Blackpool moved into third place in League One after a 2-1 victory over Stockport County at the home ground on Saturday. The match, played on August 22nd, saw the visitors take control despite Stockport's dominance in possession. Tom Bloxham opened the scoring for the hosts in the 22nd minute before Josh Bowler equalised for Blackpool before half-time. Mikael Mandron's stoppage-time goal proved decisive.
Stockport made their first changes around the hour mark, bringing on Harry Wood and Dion Charles. Blackpool responded with a double substitution at 69 minutes, introducing George Honeyman and Albie Morgan together. Ryan Glover was cautioned for the hosts at 70 minutes, while Jason Adigun and Finley Munroe received yellow cards later in the second half.
and here's the thing — the statistics told a different story than the scoreline. Stockport held 78 per cent possession and launched 164 attacks compared to Blackpool's 37. They created five big chances and took 22 shots inside the penalty area, but their shooting accuracy sat at just 32 per cent. Blackpool's goalkeeper made eight saves from nine shots on target, while the visitors managed only three shots on target themselves.
by then, Stockport had already fallen behind in the table after their earlier results. They sit ninth with four points from four games, having won twice and lost twice. Blackpool occupy third place with seven points from their opening four matches, showing a single defeat and a draw so far. The result extends their unbeaten run in the league.
The match featured 14 corners for Stockport against just two for Blackpool, reflecting their territorial advantage. Both sides won 44 aerial duels each, and the away team completed only 214 passes compared to the hosts' 712. Blackpool's defensive work rate showed in 22 tackles made against Stockport's 13.