Stockport boss Dave Challinor always believed his side would be fighting for promotion as the Hatters prepare to face Carlisle in the Sky Bet League Two play-off final. County are bidding to make it back-to-back promotions on Sunday and booked their place at Wembley after coming from behind to beat Salford 3-1 on penalties after the two sides were locked at 2-2 on aggregate after extra time over two legs. Challinor took over at Edgeley Park in November 2021, just five months after he guided Hartlepool into League Two and the County boss repeated that feat with his current club – this time finding himself one game away from his first English Football League promotion. The 47-year-old admitted they suffered a poor start to the season but never stopped believing he could guide the club to successive promotions. He told a press conference: “The start of this season was tough but we have got over that and we have built. “Now it’s come up to this point where we have to back ourselves and we all hoped of having the shot of getting into League One because that was our ambition at the start of the season. “It was a big ambition some would say, now we have the opportunity to take it. Promotion was always the plan, the hope, the ambition and that’s the big thing.” Stockport ended the season unbeaten in 13 games but narrowly missed out on the automatic promotion places, finishing just four points behind Northampton in third place. Challinor admits the Wembley stage is a far different atmosphere to many that greet his players on the pitch on a weekly basis in the fourth tier, as around 40,000 fans are expected to descend onto Wembley Way. He continued: “You can have an impact in front of 10,000 at Edgeley Park, a bigger impact elsewhere in front of 2,000, it’s going to be difficult in front of the Wembley crowd. “What we do everyday on the grass outside gives us bigger belief and trust that the players are good enough and that’s not going to stop me from wanting to kick a bottle or an advertising board. “We are in a really strong situation, the fact we have got two players in (Antoni) Sarcevic and (Chris) Hussey that have played in a play-off final, so in terms of that, they can pass on completely different feelings and emotions, and we need to use those experiences in a positive way.” Striker Paddy Madden has scored 10 league goals this season so far, and was also a part of the side which won promotion to League Two last year. The 33-year-old made the switch to non-league from League One Fleetwood in the 20-21 season, and Madden insists his move was always based around the vision of the football club when many thought it was for financial reasons only. He said: “At the time there were a lot of eyebrows raised about dropping down the leagues but I knew what kind of plans were in place here. “I had the chance to watch a couple of game at Edgeley Park, heard the atmosphere and that played a massive part in me coming here because I knew how well the team was followed. “We always backed ourselves that we would get into a good position, we are annoyed with ourselves that we did not get top three but at the same time getting promoted through the play-offs is better.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Javier Tebas wants LaLiga to have power to eradicate racism in Spanish football Jason Roy looks Los Angeles-bound but says ‘I never will walk away from England’ Callum Smith’s ‘excited’ about his Canada bout

SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2023--

Social media users warned Amy Slaton to not take the haunted dolls near her children as it could probably be bad for them

An American caver has been rescued by emergency workers near Anamur, in southern Turkey, after he became stranded hundreds of meters underground earlier this month.

Tottenham hosts Liverpool in the marquee game of the seventh round of the Premier League, a match between two sides who are unbeaten in the league so far and are both hoping to underline their status as top-four challengers following a disappointing last season

A Florida man who was exonerated after serving more than 16 years for a crime he did not commit was shot and killed by a deputy in Georgia during a traffic stop, according to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

Sixteen fake electors who signed certificates falsely claiming President Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2020 election have been charged with crimes, state Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday.

She's one of the most celebrated actors of her generation, but Cate Blanchett wants to branch out even more into other filmmaking pursuits.

NEW YORK The founder and a former executive of college financial aid startup Frank pleaded not guilty on

Four-time champion Draymond Green will stay with Golden State while reigning NBA champion Denver lost guard Bruce Brown to Indiana according to multiple reports as...

Germany’s investor outlook improved for a fourth month, signaling hope that Europe’s biggest economy may be stabilizing as

Mia Khalifa has issued some advice for women in unhealthy relationships while jokingly comparing herself to Tom Brady. It all started when Khalifa stitched a TikTok speaking about "cool girl engagement rings." In response, the 30-year-old said: "That's not a thing. Everyone knows the real cool girls get divorced before 30." One follower agreed with Khalifa, writing "FACTS. Married at 18, divorced at 20." Khalifa replied: "Girl don't know I'm Tom Brady in this game." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter She went on to candidly share her relationship history, having been married twice and engaged three times. "Married at 18, divorced at 21. Second marriage: married at 25, divorced at 28. Third engagement: engaged at 29, ended it at 30, but I kept the ring and still keep Tom Brady on his toes," she joked. @miakhalifa Replying to @Nikki Jones im thanos out here collecting soul stones The former adult star said women "shouldn't be afraid to leave these men," adding: "We are not stuck with these people." "Marriage is not a prudish thing, it's paperwork. It's a commitment you make to someone, but if you feel like you're not getting anything out of that commitment and you're trying, you have to leave. You have to go," she continued. "I know it's hard to fill out paperwork and schedule appointments and do all this stuff. "But this is your f***ing life, do you want to be stuck with someone? Period." The clip, which racked up almost two million views, was soon inundated with hundreds of comments. "You have been my Ted talk for today. Thank you for your service," one person joked, while another praised Khalifa's "realness." Meanwhile, a third added: "I love this! Keep Tom Brady on his toes! Get it gal." Inevitably, trolls weren't far behind. Over on Twitter, one person wrote: "Mia Khalifa, a pornographer, is giving advice regarding the nature marriage as not sacred, but transactional, and that you just leave your husband whenever you feel like it." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.