Wrexham 2-1 Stockport County: Andy Cannon goal secures late win over champions

By Dafydd PritchardBBC Sport Wales at the Stok Racecourse

Last updated on 27 April 2024.From the section League Two235

Stockport's Connor Lemonheigh-Evans clears the ball from Wrexham midfielder James McCclean — Stockport had won 5-0 when the sides met in the reverse fixture at Edgeley Park last September.

Wrexham toasted promotion to League One with a final-day win over League Two champions Stockport.

Connor Lemonheigh-Evans fired the visitors in front with an assured low finish in the first half.

Ollie Palmer equalised two minutes after the break to revive the celebratory mood at the Racecourse.

With two minutes left, Andy Cannon blasted in from close range to seal a victory which saw the hosts finish second in League Two.

With Wrexham having sealed promotion with two games to spare and Stockport wrapping up the title by the same time, this had the feel of an exhibition game - albeit with reason to celebrate on both sides.

After giving their opponents a guard of honour before kick-off, Wrexham created a couple of half-chances for Palmer and Paul Mullin before Stockport's Lemonheigh-Evans found the net with a powerful low shot which hit the post on its way in.

Antoni Sarcevic twice came close to extending County's lead before the break, while Palmer was denied by a fine smothering save from Ben Hinchliffe.

The Wrexham striker eventually got his goal two minutes into the second half with a cool low finish beyond Hinchliffe.

There were few chances for either side from that point but Cannon made it a memorable end to a successful campaign for the home side with his late winner against his former team.

Wrexham and Stockport had been promotion rivals in the National League two years ago before renewing their rivalry during this campaign.

And next term, they can look forward to locking horns in a third different division in four seasons.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson: "Five wins to finish the season is great from the lads. It was important we finished the season well.

"We spoke last week about rewarding our away travelling army and this week [we did the same] - we've got a very proud home record here.

"We wanted to finish the season in style and we were able to do that with an excellent second-half display.

"When the key fixtures have arrived, we've really cranked it up and put in some good performances. That's really important to produce when the crunch time of the season arrives."

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Wrexham

Formation 5-3-2

33Okonkwo
29BarnettSubstituted forBoltonat 86'minutes
32Cleworth
15O'Connell
22O'Connor
23McClean
20Cannon
8Young
38LeeSubstituted forDaviesat 78'minutes
10MullinSubstituted forMarriottat 87'minutes
9PalmerSubstituted forFletcherat 69'minutes

Substitutes

3McFadzean
4Tozer
7Davies
11Marriott
17Bolton
21Howard
26Fletcher

Stockport

Formation 3-4-1-2

1Hinchliffe
5ByrneSubstituted forCassat 90+1'minutes
6Horsfall
15PyeBooked at 90mins
24Lemonheigh-Evans
11PowellSubstituted forRichardsat 63'minutes
8CampsBooked at 67mins
21HippolyteSubstituted forTourayat 63'minutes
10Sarcevic
19Wootton
20BarrySubstituted forMaddenat 45'minutesBooked at 59mins

Substitutes

3Touray
9Madden
12Smith
22Richards
23Bristow
31Knight
32Cass

Referee:: Steve Martin
Attendance:: 12,562

Match Stats

Home TeamWrexhamAway TeamStockport

Possession: Home45%; Away55%

Shots: Home9; Away10

Shots on Target: Home4; Away1

Corners: Home3; Away5

Fouls: Home14; Away14

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Wrexham 2, Stockport County 1.
90'+6'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Wrexham 2, Stockport County 1.

