Resilience key for Dave Challinor as Stockport seal play-off place

Stockport manager Dave Challinor praised his players’ character after they bounced back from a goal down to beat Huddersfield 2-1 and seal their place in the League One play-offs.

The visitors took the lead through Josh Koroma but County levelled through Fraser Horsfall, and then won the game late on through Ollie Norwood’s penalty.

Challinor saw his side clinch victory when it could have been easy to settle for a draw given their league position, and he was full of praise for his players’ impressive mentality after the game.

He said: “We’re a little bit compromised, and even more so today with the personnel that we have and how that changes the dynamic of our team.

“What the lads have shown is that real resilience and character when it could be easy to, not go through the motions but almost accept defeat.

“Now we’re confirmed, and you keep things pushing on for another week.

“Our aim was to win these last three games. By hook or by crook, we’ve done that this afternoon and taken another three points.

“I’m a big believer that we have to create atmosphere, and we have to create tempo.

“Sometimes you can’t do that by your quality, because you might not be great, or by your decision-making, because you might get things wrong, but you can do it by getting the ball on the pitch quickly, by your body language.”

Huddersfield are consigned to another season in League One following the defeat, with a place in the top six now mathematically impossible.

The Terriers’ caretaker boss Jon Worthington was pleased with how his side fared overall, but believes they should have come away with more from the game after missing numerous chances in the second half.

He said: “(It was a) tough afternoon, in terms of the result. I think it was harsh.

“I don’t think it’s a penalty. I think it was outside the box and I thought on another day, we score again.

“We had two or three big chances, one vs ones, and we should be up in the game and comfortable after 70 minutes. It wasn’t to be.

“I couldn’t fault the players today. I don’t think tactically they had to change their shape. I was pleased with how we set up and how we went against them.

“Like I said, we had some big opportunities to get the three points today but I think when things are going against you, some moments don’t always go and that’s the way, unfortunately, we are at the minute.

“It is what it is. That’s football, we don’t take our chances and we get punished in the end.”