GARY Ablett recorded his first win as Stockport County boss as his new side thrashed non-league Nostell Miners Welfare 5-0.
In the end it was a comfortable win for County – who were led out by captain-for-the-day Oli Johnson on his return to his former club – but it was Nostell who started the brighter.
Three early corners put new signing Paul Gerrard under pressure in the County goal, before Johnson went close for the Hatters after Matty Mainwaring had shown fantastic vision to put him through.
Former Premiership referee Uriah Rennie then waved away appeals for a penalty after trialist David Poole tumbled in the box under pressure from Gareth North.
And after a goalless first half, Ablett may have started to worry that all County’s neat passing would come to nothing, just as it had at Barrow three days earlier.
He needn’t have. The new boss made eight changes at the break, and it took one of them, Peter Thompson, just a minute to break the deadlock after Johnson’s effort came back of the post.
And it was the sign for the floodgates to open as County began to run riot.
Johnson got the goal his effort and enthusiasm deserved after 58 minutes, before his replacement, 16-year-old Tom Fisher, went through to make it 3-0.
Thompson grabbed his second, poking home Danny Pilkington’s cut-back to make it 4-0 before Fisher added his second, firing into the roof of the net following more good work from Pilkington, to round off the scoring 15 minutes from time.
Ablett was understandably delighted with his team’s performance, only marred by an injury to Owain Fon Williams which saw him leave the field with a bandaged head.
"I’m happy. It’s just a run out for everyone again before the first game of the season and a good chance for everyone to build up their match fitness," added Ablett.
"You’ve always got to be pleased when you score five goals, and that all the centre forwards got them."
COUNTY: Gerrard, Halls, S Barnes, Havern, Rose, Vincent, Roberts, Mainwaring, Poole, Edwards, Johnson. Subs: Fon Williams, Pilkington, Tansey, Rowe, L Barnes, Mullins, Turnbull, Thompson, Raynes.
