When plotting a course up the leagues, it helps to have a cunning plan to achieve repeated promotions. Stockport certainly have one and that involves possessing the finest forward in the division and it was Louie Barry who settled their clash with their newly-formed rivals Wrexham.
Stockport will feel they should have won by more as they moved up to fourth, one point and place behind Wrexham. Barry’s exquisite winner, that must have impressed Cole Palmer in the stands, was the difference in a clash of styles in League One but as the final whistle roar confirmed, the margin of victory was not important.
The teams have followed one another up the leagues and there is a certain amount of animosity between the fanbases. Stockport are often left in the shadows of Wrexham’s achievement, despite being more successful in recent years, because they lack the Hollywood factor but they have their own money man in local businessman Mark Stott, who is more Coronation Street than Deadpool.
With Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s investment Wrexham have secured two promotions and an award-winning documentary but the entertainment on the pitch is less artistic. There was a raucous full house at Edgeley Park to witness Stockport be the more composed and competent team throughout, aided by the quality of Lewis Bate and Ollie Norwood in central midfield. They were capable of dealing with the ball in tight spaces but it was clear their prerogative was to find the in-form Barry as much as possible. The Aston Villa loanee, who was once on the books at Barcelona, drifted in from the wide left, showing his direct running skills and low centre of gravity to cause problems for Wrexham, who arrived with the best away defensive record in the division.
Struggling Cambridge United picked up a useful point as they held promotion-chasing Barnsley to a 1-1 draw. Dan Nlundulu put United ahead inside four minutes and although Stephen Humphrys levelled soon after, Cambridge held firm to deny the visitors, who were overtaken in fourth place by Stockport after they beat Wrexham 1-0.
Those were the only goals across five fixtures on a quiet day in the third tier. Play-off hopefuls Exeter and Lincoln played out a dour goalless draw, while Blackpool and Northampton both have 17 points after their stalemate. Crawley moved a point closer to escaping the bottom four as they held Bristol Rovers.
In League Two, leaders Port Vale were kept out for 83 minutes by bottom club Morecambe before Ethan Chislett scored the only goal of the game. Crewe climb to second after goals from Shillow Tracey and Ryan Cooner helped them get the better of Notts County, winning 2-0 at Gresty Road.
Billy Sharp's sixth goal of the season earned Doncaster a 1-1 home draw with stubborn Salford. MK Dons came back from two goals down to beat Cheltenham 3-2, Laurence Maguire netted the winner to earn a fifth straight league success. Just one point separates second and sixth, with Walsall's home game against Gillingham postponed due to international call-ups.
Dean Cornelius' first goal of the season secured a vital 2-1 stoppage-time victory for Harrogate against Chesterfield, and ended a run of three straight league defeats for the hosts. Matty Stevens scored twice as Wimbledon won 3-1 at Barrow, while Grimsby goalkeeper Jordan Wright saved a Kyle Hudlin penalty as his side drew 0-0 at Newport.
At the bottom, Danny Butterworth's solo goal helped Swindon draw 2-2 at Accrington. Jamie McDonnell scored in stoppage-time as Colchester earned a 1-1 draw with Bradford, while Daniel Adu-Adjei rescued a precious point for Carlisle with a goal two minutes into added time at 10-man Bromley. PA Media
Naturally, it was Barry’s extra quality that ignited the match when he picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box after Norwood’s effort was blocked, spun and curled his shot into the corner for his 11th of the season to send him top of the charts. Barry’s form will be crucial to Stockport’s promotion hopes; the forward is clearly able to play at a higher level and turned down moving to Championship Swansea to return to the club that helped launch his career last season.
“If you were ever going to pick a Louie Barry goal, it would look like that,” the Stockport manager, Dave Challinor, said. “Now whether he’s an asset for Aston Villa or a sellout asset, they still want to maximise that as best as possible, and I suppose with everything within this, we hope that he stays fit for the full season and can get his gold tally up above 20 and if that happens then I think it’s a win-win for all parties.”
The goalkeeper Callum Burton made a collection of fine saves to keep the deficit at one for a Wrexham team who were reliant on their physicality and fitness, which was starting to have an effect in the latter stages but they were second best on the day. Both teams remain on an upward trajectory but it was certainly Stockport’s day.
