After ending 2022 on a high with four successive victories, scoring 11 times and conceding only once, Stockport suffered a slender 1-0 defeat away against Grimsby in League Two on New Year’s Day.
Manchester-born midfielder Otis Khanscored the only goal of the game early in the second half to halt the Hatters in their quest for the playoffs, with Dave Challinor’s side now sitting in 13th place and four points behind the top seven.
With 23 League Two fixtures still to play, the prospect of back-to-back promotions remains in sight for Stockport – last season’s National League champions – but they will now turn their focus to the FA Cup, where they are competing in the third round for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Hatters have already scored nine goals in this season’s FA Cup and began their campaign with a comfortable 4-0 first-round win over Swindon Town. Challinor’s men then played out a 2-2 draw in the second round against League One side Charlton Athletic in the capital before winning the replay 3-1 on home soil, with Will Collar scoring a memorable hat-trick.
Progressing to the fourth round has been a struggle for Stockport over the years, though, having lost each of their last four third-round ties, most recently against Premier League outfit West Ham United by a 1-0 scoreline in the 2020-21 campaign.
Stockport head into Sunday’s contest having won only one of their last seven home encounters against Walsall, but Challinor and co will be confident of success this time around following their deserved 2-0 victory away against the Saddlers last Thursday, a game which saw in-form striker Kyle Wootton net either side of half time.
Indeed, a win at Edgeley Park will see Stockport advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since knocking out Preston North End in the 2000-01 season.
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Following the aforementioned league defeat against Stockport, Walsall returned to winning ways with a 2-1 home victory against Mansfield Town on New Year’s Day, courtesy of early second-half goals from Douglas James-Taylor and Liam Kinsella.
Indeed, Walsall’s only defeat in their last 11 matches across all competitions was the game against Stockport at the end of 2022, with Michael Flynn’s side securing eight victories during this period.
The Saddlers currently sit ninth in the League Two table, four places and two points above Stockport, and they will look to translate their strong form to the FA Cup, a competition that they have struggled to make waves in since the turn of the century.
