Stockport County kicked off their League One campaign in style with a 2-0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers, thanks to goals from debutant Malik Mothersille and Kyle Wootton.

The former Peterborough United striker made an instant impact at Edgeley Park, scoring late in the first half, while Wootton sealed the win in the 89th minute to hand Dave Challinor’s side a perfect start to the season.

Mothersille Breaks Through for Stockport

It was a cagey opening half dominated by Bolton, who twice struck the woodwork through Xavi Simons and Max Conway, and had strong appeals for a penalty waved away when Corey O’Keeffe appeared to pull back Mason Burstow inside the box.

But against the run of play, Malik Mothersille opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time. The 21-year-old pounced on a deflected effort from Ollie Norwood, reacting quickest to guide the ball past Teddy Sharman-Lowe for a debut goal that gave Stockport the edge going into the break.

Stockport Hold Firm, Wootton Seals the Win

In the second half, Bolton Wanderers continued to press, with Thierry Gale and Conway coming close again—Conway rattling the post for a second time—but Stockport’s defense held firm, and goalkeeper Corey Addai made key saves to keep the visitors at bay.

The result was put beyond doubt in the dying minutes when Danny Andrew, signed just 24 hours before on a short-term deal, whipped in a dangerous free-kick that Wootton met with a thumping header to make it 2–0.

Promotion Ambitions on Display

Both teams have promotion ambitions this season after Stockport reached the League One play-offs last term and Bolton narrowly missed out, finishing eighth. The clash at Edgeley Park gave fans a taste of what could be another highly competitive season in England’s third tier.

While Steven Schumacher’s Bolton created more chances, they paid the price for missed opportunities—leaving Stockport to celebrate a clinical, hard-earned win and a dream debut for one of their newest recruits.

Full-Time: Stockport County 2–0 Bolton Wanderers
Scorers: Malik Mothersille (45+1′), Kyle Wootton (89′)