Stockport County 3 Wycombe Wanderers 0 ( Football League 1 ) Saturday 3 April 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

County reserved a standout performance- by a stretch their best of the season, for possibly the foulest day of the year, sweeping Wycombe Wanderers aside today , at storm ridden Edgeley Park, by a 3-0   margin that did them sparce justice.

First half goals by Odin Bailey, Tanto Olaofe, and one in the second half by substitute  Adama Sidibeh sealed the win for the blues- a win that rested squarely on a system that assuaged County supporters hunger for good football – underpinned again , and emphatically , by another outstanding goalkeeping performance by Corey Addai.

Addai deservedly took the M.O.M award ,but this was most definitely a terrific team performance- so good to see `hoof ball…hit and hope `nowhere in the County equation, instead good performances shone brightly from the boys in blue all over the pitch…Bailey had his best game yet, Norwood likewise just gets better and better, Tanto got his goal and looked a threat throughout- as did Sidibeh who crowned 30 odd minutes on the park with a  fine goal, , and you could add  Josh Stones who did well too.

 Joseph Olowu however, will still be smarting from today, as he had a perfectly good goal ruled out ( of this more later)in the first half.

So, a fine performance from County, one that sets us up nicely for the challenges ahead starting with Bolton on Monday!

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County were attacking the Cheadle End at the start- Tanto to the fore straight away down the right- but there were no takers for what I thought was a decent cross on the end of his run.

It went on with County enjoying early control- Dacres- Cogley`s cross skidding off Taylor Allen`s head to apparent safety.

I say `apparent` as Ethan Pye quickly sent the ball arrowing back into the danger zone where it was met by Tanto whose diving header was kept out confidently by Will Norris the Wanderers keeper.

It went on, County playing some exciting stuff- Jack Diamond beating Dan Harvie with some deft sleight of foot – his cross, full of potential, latched onto by Bailey whose shot was  on target, but again dealt with securely by Norris for the visitors.

If the first 6 or 7 minutes were all County, the next 8 or 9 were definitely not , as Wycombe came back at the blues- first via a free kick and then a corner that saw Nathan Lowe head narrowly over the bar……and then via danger man Fred Onyedinma who rather spoiled good approach play by putting his cross behind all the available advancing Wanderers forwards.

Wanderers got another freekick….then wasted it- by which time County started to re-assert themselves on their opponents, again through Tanto whose pace was obviously a cause for concern for Michael Duff`s side.

Tanto was soon into the box before laying the ball off to Norwood, who found the road to goal blocked – Wycombe able to clear their lines.

Not for long though, as Tanto was at them again, breaking clear down the right with prodigious pace , picking Bailey out in the box but again Wanderers were able to block County`s route to goal and see the danger off.

It`s always satisfying when teams get their comeuppance having turned us around at the start and that`s how it was going with the action 20 minutes in , initiated by Josh Stokes surging run that took him clear down the left( with Tanto providing a target to his right).

But Stokes found his route to goal blocked…..chance gone then ?...but not a bit of it as the ball fell at the feet of Odin Bailey who smashed it with relish from close in to give County a deserved 1-0 lead.

I was still celebrating when Wycombe almost made us pay dearly for our inattention- as Nathan Lowe was played through with only Addai twixt him and glory! Only…..only….. it looked a certain goal…an equaliser for Wanderers but instead, County supporters could smile again as the County keeper somehow kept Lowe`s goal bound effort out!

Throughout the game Wycombe won many corners- doing next to nothing with any of them- no small element in their struggles today I wager- two examples coming and going following Addai`s save!

Then play swung back up the park via Ben Osborn who saw his first time cross headed behind for a corner by Allen. The kick was delivered inch perfect to the back post where Joseph Olowu met it with his head – the ball flying into the net. For sure Norris reached the ball, but a half a yard over the line, before ushering it back into play.

It was a clear goal, and County and their supporters acclaimed it as such only to be met by zero response from Danny liner or referee – an absolute disgrace ! That refereeing decision might cost us dearly come seasons end like one did last term!

Anyway ,it stayed 1-0 and , as a result there was previously absent wind in the Chairboys` sails now as they swept forward no doubt still chuckling at their escape.

County looked stretched as Onyedinma  surged into the box- it looked a shoo-in did this , but Olowu wasted no time pondering life`s  many injustices instead launching a fierce sliding tackle that , kept Onyedinma from getting a shot off, but sent the ball  crashing goal ward- Joseph would have scored but at the wrong end – but for a brilliant save by Addai to keep his and County`s clean sheet intact- that really was a terrific save!

