Kyle Wootton’s double helped Stockport get their Championship party up and running with a 4-2 home win against Accrington.
County, who wrapped up the League Two title in midweek with victory at Notts County, recorded their eighth straight win with Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Antoni Sarcevic also netting.
Wootton struck County’s first goal after an opening nine minutes of total dominance, Louie Barry’s neat reverse pass allowing him to beat Radek Vitek at his near post.
Accrington started to find their feet and went close through Jack Nolan, who fired narrowly wide after a searching ball from Tommy Leigh.
Leigh was also involved in Accrington’s equaliser after 16 minutes. He found Shaun Whalley in space and the veteran forward sent a fierce finish into the top corner.
However, Stockport led at the break thanks to Lemonheigh-Evans, who slid in to turn home Paddy Madden’s inch-perfect ball across the six-yard box.
Both goalkeepers made important saves at around the hour mark, County’s Ben Hinchcliffe getting to Leigh’s speculative snapshot and Vitek out quickly to save when Lemonheigh-Evans homed in on goal.
But Vitek was helpless in the 62nd minute when Wootton timed his run into the box to head in Myles Hippolyte’s cross from the left wing.
Nolan gave Accrington hope when he made it 3-2 13 minutes from time with a long-range strike that seemed to deceive Hinchcliffe.
Moments later Sarcevic dashed those hopes as he cashed in on an error in the Stanley defence to score the champions’ fourth.
