After a stalemate in the capital last week, it is a case of winner takes all on Wednesday night, when Stockport County and Leyton Orient clash for the second leg of their League One playoff semi-final.
The Hatters will be looking to make use of home-field advantage following a tricky first leg, whilst the O’s must produce a shock on the road to advance into the Wembley final.
Match preview
Plying their trade in the National League as recently as 2022, Stockport County have enjoyed a meteoric rise up the English football pyramid and could see themselves facing off against the likes of former Premier League champions Leicester City in the Championship next campaign.
Just two more matches stand in the way of the Hatters and a spot in the second tier of English football, with Wednesday’s hosts in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten streak following Saturday afternoon’s hard-fought affair with Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road during the first leg.
Goals from former Sheffield United midfielder Oliver Norwood and centre-back Fraser Horsfall resulted in a 2-2 draw at the home of the O’s last time out, meaning that Stockport are in a favourable position to make it to the final, with the second leg played at their Edgeley Park base.
Dave Challinor‘s troops are 10 games unbeaten in home matches so should be supremely confident of getting over the line on Wednesday night, with the Hatters’ most recent defeat at Edgeley Park coming all the way back on January 4, when goals from Lee Gregory and Will Evans won the day for Mansfield Town.
Despite 15-goal striker Louie Barry being recalled by parent club Aston Villa during the winter transfer window, Stockport have continued to be a danger at the top end of the pitch, with only record-breaking champions Birmingham City (84) scoring more goals in League One this term.
Bagging his fourth League One brace since the middle of March, Leyton Orient marksman Charlie Kelman extended his excellent form into the playoffs on Saturday afternoon, when the Brisbane Road faithful saw their side take the lead and then fall behind, before forcing a share of the honours.
The O’s know that they must travel up North and produce something special to win the contest at Edgeley Park, and the visitors should be relatively confident of doing so, given that they are enjoying an eight-match unbeaten run which stretches back to the first day of April.
Judging off third-tier rankings, Richie Wellens‘s men were always the underdogs for this semi-final affair, with Leyton Orient ending up nine points and three places below Stockport in the League One table after 46 games of the regular season, setting both sides up for playoff matches.
The capital-based club are certainly capable of conjuring up a magical moment on the road, with the O’s scoring 39 goals across 23 matches on their travels this season – only Wycombe Wanderers (43) made the net ripple more often in the division during away adventures.
Leyton Orient enjoyed one of their biggest wins of the campaign at Edgeley Park earlier in the season, when a double from Ethan Galbraith alongside strikes from Dan Agyei and Sean Clare secured a 4-1 victory for the visitors at the expense of Stockport in September.
Team News
After a positive display at Brisbane Road last week, Stockport could name an unchanged side as they look to book their spot in the Wembley final.
There are a number of Hatters stars who are pushing for starts following impressive cameos on Saturday, including midfielder Lewis Bate and attacker Odin Bailey.
Scoring and providing an assist during the first leg, Norwood will bring playoff knowhow into the midfield, potentially alongside William Collar and Owen Moxon.
Introduced for the final 20 minutes at Brisbane Road, Tom James and Jack Currie could be the wing-back options for Leyton Orient from the start this time around.
Oliver O’Neill is fighting for a berth up top for the O’s, although it is unlikely that Wellens will drop either Kelman or Azeem Abdulai for this crucial fixture.
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Addai; Hills, Horsfall, Pye, Touray; Norwood, Fevrier, Collar, Moxon; Wootton, Olaofe
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Keeley; Edmonds-Green, Beckles, James; Galbraith, Donley, Clare, Currie; Agyei, Abdulai, Kelman
We say: Stockport County 3-2 Leyton Orient (Stockport County to win 5-4 on aggregate)
After a pulsating first leg at Brisbane Road on the weekend, we are expecting another breathtaking affair at Edgeley Park to decide who reaches the playoff final.
The Hatters have been imperious on home soil over recent months, and we feel that Challinor’s side will squeeze past the attentions of the O’s in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
