Paddy Madden scored a hat-trick against Sutton for the second time this season as Stockport tightened their grip at the top of League Two with a 3-1 win.

It took the lead leaders just two minutes to go in front as Madden touched in from close range after Neill Byrne’s header hit the bar.

Sutton came close to an equaliser when Charlie Lakin’s free-kick was well saved by Ben Hinchliffe but after just failing to connect with an Odin Bailey cross, Madden doubled his tally on the half hour as he swept home Kyle Knoyle’s low cross after a quickly taken free-kick.

Sutton replied within four minutes as Josh Coley was brought down by Ibou Touray, who was booked, and Lakin smashed home the penalty.

But in first-half stoppage time, after Steve Arnold had saved well from Callum Camps, Madden – who scored a treble in County’s 8-0 win over the same opposition in December – completed another hat-trick with a fine shot in to the far top corner after Knoyle had played the ball into his path.

Sutton, who lost Lakin to injury at half-time, struggled to make an impact on the visitors in the second half.

Arnold made a fine stop to prevent Antoni Sarcevic extending Stockport’s lead as Dave Challinor’s side saw the game out comfortably to hold a four-point lead at the top of the table with games in hand on their nearest challengers.