Back came County -as a snap-shot by Wootton saw an involuntary reaction save by Norris keep the score at 1-0 on 28 minutes ………… the keeper again doing well with a diving save to keep a deftly delivered curler by Stokes out a minute later.

Wycombe replied with some tidy play, but Harvie sent his drive over the bar on the end of it .

Again County responded, this time through Dacres- Cogley , but his run was let down when Diamond fluffed his header .

Some neat play followed from the blues- but it was still 1-0 when the ball reached Osborn wide left. He was away and he had Tanto as a target and his early delivery was spot on – delivered invitingly into the box where Tanto launched himself at it with a glorious dive- heading the ball home beyond Norris`s best efforts to deny him.

That was excellent, and the Cheadle End went AS in celebration of County`s 2-0 lead and Tanto`s first goal on his return- and what a goal!

  

There was time for Wycombe to come back at County, and for Addai to thwart them imperiously with another  terrific diving save to keep Woodrow`s shot out having been put through by Onyedinma, and then in added time  when the County keeper went one on one with Lowe , winning the confrontation to keep it at 2-0 at half time.

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Diamond was to the fore for County when play re-started for the second half- doing well for starters defensively with Harvie and Harris intent on mayhem deep in County`s half, and then stretching his legs to good effect at the other end – finding Osborn with his cross but watching as his shot was deflected for a corner that came to nought.

Wanderers replied through Jack Grimmer who lofted a dangerous ball to the back post for Luke Harris to get ,only to see him bullied off it by Addai!

County were needing to defend a bit now ,and watch their discipline also as both Pye and Bate went into the refs book for nebulous looking `fouls ` on Henderson as he sought to make headway deep in County`s half.

On both occasions, Wycombe made nothing of their free kicks, but the annoyance still lingered with me….

DC then switched Tanto for Sidebeh ( I still hope to see them both have time on the park together, but I can see that this was a planned sharing of game time and it ended up working so end of …for now…)

County were looking for another goal, but Norwood`s effort cleared the bar just beyond the hour.

A run by Diamond looked to have potential even when he was halted by a foul, as we had a free kick smack in Norwood territory!

Sure enough, Norwood obliged with a beautifully weighted and accurately delivered kick that had `goal `written all over it as it soared towards the top corner- only to be kept out by a fine diving save from Norris!

Odun replaced Stokes next as County kept the pressure on their opponents with some neat football – Olowu close with a header from one of a series of corners

Then the Referee infuriated me yet again- stopping play as Diamond surged clear in promising fashion with a Wycombe player on the deck ( not a concussive head injury that I could see ,but the decision was taken and of course the bounce up that followed was no recompense for the lost chance).

A brief period of pressure from Wycombe followed and it looked to have possibilities as Osborn was left holding the fort down our left flank with no support and yellow shirts showing interest.

Thank fully Osborn did what he could- conceding a corner, and Harvie`s header from this cleared the bar , but that was a let off – we needed to tighten up if we were to keep our current run of form going.

But I soon forgot that line of thought- as County were hitting their opponents on the break- most specifically via Tayo Edun who threaded a neat ball into the path of Adama Sidibeh . This was not a shoo in….Adama had work to do, but he made light of it swerving around keeper Norris to fire County`s third goal home!

That was quite simply excellent- a fine goal from a player who is proving to be a brilliant signing!

Both teams opted for a raft of late substitutions which rather made a wakes of both teams rhythm – Wycombe still trying to get something from the wreckage of their afternoon but getting zilch….Woodrow going close with a  shot on the turn ( 95 minutes) and Pye stopping the rot for County with an excellent saving tackle to deny Luke Leahy on 96 minutes, the same forward lofting the games final effort over the bar from his teams last corner of the day.

 As I said earlier- for me that was the best performance of the season from County and coming when it does augers well for what`s ahead.

Well done County!

See you all at Bolton for some more on Monday!

 

Stockport County line up :-

 Addai, Dacres-Cogley, Olowu, Pye, Diamond, Bailey, Norwood (Bate 86), Osborn (Dixon 86), Stokes (Edun 68), Wootton (Mothersille 86), Olaofe (Sidibeh 58).

Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Dodgson.

 

Wycombe Wanderers line up:-

 Norris, Grimmer, Taylor, Allen, Harvie, Morley( Scowen 86), Henderson( Leahy 75), Onyedinma ( Vidigal 75), Woodrow, Luke Harris( Mullins 86), Lowe ( Quitirna 61)

Unused Subs:  Skura, Moore.

Attendance: 9,476 (561 ).

hedgegrower

 

 

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