Mad game – Dave Challinor celebrates Stockport turnaround after derby win

Posted Sunday, November 10, 2024 by PA

Dave Challinor was delighted with the response from his Stockport side after they demolished local rivals Bolton 5-0 just four days after losing by the same scoreline to Wycombe.

Challinor made four changes to his side following Tuesday’s heavy defeat and the rotations paid off with Will Collar, Kyle Wootton, Fraser Horsfall, Louie Barry and Odin Bailey all on the scoresheet for the hosts.

“Football is a mad game isn’t it?” Said the Stockport manager. “To go from where we were on Tuesday to now, it’s huge credit to the players because ultimately they have to go out there and play and show some resilience and fight.

“Tuesday wasn’t the end of the world and today doesn’t mean we’ve cracked it at all, we’ve now got to go and find some consistency.

“It’s a huge win, I’d have been quite happy with a scrappy performance and a 1-0 after Tuesday because just as you’ve got faith in the players, there’s going to be some uncertainty going into a game against a really good team who are a local rival, in front of a full house.

“I felt today with the way the game was, we wanted to try and use our supporters to give our players a real lift after Tuesday and I think after picking the players I did, that would happen.”

County took command of the game with goals from Wootton, Horsfall and Barry in a 15-minute period early in the second half.

“We started the game really well and that first-half goal gave us a reinforcement and a real boost,” said Challinor. “Then the start of the second half was a dream for us and from there we kicked on and looked comfortable.”

Wanderers boss Ian Evatt branded his side’s performance “disastrous” after a difficult week which has seen his squad stretched to their limits through illness and injuries.

“It wasn’t acceptable today, in any way, shape or form,” said Evatt.

“We’ve not been able to train all week – we’ve had players off ill and players that have had to have intravenous electrolytes before the game – four or five of them that were in the starting eleven.

“It’s been a disastrous week and it’s ended in a disastrous manner. It’s not excuses, it’s the truth, but it’s been very difficult and today is as difficult as it gets.

“I don’t think we did anything well today. We knew that they would react to their defeat on Tuesday night and we knew that they would try and put pressure on us and all we did from the first minute was play into their hands.

“We played short far too often into their press and gave them courage to go and get on the front foot. From start to finish there was nothing good about today.”