90'+6'
Booking
Ethan Pye (Stockport County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+5'
Post update
Foul by Ethan Pye (Stockport County).
90'+5'
Post update
Jack Marriott (Wrexham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'+4'
Post update
Attempt missed. Jack Marriott (Wrexham) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Steven Fletcher following a fast break.
90'+3'
Post update
Attempt blocked. Rico Richards (Stockport County) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Paddy Madden.
90'+2'
Post update
Rico Richards (Stockport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'+2'
Post update
Foul by Steven Fletcher (Wrexham).
90'+1'
Substitution
Substitution, Stockport County. Lewis Cass replaces Neill Byrne.
88'
Goal!
Goal! Wrexham 2, Stockport County 1. Andrew Cannon (Wrexham) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Max Cleworth.
87'
Substitution
Substitution, Wrexham. Jack Marriott replaces Paul Mullin.
87'
Substitution
Substitution, Wrexham. Luke Bolton replaces Ryan Barnett.
86'
Post update
Rico Richards (Stockport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
86'
Post update
Foul by Eoghan O'Connell (Wrexham).
86'
Post update
Ethan Pye (Stockport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
86'
Post update
Foul by Andrew Cannon (Wrexham).
81'
Post update
Attempt saved. James McClean (Wrexham) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thomas O'Connor.
80'
Post update
Corner, Wrexham. Conceded by Paddy Madden.
80'
Post update
Foul by Ethan Pye (Stockport County).

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235 comments

Comment posted by mclaw, at 17:51 27 Apr
Fair play to Wrexham and their supporters.....yes you can say about the money injected into the club, but as has been proven by Chelsea and Man United.... a big budget does not a team make!!! Credit has to go to Phil Parkinson, the owners and the players for building an ethos that makes the team want to play for each other and the supporters!
Reply posted by forgetit, at 18:01 27 Apr
forgetit replied:
Ethos!codswallop.From a 3 and a half to 4 and half Gate to another franchise club.Great if your a Wrexham fan but buying your way up the ladder doesn't fool the rest of us.
Comment posted by Welshman, at 17:57 27 Apr
I've supported Wrexham since 1984 through many "thin" times... But to be back in L1 after 19 long years is a dream. Can we do a Brentford, Luton or Bournemouth? I wouldn't bet against it. Congratulations to the Champions too. It's been a long but fantastic season for both clubs.... League One here we come.
Reply posted by Animo Et Fide , at 18:13 27 Apr
Animo Et Fide replied:
Similar with myself & County Welshman. Rivalry aside we're 2 teams that have endured more than enough misery & it's great we're both back where we belong. Nice to have a whole division between us & the abyss that is non-league eh! Enjoy your summer, looking forward to competing again next season.
Comment posted by arthur Mcbride, at 19:13 27 Apr
Well done Wrexham, never mind the jealous naysayers on here, they would jump at the chance of a celebrity consortium taking their team from the national league to league one in such a short space of time!!🍷🍷🍷
Reply posted by SidTheSixist, at 23:22 27 Apr
SidTheSixist replied:
I was just saying by continued dream is that Taylor Swift takes over my club.
Comment posted by shed, at 18:02 27 Apr
Back to back promotions, no mean feat. Hopefully Wrexham can solidify themselves in the tougher leagues and keep on improving.
Reply posted by St George, at 00:36 28 Apr
St George replied:
A feet Tranmere achieved 4 or 5 years ago..
Comment posted by brendan, at 17:54 27 Apr
Terrific achievement for Wrexham, once again.
How far can they go?
Can't understand the antipathy shown towards them.
Reply posted by maqrkie, at 17:59 27 Apr
maqrkie replied:
Wrexham have got some tought teams in L 1 plus 4 teams coming down fromthe championship two be pushing ato back up
Comment posted by Daio111, at 19:19 27 Apr
Congratulations Wrexham - a success that should warm the heart of every Welsh person. Its not about Hollywood millionaires, but how they connected with a brilliant community represented by their club. After my team I want Wrexham to go on and on. Peter Mullin is the most inspiring player in the football leagues. Onward to the Premier League...and fog the Tories!
Comment posted by paulec59 , at 19:32 27 Apr
Excellent result Wrexham. the three best teams got promoted.
Reply posted by Luke McCarry, at 19:37 27 Apr
Luke McCarry replied:
Agreed… have a check of the Goal Difference between the 3 ‘automatics’ and the 4 ‘playoffs’ in the table.
Comment posted by TARW, at 19:58 27 Apr
Well done to Stockport Wrexham & Mansfield best teams in 2 by a distance
Comment posted by iforhaul, at 19:16 27 Apr
Great finish to the season, endured all the bitter fans who probably never been to Wrecasm let alone know what we as a club and town have been through over the years.
Up the Town.
Yma O Hyd 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Comment posted by AnotherBrickInTheWall, at 19:17 27 Apr
Both teams played some nice football today and proved both deserve promotion. Moving on to excellent breaking news - Man U now have no way of top 4 and champs league next season. Always a silver lining in football if you look hard enough. Up the Town...
Comment posted by David , at 18:06 27 Apr
Best team won today. Parky did a proper job on Challinor second half. Challinor had no answers
Reply posted by Cyclez, at 18:17 27 Apr
Cyclez replied:
I bet half-time was another episode of the upcoming Parky spin-off, “Welcome to F-Bomb”🤣🤣🤣
Comment posted by Luke McCarry, at 19:35 27 Apr
Brilliant result for WXM & the community today., Proves that they have really improved in confidence & teamwork since the 2-5 loss to MKD and 0-5 to StockPT earlier in the season! Well played today, the slightly better team, capitalising on chances. Saw Humphrey Ker after the game, he’s a genuine, nice guy & taller than Okonkwo. He chatted to loads of fans in the car park. Proud of this club.
Reply posted by David , at 08:40 28 Apr
David replied:
Proper community club. Proud of what we’re building
Comment posted by hello, at 22:07 27 Apr
Got no problem with Wrexham, proper club and they fully deserve automatic with us and stags.
Comment posted by its only money, at 17:53 27 Apr
Great to finish the season with a win
Parky ball
Only one team in Wales
Reply posted by None Of The Above, at 18:26 27 Apr
None Of The Above replied:
No, there isn't
Comment posted by Hot Dog, at 19:18 27 Apr
Nice on Wrexham. See you in the prem in two years… from a Cardiff fan. PS I am mental.
Comment posted by Mike , at 20:59 27 Apr
Shame we couldn't end the season with a win even if the result didn't matter. Still, we've got the Champions parade tomorrow then League 1 football to look forward to. Roll on August.
COME ON COUNTY
Comment posted by MM13, at 06:31 28 Apr
Well done Wrexham, as a Notts fan who is resigned to losing our best players. Langstaff, Jones and Crowley would do a Job in the Championship never mind league 1. 4 million would prob get all 3. You would pay that for one sub standard Championship player. I wouldn't begrudge them going Wrexham they deserve to play at a higher level for a proper manager.
Comment posted by David , at 20:08 28 Apr
Stockport players singing anti-Wrexham songs on their bus tour today. There’s classless for you.
Comment posted by Fair Opinion, at 21:21 27 Apr
Very well done Wrexham and Special Congratulations ti Stockport. Class to respect Stockport with ‘Guard of honour’, This is Sportsmanship at its best
Reply posted by St George, at 21:37 27 Apr
St George replied:
It was done with minimal effort and only because Stockport supporters shamed Wrexham AFC into doing it.
Comment posted by magic, at 09:53 28 Apr
Looking forward to an interesting few months to see firstly the Wrexham retained list , then who we sign as replacements. Realistically hoping for consolidated mid table position

