Challinor’s challenge is to keep on looking up

By Gabriel Delliant

STOCKPORT CO 3

Diamond 42, Hills 60, Wootton 73

STOCKPORT: Addai 6, Hills 8 (Connolly 79, 6), Horsfall 7, Pye 7, Touray 6, Moxon 6 (Bailey 55, 7), Norwood 7, Fevrier 6 (Collar 55, 6), Diamond 7, Olaofe 7 (Mingi 90, 6), Wootton 8 (Cosgrove 90, 6). Subs not used: Wogan, Hamilton.

ROTHERHAM 1

Wilks 9

ROTHERHAM: Dawson 6, Rafferty 6, Odofin 6, Humphreys 6, Holmes 6 (Kelly 63, 6), Mpanzu 6, Powell 7, James 7, Sibley 6 (Hugill 62, 6), Wilks 7 (Kayode 81, 6), Nombe 6. Subs not used: Phillips, Hull, Douglas, Clarke-Harris.

DAVE Challinor challenged his Stockport players to keep their standards high in their quest for Championship football next season after this comeback win.

Mallik Wilks put the Millers ahead at Edgeley Park, but Jack Diamond levelled before half-time, before Brad Hills and Kyle Wootton completed the turnaround.

Despite strengthening their play-off hopes, Challinor warned his players they must replicate their second-half display to achieve their ambitions.

He said: “I thought we were flat first half, and when you concede a goal in the manner that we did that only makes it flatter.

“The second half was miles better and that’s what we need to stick to. Regardless of what happens this season, we’ve got to do it by being us.

“In the first half I thought we strayed away from that a little bit. I needed us to look like a team that had everything to play for.”

After a positive start by the hosts, the Millers took the lead against the run of play when Wilks sent a downward header into the corner of the net from Reece James’s cross after ten minutes.

Stockport keeper Corey Addai saved Joe Powell’s curling 20th-minute shot and Ibou Touray could have equalised but headed cross over.

County levelled three minutes before half-time from Diamond’s sublime curling effort beyond Cameron Dawson from the edge of the box.

Stockport went ahead on the hour when Hills stole in at the back post to emphatically head home from substitute Odin Bailey’s inviting cross.

Dawson clawed away Fraser Hors-fall’s header, before Wootton swept home from a 73rd minute Hatters counterattack, moments after Rotherham’s Wilks claimed a penalty at the other end.

Wootton nearly scored his second, but stabbed the ball inches wide. Rotherham interim boss Matt Hamshaw lamented a key moment with the Millers not being awarded a penalty when Wilks went down in the box immediately before Wootton scored County’s third goal on the break.

He said: “I thought first half we started really well. I spoke to the players at half-time and I thought that we got a little bit complacent.

“It’s really difficult because for me it should be a penalty and it should be 2-2, but instead they counterattacked.

“I’ve been told that not every contact in the box is a penalty.”