The Hatters’ return to League One, following a 14-year absence, was heralded at a vibrant Edgeley Park with a two-goal win against Cambridge.
In what was a first meeting with the ‘U’s’ for over a decade and a first in the Football League since late 1994 – when County had last enjoyed a victory over them – returning Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry put the Hatters in front during the opening stages with an early Goal of the Season contender, before Kyle Wootton made the game safe with a second-half header.
The triumph also happily served to end County’s erstwhile run of five successive opening-day defeats – and prevented the Hatters from becoming the club with the outright worst such sequence of any outfit currently in the FL or the Premier League.
Some welcome Saturday sun was out to greet the Hatters – having largely failed to show in SK3 for the opening games of the two previous seasons against Barrow and Gillingham – as they took to the field for a tea-time kick-off, and with a starting line-up that saw four of their summer signings, including newly-announced Captain Lewis Bate, make competitive debut-appearances. County’s most recent arrival, Tyler Onyango, whose season-long loan deal with Everton had been finalised 24 hours earlier, was named among the substitutes.
The visitors, whose recent opening-day record – which saw them unbeaten in their last quintet of campaign curtain-raisers – was in stark contrast to County’s set of losses since 2019, were managed by former Hatter Garry Monk, who had turned out in County’s defence a couple of times, whilst on loan from Southampton, during 1999.
Seventeen seconds were on the clock, when County fashioned a very early chance – with Jack Diamond unleashing a shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection narrowly beyond the right post.
But fewer than four minutes later, the Hatters went ahead in sensational style, as Wootton picked up Corey Addai’s long clearance before flicking on to Barry – whose chipped half-volley looped over visiting goalkeeper Vicente Reyes and into the net from 30 yards out.
Diamond fired another attempt towards goal just ahead of the quarter-hour mark, but his low drive from outside the box was comfortably smothered by Reyes. And another shot from Barry shortly afterwards cleared the crossbar at the Cheadle End.
Cambridge looked to get back on level terms through James Brophy, whose strike was parried clear by Addai, and, subsequently, Sullay Kaikai, who blazed over. And following the visitors’ inaugural corner, around the first half’s mid-point, the County rearguard kept out a couple of shots from Shayne Lavery in rapid succession.
Shortly after the half-hour, Barry stung the hands of Reyes with a low shot from beyond the area – and then turned provider with a flick on to Wootton, whose header struck the right post before Bate followed through to fire over.
The Hatters continued to press, as Wootton went close again when his shot from the right hit the side-netting – before, courtesy of Will Collar, they had the ball in the net a second time, only to see the goal ruled out for offside.
Late on, in added time, Diamond latched on to a cross from the left by Ibby Touray, but Reyes was well positioned at the near post to catch the resulting header.
HALF-TIME: County 1 (Barry, 4), Cambridge 0.
Two minutes following the resumption, a superbly-judged tackle by Fraser Horsfall denied Kaikai when the Sierra Leonean international broke through on goal. And five minutes later, at the other end, Wootton squared from the left to Collar, whose close-range, side-footed shot was blocked by an outstretched Reyes leg.
Either side of the hour-mark, and from the left flank, Diamond and Touray respectively saw a free-kick and a cross headed beyond the near upright for County corners. Diamond then fired past the other post after being teed up on the right by Wootton, before Barry sent over a delivery on the left that Collar glanced over.
The Impressive Jay Mingi fired an effort over the bar from distance – but it was his fellow signing from Colchester, Jayden Fevrier, who, four minutes following his introduction as a substitute, played a direct part in the production of County’s second goal.
Fevrier’s wizardry to the right of the Cambridge box proved the requisite spark, as he twisted one way, then another, before crossing for Wootton to head home from close range and double the Hatters’ advantage with 14 minutes remaining.
As the visitors sought to reduce their arrears in the closing stages, Elias Kachunga had a shot blocked, and Lavery one that Addai did well to parry. But County held firm to finish with a clean sheet and, moreover, three well-earned points to get the campaign up and running.
FULL-TIME: County 2 (Barry, 4; Wootton, 76), Cambridge 0.
Team (3-4-3): Addai; Mingi (Onyango, 72), Horsfall, Pye; Diamond (Fevrier, 72), Camps, Bate (Capt.) (Hughes, 90 + 3), Touray; Collar (Gardner, 90 + 2), Wootton, Barry (Bailey, 82).
[Debuts for the following players, each with a unique SCAN [Stockport County Appearance Number]: Corey Addai (1470); Lewis Bate (1471); Jack Diamond (1472); Jay Mingi (1473); Tyler Onyango (1474); Jayden Fevrier (1475); Che Gardner (1476); and Sam Hughes (1477).]
Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Okeke.
Booked: Pye, Touray, Camps, Horsfall.
Man of the Match: Collar.
Attendance: 9,457 (666 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
