Stockport County 2-0 FC Halifax Town: Paddy Madden & Will Collar fire Hatters into EFL

Stockport have won 30 of their 44 National League games on their way to the title and promotion

Stockport County ended an 11-year absence from the Football League by clinching the National League title with victory over FC Halifax Town.

Heading into the final day needing just a point to secure top spot and promotion, Stockport claimed all three in style thanks to sweet strikes from Paddy Madden and Will Collar.

Madden took just 10 minutes to drill his 23rd league goal of the season into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Midfielder Collar settled matters with an emphatic finish soon after half-time as the second period was played out amid a party atmosphere in front of 10,307 fans at Edgeley Park.

A large number of those supporters invaded the pitch in celebration at the final whistle as Dave Challinor's side regained the league status the club lost back in 2011.

Former Scunthorpe and Fleetwood striker Madden's early opener settled any potential nerves and he came close to a second when a corner dropped at his feet and he curled a shot on to the bar.

Halifax goalkeeper Sam Johnson tipped over one Andy Cannon thunderbolt but could only parry a similar strike after the interval and Collar lashed home the rebound.

Second-placed Wrexham's defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge meant Stockport were crowned champions by six points, while Halifax, who finished fourth, will host Chesterfield in the promotion eliminators - with the winners of that tie going to Solihull Moors in the semi-finals.

Paddy Madden has scored 32 goals in 62 appearances for Stockport since joining the club in March 2021

Long road back finally over for happy Hatters

After winning promotion to League One through the play-offs in 2008, things gradually deteriorated for the Hatters.

That promotion led to a two-season stint in the third tier, during which they fell into financial difficulty, while they entered administration in 2009 and were given a 10-point deduction.

They were then relegated in consecutive seasons to the National League by 2011, bringing to an end their 105-year stay in the Football League.

Just two seasons later they plummeted again, this time to the sixth-tier National League North, leading to the club briefly becoming part-time.

They stayed there for six seasons before finally gaining promotion in 2018-19, while local businessman Mark Stott agreed a takeover in January 2020 and, since then, their fortunes have been transformed.

After finishing third last season and losing in the play-offs, this term they have defeated League One side Bolton in the FA Cup and appointed Hartlepool boss Challinor as they aimed for promotion.

Challinor replaced Simon Rusk as manager at the start of November and County sat 11th after drawing his first game in charge, but have since won 24 of their 30 league matches to storm to the title.

Their long-term future at their Edgeley Park home was also shored up as they agreed a 250-year lease on the ground from the local council.

Like their promotion rivals Wrexham, Stockport have attracted crowds around the 10,000 mark on their way to a memorable season on the pitch, capped by this final-day victory.

Will Collar's second-half strike was his 10th National League goal of the season

'I wanted this finished five games ago'

Stockport County boss Dave Challinor told BBC Radio Manchester:

"We dream and we'll move on quickly and look forward to next season. It's been a brilliant day for everyone in the ground.

"For every supporter who turned up and supported us, I can only thank them. They've played their part in what has been a great season for us.

"Adversity when you're getting closer to the line affects people in different ways. Sometimes decisions don't go your way. You play a game that's full of variables that you can't control.

"It's never easy getting across the line. We got to a position where we were fortunate to lose a game, which I didn't want to do by any stretch.

"I wanted this finished three, four, five games ago."

Analysis - 'The sleeping giant has awoken'

BBC Radio Manchester's Mike Minay

Twenty years ago, Stockport did the double over Manchester City when the pair were in the Championship - the trajectory of both clubs since then could not have been more opposite.

A decade ago, Stockport County fell out of the Football League. Like many before and since, it's not been a simple return. Financial issues, doing the 'double-dip' to be relegated to the National League North, then years in the wilderness. Now they are back.

A rejuvenation - led firstly by 'Mr Stockport' Jim Gannon to get out of the sixth tier - and then the takeover from Mark Stott, who got it. Got the club, got what being a football owner is all about.

There's been investment and transformation. Yes, there's money, but it's worked. Squad development, better facilities - using Manchester City's old training ground at Carrington - and upgrades to their Edgeley Park home.

Stott is also not afraid to make the big calls - bringing in Challinor, from Hartlepool, who has led the club on a record-breaking winning run.

Always a sleeping giant, they've had large crowds that have rarely dwindled. The town always believed.

Ambitions of the Championship may for now be just that, ambitious. But they've taken the first step on the ladder.