Stockport County were edged out 4-3 by Leicester City in a pulsating League One encounter at Edgeley Park on Saturday. The Hatters fought back twice but ultimately fell short against a clinical Foxes side.
Goals from Jack Diamond, Ollie Norwood and Kyle Wootton were not enough as Leicester's Emil Riis scored twice, with Liam Cullen and John Lundstram also finding the net. The result leaves Stockport eighth in the table with nine points from six matches, a record of three wins and three defeats.
Leicester strike first
Leicester took an early lead when Liam Cullen finished from close range in the 11th minute. Stockport responded well, with Jack Diamond levelling the scores just 11 minutes later for his fourth goal of the campaign. The visitors regained the lead before half-time through Emil Riis's first of the afternoon.
Riis struck again three minutes after the restart to extend Leicester's advantage. John Lundstram then marked his debut with a goal to make it 4-1, seemingly putting the game beyond Stockport.
County fight back
Jimmy McNulty's side refused to fold. Ollie Norwood curled a superb free-kick into the top corner in the 57th minute to spark hope. Four minutes later, Kyle Wootton marked his 200th appearance for the club with a neat finish to set up a frantic finale.
Stockport pushed for an equaliser but could not find a fourth goal. The defeat follows the pattern of their season so far, with three wins and three losses from their opening six fixtures.
Manager Jimmy McNulty acknowledged the effort but pointed to defensive lapses. "We showed great character to get back into it, but you can't give a team of that quality a two-goal head start," he said. "The reaction after going 4-1 down was excellent, but we need to be better from the first whistle."
The Hatters now turn their attention to a tough trip to face league leaders Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday. With the side sitting four points off the summit, it represents a major opportunity to make a statement. The latest standings show the tight nature of the early season race.
