Stockport County will be looking to pick up an important victory when they welcome Reading to Edgeley Park on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts currently sit second in the League One table, while the visitors are sixth.

Match preview

Stockport have collected 26 points from 14 league matches so far and sit just three points behind leaders Huddersfield Town.

Jimmy McNulty's side showed real resilience in the FA Cup at the weekend, coming from two goals down to beat Cray Wanderers 3-2 in extra time after goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond was sent off.

In their most recent league game, Stockport beat Wimbledon thanks to goals from Jack Diamond and Ethan Ennis.

It was a crucial victory for the Hatters, who had dropped points in their previous two games with a 1-1 draw against Notts County and a 1-0 defeat to Oxford United.

It is also worth noting that Stockport failed to beat Reading at all last season, drawing 1-1 at home before losing 1-0 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Reading sit sixth with 22 points from 14 matches, leaving them just four points behind Stockport and firmly in the race for promotion.

The Royals were beaten 2-0 by rivals Oxford United in their last league game, but responded with an emphatic 5-0 FA Cup victory over Peterborough United three days later.

Daniel Kyerewaa, Jack Marriott and Charlie Savage all found the back of the net in the first half, while Jamie Reid came off the bench to bag a brace.

Reading will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday's fixture, having rested almost all of their first team players on Tuesday when they lost on penalties to Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy.

Stockport County League One form:

Stockport County form (all competitions):

Reading League One form:

Reading form (all competitions):

Team News

Stockport have been handed a boost after goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff withdrew from the England Under-20 squad to remain with the club following Ashby-Hammond's dismissal against Cray Wanderers.

As a result, Stockport are expected to pick the same side that beat Wimbledon, with Kyle Wootton leading the line and Diamond and Benony Breki Andresson featuring out wide.

Reading, meanwhile, are set to be without Paudie O'Connor and Andy Rinomhota through suspension after the pair picked up their fifth yellow cards of the campaign against Oxford.

Paddy Lane, Benn Ward and George Earthy remain sidelined through injury, but Reading will be hopeful Udoka Godwin-Malife is fit after he picked up a knock against Peterborough.

Josh Knight and Liam Fraser are expected to replace O'Connor and Rinomhota, while Savage could get the nod over Josh Stokes in the No.10 role.

Stockport County possible starting lineup:

Whatmuff; Pye, Jobe, O'Connell; Dacres-Cogley, Norwood, Fiorini, Ennis; Diamond, Wootton, Andresson

Reading possible starting lineup:

Pereira; Godwin-Malife, Knight, Dorsett, Roberts; Knight, Wing; Lisbie, Savage, Kyerewaa; Marriott

We say: Stockport County 2-1 Reading

Stockport have a very strong home record, having won five of their seven league games so far this season, and they should have enough to beat a Reading side that is missing several key players.

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