Dave Challinor hailed defender Ibby Touray after he silenced his critics with a dazzling display in a 3-0 win at Forest Green that hoisted Stockport back to the top of the table.
The former Salford stalwart had faced the wrath of Hatters fans but was outstanding against the league’s basement boys, setting up one goal and tying opposite number Fankaty Dabo in knots.
Boss Challinor said: “If you asked any manager in League Two who was one of the best full-backs last season it would have been Ibby Touray and he’s not reproduced that form this year. I’ll take the blame for that in terms of the position we have asked him to play.
“His performances haven’t been consistent enough because he is a very good player. I get that this is a different animal to what he has been used to – a new environment and a new changing room – but there was some really good stuff today and let’s hope he gets a boost from that.
“It was probably as complete a [team] performance as we’ve had. To create the chances we have and the fact that they have not had a shot on goal is pleasing. We started in a manner that played the will and the fight out of them. We had control in good areas.”
Stockport dominated throughout and opened the scoring after 19 minutes when Callum Camps let fly with a 25-yard effort that soared into the top right-hand corner.
It was 2-0 in the 28th minute when Touray broke down the left and crossed for Rico Richards, who fired home.
Forest Green keeper Vicente Reyes pulled off good saves to deny Paddy Madden and Kyle Wootton before the break but was beaten again after 51 minutes when frontman Wootton got the better of his marker and squared to Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, whose shot was going wide until it hit Rovers defender Jamie Robson and flew into the net.
Disappointed Rovers boss Steve Cotterill said: “That was the toughest one to take for me since I’ve been here because whatever we could have done today, they were just better than us and they would have picked holes in it.
“The players kept going and that takes a lot of courage but with a few of them I have seen that there’s a confidence issue. It then looks like they are not trying or not getting involved in the game and that’s very difficult.
“When you look at the 90 minutes, it would be easy to go in and shout at them but that’s not what they need from me at the moment, they need supporting through this. It is very difficult for them, they are young men.”