County’s second of three group-stage matches in the English Football League/Bristol Street Motors Trophy culminated in a comfortable victory at Edgeley Park against an Under-21 side from Premier League outfit Everton.
First-half strikes by Tanto Olaofe and Jayden Fevrier put the Hatters well in control of proceedings, before Olaofe, with his second, and Nick Powell added goals after the break – and, despite a late Everton consolation, they went on to register their first-ever win in the competition over a top-tier club’s Category One academy. More pertinently, the result saw County go clear at the top of Northern Group A and on the verge of qualifying for the knockout-stage with one game still to play.
Shortly before the clock struck 7pm, the Hatters took to the field for an earlier-than-usual kick-off on a gloriously bright evening. Their strong starting line-up showed nine changes from that at Crawley in League One three days earlier – although all five substitutes used in West Sussex were selected to play from the outset on this occasion, and the tie also provided an opportunity for summer signing Lewis Fiorini to make his competitive debut, following recovery from injury.
Having earned the night’s inaugural corner with on 17 seconds played, County proceeded to dominate in possession during the early stages – although the 10-minute mark was approaching by the time a first attempt of note was executed, as returning skipper Lewis Bate’s corner from the right was headed against the crossbar by Fraser Horsfall.
A minute later, the Hatters struck the bar again, courtesy of a Fiorini shot – before Powell fired over on the rebound. And midway through the first half, Jack Diamond’s cross from the right was met by Fiorini beyond the far side of goal and squared to Odin Bailey – but the subsequent shot by the latter, making his 50th appearance as a Hatter, lacked pace and was comfortably gathered up by visiting goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban.
The young, primarily teenage, visitors – wearing squad numbers in the range between 49 and 92 – fashioned their first chance a couple of minutes before the half-hour, with Ben Hinchliffe doing well to parry a well-struck shot from the left by Charlie Whitaker.
But the contest’s next attack, at the other end, saw County take a deserved lead – with Jack Diamond, from the right by-line, cutting the ball back to Olaofe, who took a touch in front of goal before rifling home from close range.
Four minutes later, the advantage was doubled – and in some solo style, too, as Fevrier converted from a tight angle on the right, after latching on to a back-pass and rounding Leban.
Three minutes ahead of the break, the two goal-scorers combined to good effect – albeit without adding to the overall County tally. A low delivery from Fevrier on the left found Olaofe, but the previous season’s leading marksman was denied by Leban – who, in added time, also kept out Diamond in front of the right post.
HALF-TIME: County 2 (Olaofe, 29; Fevrier, 33), Everton U-21s 0.
County, upon the resumption, took the opportunity to give a well-earned rest to Ethan Pye – who, along with Horsfall, had also started at Crawley – and introduced Ibby Touray in his stead.
Everton tested Hinchliffe twice in as many early second-half minutes, through Jacob Beaumont-Clark – whose first shot was smothered by the County ‘keeper and second was tipped around the left upright.
But within five minutes of the re-start, the visitors found themselves further in arrears, as Olaofe nodded the ball past Jack Tierney before going one-on-one with Leban and calmly notching his second goal of the evening.
County continued to lay siege to the Everton goal, and were rewarded with a fourth just after the hour as Powell connected with a Bate free-kick from the right to head in his first goal of the campaign.
It was to prove Powell’s final touch of the game, as he and three fellow Hatters promptly made way for a quartet of substitutes – one of whom, Will Collar, having been teed up by Fevrier following some trademark wizardry on the right, soon went close with a shot that was blocked by Leban.
Omari Benjamin drilled a low shot beyond County’s left post, and Whitaker saw another effort parried by Hinchliffe – whose goal was, however, breached with eight minutes left after his attempt to play the ball out was intercepted by Benjamin and rolled into an empty net.
The Hatters, on maximum points after two ties and a pair of 4-1 wins, will entertain Tranmere eight Tuesday nights hence for their remaining group game of the competition.
FULL-TIME: County 4 (Olaofe, 29 and 50; Fevrier, 33; Powell, 62), Everton U-21s 1 (Benjamin, 82).
Team (3-4-3): Hinchliffe; Connolly, Horsfall (Hughes, 63), Pye (Touray, 46); Diamond, Bate (Capt.) (Camps, 63), Powell (Collar, 63), Bailey; Fevrier, Olaofe, Fiorini (Gardner, 63).
[Debut for Lewis Fiorini, with a unique SCAN [Stockport County Appearance Number] of 1489.]
Unused Subs: Addai, Mapengu.
Booked: Fevrier.
Man of the Match: Fevrier.
Attendance: 1,299 (102 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Phil Oldham.
