Five goals against League One Bolton Wanderers ensured that Dave Challinor’s side advanced to the second round of the FA Cup.
Cheltenham Town became the last Gloucestershire based club in the competition following their 1-0 win against Gillingham on Tuesday, after Forest Green Rovers exited the competition to St. Albans in a 3-2 loss.
Both Cheltenham and Stockport will be hoping to improve on their previous FA Cup campaigns, with both sides going out to Premier League clubs Manchester City and West Ham United last season.
Bolton forward Elias Kachunga opened the scoring within the first two minutes after his long-range attempt deflected off Mark Kitching and past the outstretched glove of Ethan Ross.
The visitors doubled their lead four minutes later when Josh Sheehan’s cross was met by Ashley Palmer, who put the ball into his own net.
Stockport’s Paddy Madden grabbed one back from the spot after Lloyd Isgrove gave away the penalty on the stroke of 24 minutes.
Poor communication at the back for Stockport led Kitching to head the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper and into the path of Amadou Bakayoko, who tapped the ball into the empty net to give Bolton a 3-1 lead.
Stockport responded just before half time when Ryan Rydel’s cross was met by Scott Quigley, who flicked the ball across the goal and into the bottom corner to narrow the deficit.
Palmer rectified his earlier own goal in the last five minutes of the match when Rydel’s fantastic corner delivery was headed in by the defender to level the scoring and take the game to extra time.
Madden’s lobbed through ball in the first half of extra time was met by Quigley, who held off defender George Johnston and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to put Stockport ahead for the first time in the match.
The game was put beyond doubt in the penultimate minute of the contest when Oliver Crankshaw’s scuffed shot bounced into the ground and past Joel Dixon to give the national league side a 5-3 lead and send them into the second round of the FA Cup, where they will face Rotherham United.
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