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Stockport	46	27	11	8	96	48	48	92
2	Wrexham	46	26	10	10	89	52	37	88
3	Mansfield	46	24	14	8	90	47	43	86

4	MK Dons	46	23	9	14	83	68	15	78
5	Doncaster	46	21	8	17	73	68	5	71
6	Crewe	46	19	14	13	69	65	4	71
7	Crawley	46	21	7	18	73	67	6	70

8	Barrow	46	18	15	13	62	56	6	69
9	Bradford	46	19	12	15	61	59	2	69
10	Wimbledon	46	17	14	15	64	51	13	65
11	Walsall	46	18	11	17	69	73	-4	65
12	Gillingham	46	18	10	18	46	57	-11	64
13	Harrogate	46	17	12	17	60	69	-9	63
14	Notts County	46	18	7	21	89	86	3	61
15	Morecambe	46	17	10	19	67	81	-14	58
16	Tranmere	46	17	6	23	67	70	-3	57
17	Accrington	46	16	9	21	63	71	-8	57
18	Newport	46	16	7	23	62	76	-14	55
19	Swindon	46	14	12	20	77	83	-6	54
20	Salford	46	13	12	21	66	82	-16	51
21	Grimsby	46	11	16	19	57	74	-17	49
22	Colchester	46	11	12	23	59	80	-21	45

