Dave Challinor hails Stockport resilience in comeback victory over Wigan

Stockport manager Dave Challinor felt his side showed resilience as they came from behind to keep their slim automatic promotion hopes alive with a dramatic 3-2 win over Wigan at Edgeley Park.

The visitors struck first inside two minutes when Joe Taylor capitalised on a loose ball and drove forward to slot past Ben Hinchliffe.

County responded quickly, Brad Hills heading in Ollie Norwood’s free-kick from close range.

Wigan regained the lead in the 11th minute as Taylor headed home Fraser Murray’s cross for his second of the afternoon.

Stockport were level again before the break when Adama Sidibeh turned in Jack Diamond’s delivery.

But Kyle Wootton struck twice in stoppage time to seal a thrilling comeback against a Latics side who ended the game with nine men.

Challinor said: “It was an awful start to the game for us and it took us 10, 15 or 20 minutes to get going due to something tactical that we didn’t do that we should have done.

“We showed some real resilience to get back into the game twice and got more control in the last five minutes of that first half.

“The second half was much better, regardless of them going down to 10 men. We had miles more control and territory-wise we kept plugging away.

“You’ve got to keep knocking at the door and hope you can create an opportunity, it’s a brilliant ball in from Jack Diamond and a great header from Kyle Wootton.

“When it gets to the end of the game and you do grab a goal so late it slightly changes the emotion and then to get a fourth makes it better.

“We kept knocking away and got ourselves some opportunities and in those moments it’s usually a bit of quality or a mistake that will get you a chance and thankfully we’ve taken them.”

Wigan manager Gary Caldwell, who saw Steven Sessegnon and Maleace Asamoah shown red cards in the second half, said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half and started so well.

“I felt we had to be leading at half-time. We had to come in at the break ahead with how well we played going forward.

“The goals we conceded were poor and that’s something we have to work on but I thought the players were superb first half.

“I felt that in the second half the week took its toll on a squad that has been hit with injuries.

“We got a little bit stretched in the second half, but the players’ efforts this week have been incredible.

“We’ve got two big weeks ahead of us now and we have to work on the training ground to fix some of the problems that we’ve got.

“For me the first one was never a red card and the second was was just a little bit too late.

“But we have to deal with it. We’ve got enough problems of our own that we need to work on and maybe the referees can work on their game too.”