Stockport aim to better last season's points total

Stockport County boss Dave Challinor is looking to better the end-of-season points total his side managed in 2024-25.

The Hatters are currently fourth in League One with 49 points after 28 games and finished third last term with 87 points, five points behind Wrexham, who finished the season in the second automatic promotion position.

Challinor's side went on to lose to Leyton Orient on penalties in the second leg of their play-off semi-final and missed out on promotion.

Asked what he was targeting in the 18 games that remain this season, Challinor told BBC Radio Manchester: "In terms of wins, it's more than 10 and less than 18. It's a big number.

"Without giving too much away, we looked at what we did at the back end of last season. We had 21 games, won 15, drew four and lost two, which got us 49 points.

"If we did the same over this part of the season, that would take us to over 90 points, and in most seasons that's been enough to get you into the top two.

"If I was offered 90 points now, I'd absolutely take it. If we finished third with that, we'd be unlucky. But we've just got to keep winning."

Stockport have won six out of their past 11 league games and are unbeaten in their past five games in all competitions, with that run including a 1-1 draw with league leaders Cardiff on Saturday.

Out of the remainder of the current top six, fourth-placed Stockport will only face Bolton and Lincoln before the end of the season, having already faced Cardiff and Huddersfield twice this term.

"Regardless of what other teams do, we expect them to win," he added.

"It may then come down to the games you play against them, and they're often the ones that decide what happens. But we're a long, long way from that at the moment."