23	Sutton United	46	9	15	22	59	84	-25	42
24	Forest Green	46	11	9	26	44	78	-34	42

Line-ups

Wrexham

Substitutes

Stockport

Substitutes

Match Stats

Live Text

Comments

Join the conversation

Comment posted by mclaw, at 17:51 27 Aprmclaw

Reply posted by forgetit, at 18:01 27 Aprforgetit

Comment posted by Welshman, at 17:57 27 AprWelshman

Reply posted by Animo Et Fide , at 18:13 27 AprAnimo Et Fide

Comment posted by arthur Mcbride, at 19:13 27 Aprarthur Mcbride

Reply posted by SidTheSixist, at 23:22 27 AprSidTheSixist

Comment posted by shed, at 18:02 27 Aprshed

Reply posted by St George, at 00:36 28 AprSt George

Comment posted by brendan, at 17:54 27 Aprbrendan

Reply posted by maqrkie, at 17:59 27 Aprmaqrkie

Comment posted by Daio111, at 19:19 27 AprDaio111

Comment posted by paulec59 , at 19:32 27 Aprpaulec59

Reply posted by Luke McCarry, at 19:37 27 AprLuke McCarry

Comment posted by TARW, at 19:58 27 AprTARW

Comment posted by iforhaul, at 19:16 27 Apriforhaul

Comment posted by AnotherBrickInTheWall, at 19:17 27 AprAnotherBrickInTheWall

Comment posted by David , at 18:06 27 AprDavid

Reply posted by Cyclez, at 18:17 27 AprCyclez

Comment posted by Luke McCarry, at 19:35 27 AprLuke McCarry

Reply posted by David , at 08:40 28 AprDavid

Comment posted by hello, at 22:07 27 Aprhello

Comment posted by its only money, at 17:53 27 Aprits only money

Reply posted by None Of The Above, at 18:26 27 AprNone Of The Above

Comment posted by Hot Dog, at 19:18 27 AprHot Dog

Comment posted by Mike , at 20:59 27 AprMike

Comment posted by MM13, at 06:31 28 AprMM13

Comment posted by David , at 20:08 28 AprDavid

Comment posted by Fair Opinion, at 21:21 27 AprFair Opinion

Reply posted by St George, at 21:37 27 AprSt George

Comment posted by magic, at 09:53 28 Aprmagic

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Comment posted by mclaw, at 17:51 27 Apr

Reply posted by forgetit, at 18:01 27 Apr

Comment posted by Welshman, at 17:57 27 Apr

Reply posted by Animo Et Fide , at 18:13 27 Apr

Comment posted by arthur Mcbride, at 19:13 27 Apr

Reply posted by SidTheSixist, at 23:22 27 Apr

Comment posted by shed, at 18:02 27 Apr

Reply posted by St George, at 00:36 28 Apr

Comment posted by brendan, at 17:54 27 Apr

Reply posted by maqrkie, at 17:59 27 Apr

Comment posted by Daio111, at 19:19 27 Apr

Comment posted by paulec59 , at 19:32 27 Apr

Reply posted by Luke McCarry, at 19:37 27 Apr

Comment posted by TARW, at 19:58 27 Apr

Comment posted by iforhaul, at 19:16 27 Apr

Comment posted by AnotherBrickInTheWall, at 19:17 27 Apr

Comment posted by David , at 18:06 27 Apr

Reply posted by Cyclez, at 18:17 27 Apr

Comment posted by Luke McCarry, at 19:35 27 Apr

Reply posted by David , at 08:40 28 Apr

Comment posted by hello, at 22:07 27 Apr

Comment posted by its only money, at 17:53 27 Apr

Reply posted by None Of The Above, at 18:26 27 Apr

Comment posted by Hot Dog, at 19:18 27 Apr

Comment posted by Mike , at 20:59 27 Apr

Comment posted by MM13, at 06:31 28 Apr

Comment posted by David , at 20:08 28 Apr

Comment posted by Fair Opinion, at 21:21 27 Apr

Reply posted by St George, at 21:37 27 Apr

Comment posted by magic, at 09:53 28 Apr