Stockport County vs Stevenage Prediction & Betting Tips 13.05.2026

Stockport County welcome Stevenage to Edgeley Park on Wednesday evening, 13 May 2026, in the second leg of their League One play-off tie. It’s the sort of night that usually strips football down to the bare essentials. One team goes on, one team’s season ends. Stockport arrive with the advantage after Ben Osborn’s stoppage-time goal gave them a 1-0 win in the first leg at Stevenage, and that late strike has changed the mood around the tie completely.

For David Challinor’s side, the job is straightforward but not simple: protect the lead, stay organised and avoid the kind of chaos that can ruin a play-off night in a hurry. Stevenage, managed by Alex Revell, need a result and, by extension, a more aggressive approach than they showed in the first leg. They’ve already shown they can make life awkward for Stockport this season. They’ve also lost the last meeting. That tension is exactly what makes this one feel tight, nervy and ripe for goals at both ends.

The context matters. This isn’t a league game with points to trade. It’s survival and progression. Stockport know that one clean, controlled performance gets them to the next round, while Stevenage have to find a way through a home defence that’s looked vulnerable at times but has also just shut them out when it mattered most. The numbers point towards a competitive evening, not a cagey procession.

Stockport County Form & Analysis

Stockport’s recent run has had a bit of everything. They went to Stevenage on 9 May and nicked a 1-0 win with Ben Osborn striking in the 90+4th minute, then travelled to Barnsley a week earlier and won 3-1, which was a proper statement away performance. Before that, though, the picture was less tidy. Port Vale came to Edgeley Park and left with a 2-1 win, Peterborough were beaten 3-1 at home, Mansfield edged a 1-0 result in Stockport, and Exeter shared a wild 3-3 draw with them down on the south coast. That’s a pretty honest reflection of this team: dangerous going forward, but far from bulletproof.

At home, the record is mixed rather than commanding. Stockport have won 7, drawn 8 and lost 4 at their ground this season, scoring 22 and conceding 19 there. Those numbers tell you they’ve usually had enough about them to stay in games, but they haven’t exactly turned Edgeley Park into a fortress. The attacking side of it is clear enough. They’ve got goals in them, and in the play-off first leg they created the bigger chances despite the match looking fairly even on shots. Big chances were 2-0 in Stockport’s favour, and that late finish was no fluke.

Defensively, though, there’s a reason Stevenage will keep believing. Stockport have conceded in plenty of their recent games, and the home record is hardly spotless. That’s the tension in their profile: they can hurt teams, but they give opponents a route back in. In a knockout tie, that matters. One sloppy moment and the whole evening changes. Challinor will want control, but Stockport haven’t always given him that luxury.

Stevenage Form & Analysis

Stevenage’s last few weeks have been a mixed bag, and the first leg won’t have improved the mood. They lost 1-0 at home to Stockport on 9 May, conceding deep into stoppage time after what had been a fairly tight evening. Before that, they beat Wigan Athletic 1-0 at home on 2 May, which was a solid response to a 1-1 draw away at Doncaster Rovers. Barnsley were beaten 1-0 at Stevenage too, while Lincoln left with a 2-2 draw and Bolton crushed them 5-1 away. It’s a sequence with some grit in it, but also some glaring problems when the pressure rises.

Their away record is the obvious concern. Stevenage have won 5, drawn 9 and lost 9 on the road, scoring 19 and conceding 32. That’s not a set of numbers that screams reliability in a play-off second leg. They don’t travel especially well, and the goals against figure is the loudest part of the story. You can survive on the road if you’re compact and clinical. Stevenage have been neither often enough away from home. They’ve been in plenty of matches, but not always on their terms.

Still, they’re not without a path here. They’ve shown they can keep games close, and their recent run includes low-scoring results against Wigan and Barnsley, plus that draw at Doncaster. Revell’s side are capable of frustrating teams for long spells. The problem is what happens when they’re forced to chase. That 5-1 loss at Bolton was a reminder that once Stevenage lose shape, they can unravel fast. If they go behind at Edgeley Park, the tie opens up in a way they really won’t want.

Mind you, they don’t need to dominate to land a goal. They only need one to drag Stockport into a more uncomfortable place. Their first-leg performance was controlled enough in patches, and they’ll feel they can create something if the game stays alive into the second half. Can they defend their own box well enough at the other end? That’s the real question.

Head-to-Head

This fixture has had a proper pattern to it this season. Stockport won the most recent meeting 1-0 in Stevenage on 9 May, and that result carried real weight because it came after Stevenage had beaten them 2-1 at home on 28 February. Earlier in the campaign, Stevenage also won 3-1 at Edgeley Park on 13 December 2025. So, there’s no simple home-and-away script here.

What stands out more than anything is that both sides have had their moments in this matchup, and the games haven’t been dead affairs. The last four meetings have produced plenty of goals and plenty of tension. Stockport will like that they’ve just won the latest one, but Stevenage won’t be intimidated by the badge on the door. They’ve already taken points and wins off them. That counts for something.

We Predict: Both Teams To Score

We’re backing Both Teams To Score at 10/11 here. Our Bet365 live streaming page is a useful companion here because it covers Bet365 live streaming if you like to pair match coverage with in-play betting. It’s the cleanest angle in a tie that already feels finely balanced despite Stockport’s 1-0 first-leg lead. The xG projection leans towards a game with chances at both ends, with Stockport at 1.7 and Stevenage at 1.3, and the first leg backed that up neatly enough: both teams had two shots on target, Stockport edged big chances 2-0, and Stevenage were never far away from landing a punch of their own.

The other thing to remember is that both defences have given up chances throughout the run-in. Stockport have been involved in scorelines like 3-3 and 3-1, while Stevenage’s away record is littered with goals against. A 2-1 Stockport win feels the most natural call, with the hosts just having a bit more edge in the final third and Stevenage needing to commit men forward. That should leave openings. If you want a slightly bigger price, over 2.5 goals has some appeal too, but BTTS looks the safer route.