Stockport County U21 put four past Stoke City U21 in the Premier League Cup group stage. The match finished on Thursday evening with a clear result. J. Astles and C. Gardner scored all the goals.
Astles opened the scoring at the twenty-sixth minute. Gardner then added two goals before the half-time break, at thirty-two and forty-three minutes. By then, Stockport had taken complete control. The first half told the story of the match.
The second half brought only one further goal. Astles netted his second at the eighty-third minute to complete his brace. Stoke failed to respond after the interval.
Stockport's form has been mixed but showing signs of improvement. They lost to Charlton U21 2-1 in August but had beaten Burnley 3-1 earlier in the season. Meanwhile, Stoke had drawn with Norwich and Leeds but also conceded four at Scunthorpe. And here's the thing — youth matches often expose gaps that senior football masks.
The result moves Stockport ahead in the group stage standings. Four points from two games gives them momentum. Stoke must now find a way to recover.