Newly-promoted Stockport County will be looking to make it three wins out of three at the start of the 2024-25 season when they welcome Bristol Rovers to Edgeley Park on Saturday lunchtime.
The two teams meet for the first time in any competition since March 2010 when the Pirates won 1-0 in a third-tier clash on home soil.
Match preview
© Imago
Just four days after being put to the sword 6-1 by Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup, Stockport County responded in impressive fashion as they beat Blackpool 3-0 away from home in their second League One fixture of the new campaign last weekend.
After a goalless first half, star attacker Louie Barry - on loan from Aston Villa for a second season - scored a stunning solo goal to open the scoring on the 67-minute mark, before new signing Jayden Fevrier and last season's top scorer Isaac Olaofe got their names on the scoresheet to seal maximum points at Bloomfield Road.
Dave Challinor has had plenty to smile about, as his Stockport side - who are competing in the third tier for the first time since 2003-04 after winning the League Two title last season - are already sitting pretty at the summit of League One with six points from six.
The Hatters enter Saturday's clash with Bristol Rovers seeking to become just the fourth promoted team in English Football League history to win their opening three games without conceding after Huddersfield Town in 1920-21 (top flight), Carlisle United in 1974-75 (top flight) and Lincoln City in 2019-20 (League One).
Stockport are unbeaten in their last seven home league fixtures at Edgeley Park, but that run could be put to the test this weekend by a Bristol Rovers side who have won four of their last five meetings with the Hatters.
Matt Taylor's men kick-started their 2024-25 campaign with a narrow 1-0 home win over Northampton Town in League One, but they have since failed to win any of their last three matches in all competitions.
Like Stockport, the Pirates were beaten by second-tier opposition in the first round of the EFL Cup, losing 2-0 to Cardiff City, before they played out a goalless stalemate with Rotherham United in last weekend's League One clash at the New York Stadium.
Bristol Rovers have since been beaten 6-5 on penalties by Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s in the EFL Trophy group stage after a thrilling 3-3 was played out in 90 minutes at the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday.
Taylor and co are keen to return to winning ways as quickly as possible and success against Stockport on Saturday cannot be written off, as the Pirates have lost just one of their last eight league games against newly-promoted teams, winning five and drawing the other two.
- W
- L
- W
- W
- D
- W
- L
- D
- L
Team News
© Reuters
Stockport are set to be without Nick Powell, Callum Connolly, Lewis Fiorini, Jack Stretton, Ryan Rydel, Sam Hughes and Macauley Southam-Hales as they all continue to recover from injury.
Ben Hinchliffe, Fraser Horsfall and Ibou Touray were all named in the 2023-24 PFA League Two Team of the Year earlier this week, and while the latter two are expected to retain their places in the back four of Challinor's starting lineup, the former is set to continue as an understudy to new first-choice goalkeeper Corey Addai.
Olaofe made his first appearance of the season last weekend since undergoing minor surgery during the summer and he is set to battle with Kyle Wootton for a start up front, while their latest signing Oliver Norwood - a major coup for the club who has joined on a three-year deal after leaving Sheffield United - is in contention to make his debut.
As for Bristol Rovers, Taylor made wholesale changes to his team in midweek and is set to revert back to a similar side that faced Rotherham last weekend.
However, 17-year-old winger Kofi Shaw was a standout performer for the Pirates against Spurs Under-21s, scoring on his full senior debut for the club, and the youngest has played himself into contention to be involved in the matchday squad against Stockport.
The likes of Josh Griffiths, Taylor Moore, James Wilson, Luke Thomas, Grant Ward and Promise Omochere were all rested in midweek, but they are all expected to earn a recall to the first XI on Saturday.
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Addai; Mingi, Horsfall, Pye, Touray; Bate, Camps; Diamond, Collar, Barry; Wootton
Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Griffiths; Moore, Wilson, Mola; Thomas, Hutchinson, Conteh, Ward, Bilongo; Sotiriou, Omochere
We say: Stockport County 2-1 Bristol Rovers
Both teams have made unbeaten starts to the new League One season, but it is Stockport who have particularly impressed both going forward and at the back, and they will be regarded as favourites to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.
Bristol Rovers have the potential to cause Stockport some problems in the final third, but we can see the Hatters claiming all three points in a narrow victory at Edgeley Park.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
