Stockport County 1 Preston North End 0( Ben Hinchliffe Testimonial Match) Saturday 1 August 2026
Jimmy Mc Nulty`s County side gave a thoroughly first class performance , at Edgeley Park today ,winning 1-0 against a strong Preston North End side who are preparing for another season in the Championship.
County `s 90 odd minute showing was littered with individual performances of heartening quality( of which more later)- entirely fitting as the game was Ben Hinchliffe`s final one in County colours and his Testimonial Game .
It was brilliant to see County supporters respond so well- with a crowd of 5303 inside the stadium to give Ben a fitting send off.
Ben got the warmest of welcomes …….
Video by hedgegrower.
The team responded brilliantly also- never looking second best in a well contested game against a Preston side with 4 international players in their midst.
It was a real test and augurs well for the season to come for County- I thought Eoghan O`Connell and Ethan Pye were excellent at the back, Benoni Andressen did wonders in the short time he was on the park, Jack Diamond had his best game in a County shirt by a distance , but M.O.M for me was Ryan Glover who gave a top performance that earned him a prolonged ovation when substituted late on.
I have a feeling that Jason Adigun is going to be the best of the lot though, and would like to have seen more of him than we were allowed, but I am sure he will get his chance and I think we are going to like what we see!
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Glover was to the fore early ,and at both ends of the park- his best work deep in North End territory , but the 2nd minute saw him drag a shot wide when well placed to do better.
Norwood put County under the cosh with a poor foul after playing himself into trouble, but County`s back line, marshalled by O`Connell and Pye saw the danger off from the free kick.
That was 4 minutes in, the 5th saw the blues almost nick an early goal, but his team mates could not capitalise on the thorough harassing that Jack Diamond dished out to visiting keeper Dan Iversen.
Six minutes later and Diamond laid another one on a plate, this time to Harry Wood but again the chance went begging.
It was time for a reply from the Lancastrian side, and it came via Jordan Thompson, but his shot cannoned off Glover for a corner, that saw Hinchliffe in action to keep a header from Lewis Gibson out.
County went back on the attack after that last action, - Wood working hard but blocked running onto Glover`s through ball on 16 minutes…….Edun feeding Diamond , 2 minutes later, but seeing the shot by County`s number 7 drift wide of goal.
It was good stuff from County, and it continued- Wood almost chipping the keeper from distance with a cheeky one after more excellent work in the build up by Glover.
It was 5 minutes before anything more came from the blues – Glover going close down the left.
All County? Not quite…..indeed Preston looked well capable of creating something if given half a chance, but Hinchliffe was in no mood to do that coming out quickly to deny Andy Moran as he ran onto a through ball in the County box with 12 minute to go until half time.
Preston came into it more in those 12 minutes- Liam Lindsay, on as substitute for Andrija Vukcevic, clipped the bar with a cross cum shot on 42 minutes……Jusef Erabi scuffing his shot and scorning a gilt-edged chance smack on the break.
It was 0-0 when the teams went in at half time.
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I was pleased to see that there were no wholesale changes from Jimmy Mac when play resumed- I took this as a positive sign of positive intent!
County were back looking for a goal as play restarted- Diamond soon darting clear but thwarted in the box by Lindsay`s good work. A corner resulted from this ,but so did more good work by Lindsay who headed Wood`s goalward effort out.
More pressure followed from the blues, but Lindsay was again at the hub preventing Glover from adding a finish to Diamond`s approach play.
Eventually the pressure from County subsided allowing North End time on the ball, but Thompson couldn`t keep his shot down clearing the bar to County`s relief.
North End kept plugging away – their approach play- exemplary, but aided by the odd loose ball from County, carving out a chance nicely which sadly Thompson fluffed.
Back came County through Norwood, but a rasping drive from him, headed for goal, only for Iversen the North End keeper to pull off an excellent diving save to deny County`s captain.
Glover left the field at this point to a prolonged ovation from the Cheadle End and Danny Stand – he was replaced by Benoni Andresson -Ben Osborn coming on for Wood.
Andresson was in the mix straight away setting up a chance for the lively Tayo Edun, but the shot cleared the bar disappointingly.
But the disappointment did not last long as the pressure continued from County- Wootton winning a corner that saw Andresson work a small miracle easing the ball back to Diamond who unleashed a shot of fearsome power that gave Iversen no chance- it was 1-0 ….County had the lead!
County`s substitutions came thick and fast now….Fiorini and Adigun on for Bate & Diamond ( 74 minutes)Ashby-Hammond on for Ben Hinchliffe( 77) then a veritable raft of subbings as Mothersille, Rydell, Dodgson & Moxon replaced Wootton, Pye, O`Connell& Gordon .
Play swung about for what remained of the match- Preston looking likely to possibly nick the equaliser with one or other of their probing attacks, but County defended well and deserved the fulsome praise they will doubtless receive from their Manager post-match!
I mentioned Adigun, and he had little time to shine, albeit a wee bit of magic from him almost got him in on 85 minutes – denied by first class Championship standard defending from Preston.
No magic sadly from Moxon – he was on a chance quickly , a minute or so later, but sent the shot flying over the bar.
Preston kept persevering ….plugging away…and again ..they just might have nicked one as Callum Lang picked out George Gryba in oodles of space in front of County`s goal.
It was a shoo in…..the equaliser…wasn`t it ?....but no…..Gryba froze ….. the shot missed the target, and the Referee blew for time almost immediately.
That was a good match and an excellent win by County , and time to give Ben a fitting send off.
These still images from Darren Berry give you a flavour…..
Stockport County line up :-
Hinchliffe (Ashby-Hammond 77),Gordon (Moxon 82), O’Connell (Rydel 82), Pye (Dodgson, 82), Edun, Bate (Fiorini 73), Norwood, Glover (Andrésson 62), Diamond (Adigun 73), Wood (Osborn 62), Wootton (Mothersille 82).
Preston North End line up:-
Iversen, Valentín (Nolan 36), Vukčević (Lindsay 24), Devine, McCann (Wilson 72'), Erabi ( Gryba 79), Thompson, Hughes (Tarry 90), Gibson, Moran (ang 72'), Offiah
Attendance: 5,303 (692)
hedgegrower
@machinsports Match Day Gallery..
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