Dave Challinor urges Stockport to be promoted as champions

Posted Wednesday, April 10, 2024 by PA

Dave Challinor wants his Stockport side to target the League Two title after they moved to the verge of promotion with a 2-1 victory at Colchester.

Paddy Madden netted the Hatters’ second-half winner after Cameron McGeehan had cancelled out Nick Powell’s opener for the leaders.

Stockport boss Challinor said: “I’m still going to be the boring fellow who’ll say ‘you’ve worked so hard to get to this situation’ and when we do get promoted, we want to go up as champions.

“That’s still an objective and we need two wins to be able to do that.

“So if we are going to enjoy it, let’s make sure we enjoy it properly and put everything we can into the next 10 days or however long it may be and have a proper celebration.

“Colchester are scrapping for their lives and we weren’t great.

“We knew it would be a physical battle with the front two.

“Am I surprised that they get chances from set-pieces and from putting the ball into the box? No absolutely not but we dug in.

“It is the sign of a good team that we can not play very well but still win.”

Stockport took a 31st-minute lead when Powell’s hopeful effort from nearly 25 yards inexplicably squirmed under goalkeeper Owen Goodman and in, from Antoni Sarcevic’s short corner.

But Colchester equalised in first-half stoppage-time through McGeehan, who side-footed home Arthur Read’s corner.

Stockport bagged their winner on the hour mark when Madden converted from two yards after Connor Lemonheigh-Evans had cut Ethan Bristow’s cross back into his path.

Colchester had a golden opportunity to equalise in the 67th minute but Hinchliffe saved McGeehan’s penalty, after Tom Hooper had been fouled by Ethan Pye in the area.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “The ball hasn’t quite rolled for us tonight.

“We’ve taken the best team in the league by a significant distance all the way and given them a really good game and arguably been the better team in the second half.

“But you can’t legislate for the two moments that happened.

“They do happen – there’s no recriminations, there’s no individual blame, it’s always a collective effort.

“I was proud of the team today, I was proud of the response that we showed after Saturday (against Wrexham) when we were really disappointed with ourselves.

“We beat ourselves in the last half hour in that game but tonight we showed resilience and determination.

“It was a really difficult moment for the team after conceding the first goal and you can easily go under in that situation but we didn’t and we responded really well.

“I’m really disappointed that we haven’t taken any points.”