20 MATCHES UNDEFEATED IS JJ'S GOAL

STOCKPORT County may be unbeaten in 18 matches, but defender James Jennings knows it will count for nothing if they don’t complete their long-awaited Football League return.

- David Richardson

The Hatters are gunning for a perfect 20 to seal promotion through the play-offs, starting today at home to Hartlepool United.

Their incredible form under manager Simon Rusk took them into the title race until three consecutive draws ended their bid.

But it meant they secured third place and a direct route in the semi-finals to be two games away from ending their ten-year EFL absence.

“The last game of the season at Yeovil seems ages ago now but we’ve been planning and preparing,” Jennings told The NLP. “We’ll have had 15 days by the time we play Hartlepool which has given us time to reflect and rest as well.

“We had the opportunity of watching them beat Bromley to see what we’re coming up against. We’ve had a good run. There’s probably been a few too many draws in there for what we’d have liked but it’s something we’ve worked hard at and we want to make sure it’s 20. We want to achieve something at the end of it.”