Stockport County host Reading in a huge showdown at the top of Sky Bet League One.
Victory by four goals or more will lift second-placed Stockport onto the summit on goal difference from Huddersfield, whilst Reading can climb to fourth with a win if Plymouth fail to beat Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Team News
Luca Ashby-Hammond is suspended for Stockport after he was red carded in their dramatic 3-2 first round comeback victory at Cray Wanderers in the FA Cup last weekend.
Oliver Whatmuff is consequently set to start in goal after he withdrew from England Under-20s’ squad.
Andrew Wogan (shoulder), Brad Hills (ACL), Kyron Gordon and Adama Sidibeh (both hamstring) remain ruled out.
Reading will be without defender, Paudie O’Connor as he serves an one-match ban after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in their last league outing, which saw them lose 2-0 at Oxford United on 4 November.
Jeriel Dorsett and Andy Rinomhota are away on international duty for Montserrat and Zimbabwe respectively
Josh Knight is a doubt due to a knock suffered in the Royals’ 5-0 first round victory at Peterborough in the FA Cup.
Jacob Brown (rib) face a late fitness test, but Benn Ward (pelvis) and George Earthy (foot) remain sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Stockport host Reading at Edgeley Park on Saturday 14 November at 3pm GMT, live on Sky Sports+ in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Stockport have lost just one of their last five meetings against Reading (W3, D1, L1).
- Reading are winless in their last 13 league visits to Stockport (D7, L6).
- Stockport have won each of their last four league matches at home (W4).
- Reading have won just one of their seven away matches in the league this season (W1, D3, L3).
Prediction
Having needed all of their experience and superior fitness on top of extra time to scrape past Cray after a lacklustre first half where their wide players struggled with the hosts’ direct play, Stockport can take heart from the grit and relentless attitude to get that result with ten men.
Reading meanwhile comfortably dispatched Peterborough in a ruthless display but with various injuries, international absentees and a poor record at Edgeley Park, they really do need to ideally get on the front foot and score early if they want any chance getting any result here.
This match nevertheless should be a good scrap between two teams chasing promotion but I do think that Stockport will be too strong given their recent home form.
Prediction: Stockport 2-1 Reading
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