Stockport County 2-0 Bolton Wanderers - Full time report

The woodwork was hit twice, several presentable chances were missed, and home keeper Corey Addai got the plaudits on a day where Bolton just could not beat a path to goal.

In the end, Malik Mothersille’s goal on debut just before half time and a close-range header from Kyle Wooton was enough for Dave Challinor’s resolute side to make a winning start, and potentially provide Schumacher with some food for thought in the transfer market.

Wanderers gave out five debuts from the start, new signings Teddy Sharman-Lowe, Xavier Simons, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Mason Burstow coming straight into the side and Max Conway making his long-awaited first team debut three years after signing his first professional contract with the club.

Stockport also gave debuts to Owen Dodgson, Mothersille and Corey O’Keefe as they looked to protect an unbeaten record in the league against the Whites that stretched back to 1998.

Caught by a real sucker punch on the stroke of half time, Bolton jogged back down the tunnel not quite knowing how they had fallen behind.

Mothersille had got the telling touch in front of goal after Ollie Norwood’s shot had deflected his way – and Wanderers were left rueing that they had not stopped Jack Diamond’s progress on the left side of the box despite having plenty of cover.

Overall, it had been a fine display to that point. Edgeley Park’s usual raucous atmosphere had been muted as the Hatters struggled to contain Cozier-Duberry on the right.

Xavier Simons hit the post just four minutes in, Corey Addai potentially getting a fingertip on the low shot from the edge of the box to help it on to the woodwork.

Moments later, referee Elliot Bell gave a nonsensical free kick against John McAtee, who had picked Norwood’s pocket 10 yards outside the penalty box. By the time the whistle blew, Burstow had a clear sight of goal and Conway on the overlap.

Big County striker Kyle Wooton was putting himself about, as usual, but Bolton’s away fans questioned whether he should have been penalised with a card after colliding with keeper Sharman-Lowe and sending him into the advertising boards.

Wanderers were coping with County’s direct football and were more than happy to play their own. Some inventiveness from set pieces was refreshing and one low corner from Aaron Morley led to a big chance for Josh Dacres-Cogley, which he skewed wastefully wide.

Referee Bell made it a hat-trick of debatable calls when he waved away a penalty appeal from Conway as the youngster surged into the box with a trademark run, and was felled by O’Keefe.

Cozier-Duberry had a 10-minute spell where Stockport struggled each time he received the ball. Addai made one sprawling save to push a bouncing shot wide – the move having been started by an arrow-like pass from keeper Sharman-Lowe.

Moments later the Brighton winger danced past a couple of challenges to pull a shot across goal. Burstow threw himself at it but could not get a telling touch.

Stockport’s most effective threat was Burnley loanee Dodgson on the left – and his constant supply of dangerous crosses meant that they were always in the game.

Forino hit the woodwork again from another well-worked corner, albeit the offside flag also went up before anything else could develop.

Burstow then produced another fine cross-field pass to find Mendes-Gomes, who beat O’Keefe to put another shot on goal, this one parried by Addai before being headed behind by Callum Connolly.

Slowly the home side were starting to find some rhythm, and the only question when they edged ahead on the stroke of half time was whether the goal would be as decisive as it had been in March at the Toughsheet.

During the melee which led to Mothersille’s goal, Chris Forino also seemed to dislocate his thumb or finger – racing afterwards to the touchline to have it sorted by the doctors. Within a few minutes of the restart the big centre back was also mopping blood from his nose after a collision. Happy new season indeed.

Wanderers had to play their way back into the game – and had a golden chance to level just before the hour mark when Morley’s lofted cross was cleared into McAtee’s path, but he could only fire high into the away stand.

Schumacher was about to make a triple substitution when Conway nearly changed the narrative. The young full-back drove deep into Stockport territory before driving a shot which bounced off the inside of post and bar, landing well for Morley – who couldn’t put his follow-up shot on target.

Thierry Gale, Josh Sheehan and Joel Randall were thrown into the action and Wanderers waited for another moment to get themselves back into the match.

Newly crowned captain Eoin Toal made an important challenge to stop Nathan Lowe getting a tap-in a couple of minutes after he came off the bench to make his Stockport debut.

Conway could be pleased with his afternoon’s work – but by the last 20 minutes he was starting to flag. Schumacher chose to bring on Jordi Osei-Tutu and shift Josh Dacres-Cogley to the left side of defence.

Ethan Erhahon entered the action with 11 minutes to go – effectively the last card Schumacher could play. But try as they may, Wanderers just could not find the goal they needed.

Gale did everything right after beating O’Keefe 10 yards from goal, but Addai was able to block his shot before Connolly cleared behind.

The County keeper then got a bit of luck when Cozier-Duberry earned himself a yard on the right edge of the box and his parry fell to one of his own players right in front of goal.

Wanderers kept on pushing for another chance to take the point they would argue their performance deserved.

But the decisive moment came for the men in blue. Faced with the choice of playing a wide free kick into the area with two minutes left on the clock, or playing it into the corner, Dodgson chose the brave option and played a fine cross into the box, headed into the net from close range by Wooton.

Jogging back to the centre circle, all those missed opportunities will have flashed before the Bolton players’ eyes.

This was a summer where Wanderers sold last season’s leading goal-scorer, and one where the paucity of strikers in this squad has been much discussed. Though there was plenty to admire from Bolton, this was, once again, a tale of two penalty areas.

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