Ash Hunter scored his first Accrington Stanley goal but the Reds were undone by two quickfire Stockport County goals in their opening Group A game in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, eventually losing 4-1.

Summer signing Hunter gave the Reds an early lead but League One leaders County took control thanks to a Jack Stretton double in the first half.

The Reds battled to get back in the game but Stockport made it safe on 82 minutes through Callum Camps and finished the scoring in added time with an unstoppeable shot from Louie Barry.

Stanley boss John Doolan made nine changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Colchester on Saturday, with Zach Awe and Donald Love the two who kept their places.

There were full Stanley debuts for Hunter, Billy Crellin and Jake Batty.

Stanley opened the scoring on seven minutes when Alex Henderson found Hunter on the left of the area and he took a touch, made space for himself and then fired the ball low into the net.

The Reds kept pressing and had a couple of efforts without testing Ben Hinchliffe while Stanley’s new look defence contained Stockport.

That was until the 33rd minute when County equalised. A cross was cleared to Stretton on the edge of the area and his fierce strike gave Everton loan keeper Crellin no chance.

It was quickly two on 35 minutes when Odin Bailey’s cross found Stretton unmarked six yards out and he had the easy task to fire home his second.

Josh Woods rifled a shot over the bar at one end while Jack Diamond was off-target at the other.

Seb Quirk and Connor O’Brien came on for the second half while double scorer Stretton went off for County.

Stanley started off on the front foot, putting the pressure on the Hatters defence and, while the game was hotly-contested, both sides struggled to make clear-cut chances.

Lewis Trickett came on for the final 12 minutes, his first appearance this season, but it was Stockport who struck on the break to ensure they took the win.

Louie Barry’s initial shot was palmed out by Crellin but it fell into the path of Camps who dived low to head home eight minutes from time.

Dara Costelloe almost got one back in the 89th minute but he was denied by Hinchliffe before Barry finished superbly, firing into the far corner from the left of the area, in the first minute of added time.

Stanley: Crellin, Patrick (O’Brien), Awe, Love (Quirk), Batty, B Woods, Khumbeni, J Woods, Henderson, Hunter (Trickett), Costelloe

Subs: Kelly, Rawson, Knowles, Popoola

Yellow: B Woods, J Woods