Following three hard earned points last Saturday, United return to Plainmoor to face Stockport County looking to build on that win.
Who’s the boss?
Dave Challinor took over the reigns at Edgeley Park in November having previously managed Hartlepool United, where he led them back to the Football League after a penalty shoot-out win against United at Ashton Gate back in June.
A playing career as a centre back saw him play over 400 games for Tranmere Rovers, Bury and todays opponents Stockport. His playing days ended at Colwyn Bay and this was also to prove the starting place for his managerial career.
Challinor then took over at AFC Fylde in 2011 and his eight seasons there proved fruitful where four promotions in five years led the club to their highest place in the pyramid. 2016/17 saw Fylde clinch the National League North title and reach the National League, and it was in 2018/19 that Fylde had their most successful season to date with Challinor leading them to both the Play-Off and FA Trophy Finals. Fylde fell short of promotion to the Football League being beaten 3-0 by Salford, but then went on to beat Leyton Orient 1-0 in the Trophy final.
Player to watch
Paddy Madden joined Stockport in March of this year from Fleetwood Town, and so far this season has made 20 appearances scoring eight goals, with his latest being a brace in the Hatters 2-1 win away at Woking. He also has three assists to his name.
Madden came through the ranks at Bohemians before a move to Carlisle United in 2011. A loan move to Yeovil Town which was later made permanent followed, but it was a move to Scunthorpe United where Madden really made his mark. In four seasons at The Iron the striker made over 150 appearances, scoring 52 league goals in the process, helping the club to promotion to League One in 2013/14. A move to Fleetwood Town was next for Madden where in over 130 appearances he scored over 43 league goals which remains an EFL club scoring record before his move to Edgeley Park.
Played for both
Whitfield spent two seasons here at Plainmoor signing from Port Vale in the summer of 2019. The winger made over 50 appearances for the club scoring 11 league goals in the process. Prior to his spell here Whitfield played for Kidderminster, Yeovil Town and Port Vale on loan from AFC Bournemouth with the latter being made a permanent move to Vale Park.
Ben joined Stockport in the summer and has so far this season made 15 appearances and scored three including the Hatters equaliser in their FA Cup 1st Round game against Bolton Wanderers in November.
Previous Encounter
Torquay United 1 – 0 Stockport County, 3rd October 2020, National League.
After seven months away, Gary Johnson’s men made the perfect start to 2020/21, with a 1-0 win over much-fancied Stockport County. After a match which saw United largely on the back foot, it was Torquay who struck late on to steal all three points, as Connor Lemonheigh-Evans grabbing the all-important goal.
The first real chance of the game fell to United in the sixth minute, as Ben Whitfield fired in a decent effort from just outside the box, with Ben Hincliffe in the visiting goal doing just enough to palm the shot around the post. It wasn’t till quarter of the first half was gone that Stockport created their first openings forcing Lucas Covolan into a range of good saves to keep the scores level. The Gulls backline stood firm for the rest of the half and Ben Wynter was unlucky with a chance just going over the bar on the stroke of half-time.
United set about the second-half applying pressure to the Hatters backline but it was County who had the better chances which Covolan dealt with including a ppoint blank save from Kitching. As the game ebbed and flowed it was United who went into the last ten minutes in the ascendancy following substitutions and Whitfield had chances to win it with the keeper and the crossbar coming to the rescue of Stockport. However the Gulls weren’t to be denied going into added time. Aaron Nemane, who had worked so hard throughout, finally found some space to send in a cross from the right wing. Although the deep ball eluded the lurking Danny Wright, it had just enough pace to reach the onrushing Lemonheigh-Evans, who saw his opportunist shot creep into the net via a backtracking defender.