Stockport County can dwarf Carlisle United efforts in League One: View | OneFootball

As Stockport County fans walked back down Olympic Way on the 28 May 2023, having just been beaten on penalties by Carlisle United in the League Two play-off final, the feeling was one of disappointment that an opportunity had been missed.

When County owner Mark Stott first took over the club in 2020, he made clear his ambition to lift the Hatters into the Championship within seven years, and a result on that scorching hot Sunday would have been well ahead of schedule.

That was not meant to be, and County were resigned to a second season in the fourth tier which, considering where the club had come from in recent years, was not the disaster that it may have seemed to external observers.

It would only be a year later that, looking back with hindsight, the defeat on that day could be viewed as a blessing in disguise.

It was County's first campaign back in the Football League for over a decade and, despite a difficult run of results during the re-introduction, Dave Challinor's side made a decent stab at mounting some real late pressure on the automatic promotion places.

A play-off spot was still a remarkable achievement considering the fast rise the club had taken, but dramatic late action against Salford City in the semi-final second leg left a feeling around the club that a magical end may be in store.

A tough battle ensued in the capital, with both sides going blow for blow and taking what was a very even game to penalties.

In the end, the sides would only be separated by a single spot kick, with both sets of fans respectfully agreeing on what a hard-fought contest they had just been a part of following the game. It was a deflating end to a thrilling season in SK3, but may well have been a necessary evil.

Defeat may have been a blessing in disguise

Carlisle had a rough introduction to the third tier, failing to pick up a win in their first five league outings. It would set the tone for a difficult campaign, where the Blues would go on to pick up just a handful of wins and be comfortably relegated with four games of the 2023/24 season still to play.

It was a wake-up call at Brunton Park and a signal that they were perhaps unprepared for the jump-up earned in that May bout at Wembley and was a steep learning curve for a club that had been without a promotion in almost a decade.

Such a stark example will surely be taken on board by those at Edgeley Park, who are set to walk the same path following their automatic promotion earned almost 12 months after play-off disappointment.

The two clubs appeared to be on a very similar level during that bout in May 2023, so there is no guarantee that the Hatters would have fared any better in a League One contest had they won out over the Blues.

It will be a tough test for the Hatters, but the defeat allowed time to develop

The extra year in the fourth tier has visibly given the County squad ample time to develop and consolidate, becoming one of the strongest teams in League Two and looking much more prepared for the next step.

Young defender Ethan Pye emerged as a key component of the Hatters' defence during the 2023/24 campaign, having been signed from Rochdale's development squad as an 18-year-old in 2021, and followed that up with successful spells on loan at Spennymoor and Gateshead.

There was then also the blockbuster signing of midfield maestro Nick Powell, whose technical ability in the creative core of the team is a level well above the fourth tier and, aged just 30 as County's League One campaign begins, is well-placed to tackle the third tier challenge.

Then there is the attacking revelation that is Tanto Olaofe, who managed just three goals in the latter half of last season, having arrived at Edgeley Park in January 2023. He hit the ground running the following season, breaking the 20-goal mark despite facing brief spells as a substitute.

Together, the trio demonstrates an increase in quality that has only been made possible through the additional year in League Two, not to mention the fact that the rest of the squad has had another 12 months to strengthen as a group. It likely would have been a different story had County catapulted into the third tier last year.

It gives County a much more solid base heading into what is guaranteed to be a tough season at the highest level the Hatters have competed at for a generation and allows those at Edgeley Park to cherry-pick areas to improve with new signings rather than needing wholesale changes that may have been required with a double promotion.

The preparations that have taken place in the year following that heartbreaking defeat mean that County will arrive in League One with a much better chance of success than Carlisle boasted. Those who walked away from Wembley disappointed in May 2023 may well look back on the defeat with a newfound fondness.