With Leyton Orient confirmed as League Two Champions, consolidated with their midweek win against playoff contenders Mansfield Town, they have little left to play for, but the teams meeting them in their last games definitely do. Stockport County follow Mansfield this Saturday at Brisbane Road, before Orient travel to playoff hopefuls Bradford City for their final game of the season on Monday 8th May. With Orient’s promotion party planned for Sunday 30th April, they’ll be hoping for a celebratory start to the long weekend with a win over Stockport before they start their planning for their ascent to League One for the first time since 2015.
For 2021-22 National League Champions Stockport County, there is far more at stake in their last two games. They sit in fourth position, just outside automatic promotion, and four points below Stevenage after their 1-0 midweek win over Swindon. Wins for Northampton and Stevenage on Saturday will guarantee promotion for both sides, regardless of the outcome in any other games , but County need two wins from two to stand any chance of capitalising on any lost points from the two teams. Automatic promotion opportunities aside, no-one is currently guaranteed a playoff place, with Stockport, Carlisle, Bradford, Salford, and Mansfield fighting it out for the four places, evidencing just how crucial the Orient tie is for them. Only Bradford have an additional game to play going into the last week of the season, and they take on Crewe on Tuesday.
Their EFL League Two Final day sees them host Hartlepool United at Edgeley Park, a game that could confirm Stockport manager Dave Challinor’s former club’s return to non-league football after just two seasons in the fourth tier. With owner Raj Singh putting the club on the market this week, supporters will be hoping that, if relegated, they’ll be back in the EFL under new ownership as soon as possible. With Stockport also responsible for confining Rochdale to the Vanarama last week there will be no place for compassion given what’s on the table for the Hatters.
Leyton Orient v Stockport County – 3pm Saturday 29th April 2023 – Brisbane Road
Leyton Orient came from behind to beat Mansfield 2-1 on Tuesday night, in a game that saw another dismissal, this time for Shadrach Ogie, who now won’t be available for Saturday along with Omar Beckles. Manager Richie Wellens initially made five changes to his starting lineup for Tuesday’s game but this was exacerbated by a late swap replacing keeper Laurence Vigouroux with Sam Sargeant after he was injured during the warm-up. Despite all the changes, and the early goal from Mansfield, Orient’s confidence was clear, and Stockport will likely experience the same treatment on an afternoon that will see them lift the League Two trophy whatever the outcome.
Stockport’s subdued win over Rochdale last week saw their local rivals relegated and in the post-match interview it was revealed that top scorer Kyle Wootton will miss out on the rest of the season, including any potential playoff campaign. In the Rochdale game fan-favourite Will Collar also sustained a head injury during a clash with teammate Ryan Croasdale, making him unlikely to appear for the Hatters on Saturday. The breadth of Stockport’s squad means that’s unlikely to cause too much disruption, and County have a reputation for showing up for big occasions, and a sold-out Brisbane Road, with the potential for a double-promotion, is certainly that.
Ones to watch:
Ruel Sotiriou
With nine goals and three assists this season, Sotiriou has made a key contribution to Orient’s promotion campaign, and scored on Tuesday night against Mansfield. A ‘super-sub’, he often starts on the bench, and has only started in 22 of his 41 league appearances this season. With 0.40 goals per 90’, and fantastic shot conversion stats, he can be relied upon to challenge County’s defence.
Fraser Horsfall
The cornerstone of County’s defence, Horsfall often leads attacking play from the back, and his height makes him an asset in the box for corners, especially in a squad lacking the height of Kyle Wootton.
Form:
Leyton Orient: DWLWW
Goals Scored: 8
Goals Conceded: 5
Stockport: WWDDW
Goals Scored: 9
Goals Conceded: 3
Previous meeting:
Stockport County 1-2 Leyton Orient – 19th November 2022
Myles Hippolyte 5’ – Darren Pratley 20’, Omar Beckles 67’
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