led 1-0…..and it was half time…..wow !

………………………………..

The second half started with Simons blocking a run by Jack Diamond as County pressed, winning a couple of corners but then failing to capitalise on them.

A foul on Mothersille gave the blues impetus from the free kick but the Wanderers captain Eoin Toal was in place to head this clear.

Soon , County came under pressure once more – unable to clear their lines and thankful that Morley sent his shot wide of a gaping target.

County replied on the hour but after good work by Norwood and Mothersille had secured a corner , this went short, and the chance disappeared.

Back came Bolton…….a shot thudding into the crossbar- Morley`s follow up fairing no better-going wide.

A triple subbing refreshed Bolton who came at the blues again – McAtee in behind County`s back line but seen off by O`Keefe- Cozier- Dubery somehow failing to score having terrorised the life out of the left side of County`s defence.

Odin Bailey came on for Mothersille next, and then with 20 minutes remaining of the game Nathan Lowe for Jack Diamond.

Lowe was soon to the fore winning a corner off a knock down by O`Keefe but the corner came to nought!

But Bolton`s fresh legs were pushing them on, most notably those of Jordi Osei- Tutu who combined with Cozier- Dubery to set Simons up with a chance that Owen Moxon saw off for County!

County pegged away when they could, but their latest corner saw Ethan Pye`s header fly over the bar with the goal gaping..

We were into the last 10 minutes of normal time now and Bolton still fancied something from this game- Addai again in action saving well to keep a strike by McAtee out- Wootton heading the resultant corner out with the blues under great pressure .

The pressure continued unabated as Cozier- Dubery latched onto Josh Sheehan`s pass in the box – his hopes of an equaliser looked high, but he had not factored Corey Addai`s input into the equation and the County keeper kept his team in front with another top quality save!

The 83^rd minute saw perhaps DC`s most significant move of the afternoon as he brought Danny Andrews on for Callum Camps who had had a decent game.

The thinking was obvious- block Cozier- Dubery!

Well ,it seemed to work as the Cozier- Dubery induced Traumas diminished , and County went on the counter attack with just a minute of normal time remaining to play.

The action took place down our left where a foul ( by Toal I think) on Wootton ushered in a County free kick with time ebbing away fast.

I expected Norwood to step up, but the kick was taken by Andrews and his delivery to the back post was immaculate – the arriving ball being despatched with relish into the net via Wootton`s head- poetic justice ……Karma….whatever- it was a priceless goal, and the game was won!

There was 7 minutes of added time to work through and of course Cozier- Dubery kept plugging away looking for an opening for Bolton- Corey Addai making his final save of the game on 96 minutes to thoroughly spoil the visitors` day!

That was a hard-earned win- 3 points hewn from the game with heartwarming application .

Not pretty and there`s plenty for DC to think about but is anyone betting against him getting them into top nick for the vital trip to Wycombe next Saturday?

Stockport County line up:-

Addai, O’Keeffe, Dodgson, Diamond (71 Lowe), Camps (84 Andrew), Mothersille (65 Bailey), Pye, Connolly, Wooton, Moxon, Norwood

Unused Subs | Hinchcliffe, Olowu, Fiorini, Gardner

Bolton Wanderers line up:-

Sharman-Lowe, Dacres-Cogley, Toal , Forino, Conway (76 Osei-Tutu), Cozier-Dubery, Simons (78 Erhahon), Morley (63 Sheehan), Mendes Gomes (63 Gale), McAtee, Burstow (63 Randall)

Unused Subs | Broome, Johnston

Attendance: 10142 ( 1205)

hedgegrower

Some Crowd Shots from @machinsports