Wanderers fell to an opening day defeat in Greater Manchester with Malik Mothersille and Kyle Wootton on the scoresheet for Stockport in a 2-0 victory.
Four summer signings made the starting XI at Edgeley Park, with goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe, midfielder Xavier Simons, winger Amario Cozier-Duberry and striker Mason Burstow all making their Wanderers' bows.
Wanderers had the best opportunity in the early stages through Simons. Aaron Morley’s corner on six minutes fell to Simons on the edge of the area whose shot was palmed onto the post by Corey Addai. The rebound fell to Josh Dacres-Cogley but his shot was blocked by a defender before Addai claimed the loose ball.
The Whites continued to pile up the pressure. On 24 minutes Sharman-Lowe produced an incredible 80-yard pass to find Cozier-Duberry on the right flank who chested down and turned his man and cut inside. The Brighton loanee tried to repeat his superb goal away at Hibernian with a left-footed shot towards the far post. This one was hit low towards the bottom left corner but once again it was parried away by Addai for a corner.
Carlos Mendes Gomes got into the act on 38 minutes with a hard driven shot towards goal from outside the area but once again Addai was behind it with a good save to deny Wanderers again.
It took the hosts 41 minutes for their first real effort of the game. Full-back Owen Dodgson put in a ball to the back post from the left which met the head of Kyle Wootton. Despite the forward’s height he could not get over the ball as his header went over Sharman-Lowe’s bar.
In the final minute of stoppage time County took the lead through Malik Mothersille. Wanderers managed to clear the ball after a scramble in the area. That clearance only went as far as Stockport captain Ollie Norwood who struck first time and his shot was deflected by the foot of Mothersille into the roof of the net from close range to give the hosts a 1-0 lead going into the break.
First chance of the second went to the Whites. Morley’s cross into the box was half-cleared to John McAtee who turned ten-yards-out but his left footed effort went wide of the goal.
Great work from Mendes Gomes and Max Conway on the left just after the hour mark. The fullback ran through into the area and hit an effort which cannoned back off the inside of the post and fell to Morley in the box but the midfielder’s strike went wide of the goal.
Substitute Thierry Gale had an effort with 15 minutes to play. The summer signing cut in from the left and tried to curl the ball into the far corner but the strike ended up going over the bar.
Stockport doubled their lead in the latter stages. Substitute Danny Andrew’s free kick level with the area from the left was whipped in and headed home by Wootton from six-yards-out.
Stockport County | Addai, O’Keffe, Dodgson, Diamond (71’ Lowe), Camps (84’ Andrew), Mothersille (65’ Bailey), Pye, Connolly, Wooton, Moxon, Norwood
Unused Subs | Hinchcliffe, Olowu, Fiorini, Gardner
Wanderers | Sharman-Lowe, Dacres-Cogley, Toal , Forino, Conway (76’ Osei-Tutu), Cozier-Duberry, Simons (78’ Erhahon), Morley (63’ Sheehan), Mendes Gomes (63’ Gale), McAtee, Burstow (63’ Randall)
Unused Subs | Broome, Johnston