Dave Challinor was delighted at how his table-topping Stockport adapted to their calculated game-plan during a 3-1 victory over Grimsby.
Goals from Antoni Sarcevic, Isaac Olaofe and Lewis Cass – on his Stockport debut – did the damage to keep the leaders four points clear at the top of Sky Bet League Two.
Grimsby winger Abo Eisa replied to those first-half strikes with a consolation upon the restart, but it proved too little, too late at Blundell Park.
David Artell’s strugglers have now failed to win in their last five matches.
Stockport manager Challinor said: “It was a brilliant start to the game for us to get into a winning position.
“We knew this would be a tough game as we have got three tough away games in these 14 days that won’t be season-defining, but are tough places to go.
“Coming here, we had to do what was needed and rolled our sleeves up.
“Some of the stuff we played in the first half (was pleasing), especially with David (Artell) coming in here and having a different way of playing.
“That suited what we wanted to do. We got on top of them and challenged them when the majority of their supporters weren’t agreeing with those principles.”
Sarcevic opened the scoring for Stockport in the eighth minute when he latched on to a loose pass from Harvey Cartwright before keeping his cool and slotting past the onrushing Grimsby goalkeeper.
It was 2-0 six minutes later when Olaofe finished off a sweeping breakaway move that involved Nick Powell and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans.
Cass then nodded a third into the Grimsby net in the 28th minute when the on-loan defender was picked out by a Sarcevic cross.
Eisa offered Grimsby hope shortly after the restart when he netted from point-blank range from Charles Vernam’s initial shot but, while they pushed and probed for the remainder, struggling Grimsby were unable to make further inroads.
Stockport are now eight points above fourth-placed Barrow in their ongoing bid for promotion to League One.
Grimsby manager Artell added: “We shot ourselves in the foot twice – three times probably – against a good team who are top of the league.
“You knew then it was going to be a long afternoon.
“In the second half we showed more intent, with the ball and without the ball, and scored a good goal with much more impetus in our play.
“We had more initiative and work-rate, but the game is done by then with our own carelessness and not just with the first goal.
“It was a difficult afternoon and we have got a lot to learn, but that’s the way that I want us to play and we shouldn’t change making that first mistake.”
Chicago Fire 1-4 Inter Miami: Suarez on target once more in road win
Luis Suarez scored two and orchestrated another as Inter Miami cruised to a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Saturday.
His shot led to the opening own goal before his second-half double put the game out of reach as Miami stretched their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to nine points.
Suarez played a neat one-two with Diego Gomez to set up a strike from the edge of the box, and though Chris Brady did well to save it, he pushed it straight against Tobias Salquist, who chested it over the line 25 minutes in.
The Uruguayan thumped a free header against the bar minutes later, but finally got his reward just after the break – he raced in behind before slotting a neat shot in at the near post.
Alba then picked him out for his second in the 65th minute, fizzing a low cross into the six-yard box for him to guide past Brady.
Gomez was unlucky from distance as his drilled shot hit the inside of the post before Georgios Koutsias' instinctive close-range finish beat Drake Callender.
Substitute Robert Taylor then rounded off the scoring with a lovely first-time finish in stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Suarez continues to step up in Messi's absence
Miami have now been without their talisman Lionel Messi for three months due to the Copa America and an ankle injury, but Suarez has proven once again that they still pose a threat without him.
He has scored four times from a total of 12 shots since MLS resumed, with nine of those coming in this game.
The 37-year-old ran the show, leading the team in expected goals (1.4), shots on target (five), touches in the box (eight) and big chances (four).
Fonseca shrugs off talk of rift with Milan duo
Paulo Fonseca was quick to dismiss talk of any tension with Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, who both appeared to snub him shortly after coming off the bench.
The pair came off the bench to help earn a 2-2 draw with Lazio on Saturday, being brought on in a quadruple change by Fonseca after being left out of the starting line-up.
Milan were losing 2-1 at the time of their introduction, and they immediately turned things around, with Hernandez and debutant Tammy Abraham, another substitute, involved in Leao's equaliser.
Minutes later, the game stopped for a cooling break, with both managers using the opportunity to instruct their players, but both Leao and Hernandez remained on the far side of the pitch, taking no part in the team talk.
"The situation with Theo and Leao, there is no problem and I think Theo has already explained," Fonseca told DAZN.
"We don't need to create any problems. This week I spoke with the players and they accepted my decision. There is no problem, I was concentrated, and I didn't see that they weren't there."
Hernandez had already given his reasons immediately after the game.
"We had been on for two minutes, we didn't need the cooling break," Hernandez said.
"It was nothing against the team and the coach. Then people talk, say things that aren't true. Rafa and I are always with the team to help, and that is the important thing."
Milan are still without a league win this season after three games, but Fonseca says he saw a decent performance in the opening half, giving him something to work on.
"We had a good first half. We always managed the game well with the ball. When you control the game like this, we have to have more moments to become dangerous, but it's something we have to work on," Fonseca told Milan TV.
"We must always have the courage we had in the first half because we did good things. If we had won the other two games, this could have been a good result, but it is not so. But we have to start from today's first half."
Brentford 3-1 Southampton: Bees begin life after Toney with comfortable win
Brentford began life without Ivan Toney with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton.
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace and a Yoane Wissa goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and condemned the Saints to their third straight loss since promotion back to the Premier League.
With departed striker Toney watching in the stands after his move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the hosts proved too strong for Russell Martin’s men. They created the superior chances and capitalised on an error-strewn performance from Southampton’s backline.
Mbeumo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead halfway through the second period and Wissa then got on the scoresheet moments later to continue Brentford’s strong start to the campaign. Yukinari Sugawara bagged a consolation in injury time for the Saints.
Brentford sit in fifth place ahead of the first international break, while Southampton are second-bottom of the league table with zero points.
Data debrief: Wissa continues to prove effective at home
Wissa now has five goals and two assists in his last seven matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have recorded consecutive home league wins for the first time since last November, and the first time in their opening home games since August 2018.
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