Two in-form teams collide at Edgeley Park on Saturday, as League Two climbers Stockport County take on table-toppers Leyton Orient.
The hosts recorded their sixth win in their last seven games last weekend, as they beat struggling Newport County away from home, while the visitors stretched their lead to three points at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Harrogate Town.
Match preview
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Following their return to the Football League last season after 11 years away, Stockport County were actually one of the favourites to secure back-to-back promotions before the campaign began, as the investment of local businessmen Mark Stott wiped the club's debts and provided a much-needed injection of funds into the Greater Manchester side.
Able to retain star striker Paddy Madden following a 23-goal season in the National League, the Hatters also brought in 19-goal forward Kyle Wootton, as well as defensive reinforcements in the shape of Joe Lewis and Chris Hussey, on a combination of free transfers and one £50,000 fee.
After a slow start to the campaign, with just one win in their opening six, Dave Challinor's side have really started to pick up in recent weeks, recording four wins and a draw in their last five league outings.
Madden and Wootton were key to those victories, with three and two goals respectively, as the former volleyed home a 73rd-minute winner against Newport last time out.
A return to Edgeley Park here, where they have only lost twice this season, could be a key factor as they welcome the league leaders for a tantalising tie this weekend.
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The visitors are enjoying a similar run of form, recording four wins in their last five to stretch out an important three-point advantage over Stevenage at the top of the League Two standings.
Perhaps more significantly, as Paul Smyth and George Moncur wrapped up another win last time out at Harrogate, the O's opened up a nine-point gap between themselves and Bradford in fourth, leaving Richie Wellens's men in good shape in the race for automatic promotion.
Following a record-breaking start to the season, as the capital side racked up nine wins from a possible ten, a few unexpected results have started to creep in, as Orient lost at home to strugglers Newport before falling to a flat 2-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon two Matchdays ago.
Nonetheless, with Northern Irishman Smyth in fine form, glancing home a header from a corner last weekend, the O's will feel confident that their free-scoring forwards can take them one step closer to the third tier of English football for the first time in eight years.
Team News
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The hosts are still without on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, as the Czech Under-21 international continues to recover from an ankle injury.
Otherwise, Challinor has a relatively healthy squad to choose from, as Myles Hippolyte and Macauley Southam will look to provide the width from wing-back.
For the visitors, both Anthony Georgiou (hamstring) and Dan Nkrumah (knee) should miss this important trip.
Out-of-form striker Charlie Kelman will continue in front of Smyth, Moncur and the creative Theo Archibald, who has registered four assists so far this campaign.
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Hinchliffe; Hippolyte, Hussey, Horsfall, Wright, Southam; Sarcevic, Croasdale, Collar; Wootton, Madden
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Hunt, Happe, Beckles, Brown; El Mizouni, Pratley, Smyth, Moncur, Archibald; Kelman
We say: Stockport County 2-2 Leyton Orient
This should be a fast and frantic game between two of the league's most in-form sides, so we are expecting goals here in a high-quality encounter.
While we are predicting a draw, there is always the chance that a moment of magic from either Paddy Madden or Paul Smyth could tip the tie each way.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
