Town outclass rivals in cup tie
STOCKPORT Town outclassed opponents Maine Road in a 7-1 demolition in the Macron Cup 1st Round at Stockport Sports Village on Monday evening.
A game that was heavily influenced by high winds throughout, Town were a class above their Premier Division opponents on the night, thoroughly deserving the margin of victory.
Dave Wild’s Lions were 5-0 by half-time and a hattrick from Ashley Stott, Aaron Dwyer (2), Jack McConnell and Jamie Hinchliffe ultimately were the difference as Jamie Roe pegged a late consolation Road.
The hosts got the scoring underway after five minutes as right-back Robert Wallis crossed into the box and the ball dropped kindly for Stott to tap home his first of the game to put his side in front.
Stockport took control of the match after taking the lead, and Dwyer doubled their advantage after Conor Downes’ perfectly placed cross-field pass found the Town winger racing into the box, dancing round defenders, before slotting past Jake Howarth.
Stott was flagged for offside as he slotted the ball past Howarth in the 40th minute, who had just saved Ruben Abreu’s shot. However just 60 seconds later Town had their third, with Dwyer’s rifled shot goal for Maine finding the top corner after cutting inside on his weaker foot.
As the game entered the final minutes of the first period, the home team had put the result to bed and their name in the next round after McConnell’s unbelievable long range effort, receiving a standing ovation from Town supporters.
However Maine Road, who were praying for the half-time whistle, still had one more to concede. Stott, stooping low, managed to guide a header past Howarth again, and the scoreline began to embarrass the Premier Division outfit.
As the second half got underway, the wind was against the home side and many thought this may put Town under more pressure than they had received in the first period. This was not the case.
The 59th minute saw Stott complete his hattrick as his darting run into the box saw him flick on Jamie Hinchliffe’s cross at the near post to make it six.
Maine Road did manage to grab a goal back in the final 10 minutes of the match, as Roe fired past Forth in the Lions goal, much to Town’s annoyance.
With the clean-sheet taken from them, Wild’s men reacted in the perfect style, and less than a minute later they had restored their six-goal lead as Hinchliffe curled his effort into the bottom corner to take Town into seventh heaven.
The game could have seen even more goals from the hosts as Abreu went close late on, but Maine Road will be happy to put this result behind them as the referee drew the game to a close, keeping it at just seven.
Wild’s Stockport Town are next in action in the Hallmark Security League as they host St Helens Town in a Division One clash at Stockport Sports Village on Saturday afternoon, kick-off 3pm.