Stanley Stutter to Victory

Saturday 7th October 2023: League 2: Wham Stadium: Accrington Stanley vs Forest Green Rovers

To many people missing out on tickets to watch your team at Old Trafford would be a huge disappointment, but I chose to see it as a huge opportunity instead.

I decided to use this opportunity to dive deep into the Lancashire valleys and explore a team that has left an indelible mark on the English psyche, Accrington Stanley.

They have always been a team I’ve wanted to see in action and when I’ve imagined that day it has always ended in a Stanley victory. So I figured the visit of 2nd from bottom Forest Green Rovers would be a good game to choose.

The Green had a paltry 2 wins to their name from their 11 games this season and the last of those was over Sutton, the only team below them in the table, all the way back on September the 2nd. They have also managed just 10 goals in the league all season, to Accrington’s 15, so I figured the chances of them spoiling today’s script was minimal.

It was the visitors who got us underway, but it would be a full five minutes before Stanley let them have another touch.

The ‘Owd Reds ran their opponents ragged early doors, with Jack Nolan finding the going particularly easy out on the right. It was through Nolan’s mastery of this wing that Stanley took the lead in the 18th minute.

He tied his marker in knots to win a free kick and when this was quickly fed to him in space he whipped the ball into the centre for Josh Andrews to fire home past James Belshaw between the Rovers posts. The home defence melted away as the cross came in and Andrews will rarely have had an easier finish.

Rovers initially responded well to going behind but, after a 5 minute renaissance, they were quickly on the back foot again.

Matt Lowe was next to go close for the hosts, after Nolan fed him the ball, but his piledriver from close range was expertly directed over the top by Belshaw’s legs.

Belshaw was by far the busiest of the visitor’s players throughout the half but he was not called into action when Shaun Whalley contrived to balloon the ball over from 15 yards out, when intricate interplay between Nolan and Lowe had delivered it to him in acres of space.

There was precious little in the first 45 to excite the few hundred fans that had travelled the 176 miles north hoping to see their heroes reignite their season with a much needed victory. They barely threatened to break through the Accrington back line once, let alone came close to actually doing so.

A double substitution at the break seems to be just the ticket to re-invigorate the visitors though as they came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half. Till Stanley administered the sucker punch that was..

On their first attack of the half they were heading down a blind alley on the right. The covering Rovers defender decided to commit to an utterly unnecessary body check to concede a needless free-kick.

The hosts took full advantage of this gift by whipping it into the mixer, where Josh Andrews rose highest to nod home his second of the night to double Accrington’s lead just 6 minutes into the half.

Troy Deeney should have pulled The Green level 3 minutes earlier though when he directed his free header wide of the left stick from just 12 yards out.

Coming so close to an early equaliser galvanised Rovers and despite quickly seeing their deficit double they threw everything they had at their hosts to try and salvage at least a point from proceedings.

Despite creating many tempting openings throughout the second half they were unable to score without serious home help, which they only received once and by then it was far too late to affect the outcome.

So Andrews first ever league brace proved enough to condemn Rovers to a club record 6th straight defeat despite the best efforts of the man who replaced him.

Josh Woods had been on the pitch for less than 2 minutes when he chased a ball going out for a home throw, caught up with it and laid it beautifully into the stride of Fankaty Dabo. Who slid it through perfectly for fellow substitute Matty Stevens to stroke home from point blank range.

Even a gift so exquisitely presented to them was not enough to launch a comeback for the southerners to draw themselves level in the 7 minutes of normal time that remained.

This defeat combined with Sutton’s huge 4-0 victory over Walsall sees Rovers sink to the bottom of the 92 on goal difference. Whilst Accrington close the gap to the playoffs to just 3 points.