Notts County host Stockport County on 24 October 2026 in a League One fixture that tells two very different stories. Stockport arrive at Meadow Lane in first place with 22 points from 11 games, whereas Notts sit 18th with just 10 points from 10 matches and need a result to ease mounting pressure near the bottom. The visitors have shown they can dominate games through structured possession, while the hosts have relied on defensive organisation and counter attacks to grind out results during a difficult run.
Jimmy McNulty took charge at Stockport on 5 June 2026 after replacing Dave Challinor, while Martin Paterson has been at Notts County since 22 June 2025 after succeeding Stuart Maynard. Given McNulty's recent arrival, the two managers have no meaningful head to head record to draw on, making this the first real test of McNulty's possession based approach against Paterson's low block counter system.
Stockport won four of their last five and drew the other, their most recent result a 2-0 away win at Doncaster on 20 October. Notts picked up a 2-0 home win against Sheffield Wednesday on the same date but that came after four straight league defeats and one result does not rewrite a season shaped by that kind of inconsistency.
Matty Platt, Lewis Macari, Dean Campbell, Emile Acquah and Beck-Ray Enoru are all out for Notts, with Olie Cooper also absent from recent games and Scott Robertson a doubt after being forced off midweek. The loss of Platt and Robertson hurts them defensively, while the absence of Macari and Campbell strips out their best options for pressing and winning second balls in midfield. That is a heavy toll for any match, let alone one against the division's pacesetters. Stockport, by contrast, have only Brad Hills missing through a long term injury, leaving McNulty with a largely full strength squad.
Notts have played defensively under Paterson all season, staying compact and looking to spring forward on the counter, which is reflected in their modest goal tally. Daniel Kanu leads the attack as the focal point for long balls, asked to hold and bring others into play, with Luka Smyth recently back and Darius Lipsiuc adding goals from midfield. With Campbell, Macari and Platt all missing, Notts will likely sit even deeper than usual and rely on Kanu to hold play while Lipsiuc looks to get on the ball in the spaces Kanu creates.
Stockport play the opposite way, pressing high and building out from the back. Kyle Wootton leads the line with nine goals already, the standout scorer in the division. Jack Diamond operates on the right flank while Oliver Norwood sets the tempo from deep, with the passing range to switch play and find Wootton in behind. McNulty's side will look to dominate possession and use Norwood to progress through the middle, allowing Wootton to run in behind Notts' back line.
The battles that matter most are whether Notts' depleted defence can contain Wootton's movement and Norwood's passing range. Lipsiuc against Norwood in midfield could decide who controls tempo, while Kanu's ability to hold play against Stockport's centre backs will determine whether Notts can relieve pressure at all and launch meaningful counters. With Macari and Campbell both absent, Notts lack the midfield legs to press high or win second balls in their own half, which will give Norwood room to pick passes in the final third unchallenged.
Stockport have the edge in recent meetings, including a 5-2 win over Notts in April 2024 in League Two and across their last eight encounters the overall record leans in their favour. Norwood's delivery from dead balls and Wootton's aerial presence give them a second route to goal that Notts, missing their regular centre backs, will struggle to contain. The broader numbers reinforce that picture: Stockport have conceded roughly 11 goals this season while scoring 23, whereas Notts' limited output makes a high scoring response against this defence unlikely.
Stockport to win 2-1. They have the better squad, the better form and with Wootton already on nine goals and Norwood's passing range setting the tempo, Notts will spend most of the afternoon on the back foot. They may nick a goal through Kanu or Lipsiuc on the break but without Campbell and Macari in midfield they won't hold a shape long enough to threaten a result. Stockport take all three points.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
