‘We could be a team of losers’
Manager’s fury as Stanley ship six goals in a week:
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman says his side could become a team of losers if they are not careful.
The Reds have suffered back-to-back defeats, with Saturday’s 3-2 loss at home to Morecambe followed up with a 3-0 defeat to Crewe in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.
While it may have only been an EFL Trophy match on Tuesday, Coleman was still furious with what he saw.
“I’m annoyed. We’ve put out a team that can be competitive but lost. If we’re not careful we’ll become a team of losers and a soft touch,” he told the club’s official website.
“We’ve had harsh words in the dressing room and we need to work this week to get ourselves prepared to be mentally right, let alone physically right, for a massive game on Saturday.
“There was nothing in the game in the first half and it was two teams who were feeling their way in, but then in the second half we’ve gifted them a goal just like we did on Saturday.
“It was painful to watch sometimes. We were taking extra touches when we shouldn’t have, not shooting when we should have, and we couldn’t defend properly.”
The defending aspect is something that has frustrated Coleman, and he hopes things will be resolved immediately.
“They’ve had three shots on our goal and they’ve all gone in. It was reminiscent of last year and that’s got to stop,” he said.
“We’ve conceded six in a week at home so that needs to change.”
While there were plenty of disappointing factors in the game for Coleman, he did praise the performance of 17-year-old Ross Sykes.
“He was the best player on the pitch and didn’t deserve to be on a losing side,” he said.
Accrington will now hope that they can return to winning ways when they travel to Carlisle United on Saturday.
Stanley needed a solid start in the second half, but it was the worst possible one
ACCRINGTON Stanley threw away a two-goal lead on Saturday as Morecambe came from behind to take all three points at the Wham Stadium.
Two goals from Billy Kee had put Stanley 2-0 up after 34 minutes, before Mark Hughes was shown a red card for the hosts later in the half.
Morecambe pulled a goal back through Cole Stockton just before the interval, while Kevin Ellison levelled things up at the start of the second half.
Stockton then struck again on 57 minutes to complete the turnaround and condemn Accrington to defeat.
Shay McCartan threatened for Stanley in the opening stages, driving through the opposition defence before firing a shot narrowly wide.
Kee then went close on several occasions, before finally finding the back of the net on 26 minutes.
His shot from just outside the box deflected past Barry Roche to earn Kee his first goal of the season.
Just like the saying goes, when you wait for one then two come along at once, as Kee struck again moments later to double his side’s lead.
It came in strange circumstances, as John O’Sullivan’s cross into the box seemed to hit the striker without him realising and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Controversy struck moments later though as they were reduced to ten men when referee Michael Jones showed a straight red card to Hughes.
The defender appeared to bring down Stockton just outside the box, forcing Jones to send him off.
Morecambe managed to make their extra man count just before halftime when Stockton got on the end of a Michael Rose cross and directed an effort past Elliot Parish to reduce the deficit.
Stanley needed a solid start in the second half, but instead it was the worst possible one, as the Shrimps equalised on 46 minutes.
The ball found its way to Ellison in the box, who drilled home from close range to get his team on level terms.
Stanley thought they then should have had a penalty when Ryan Edwards looked to foul Matty Pearson, but the referee said no.
Morecambe then went ahead for the first time in the match when Stockton got his second of the game, cutting in from the left and scoring to make it 3-2. Accrington threw plenty of bodies forward in the closing stages as they looked for a goal, but it was to no avail. STANLEY suffered defeat in their opening EFL Trophy match after losing at home to Crewe Alexandra.
Goals from Callum Ainley, George Cooper and Daniel Udoh was enough to earn the visitors three points in the newly revamped tournament.
Both teams had chances in the first half but couldn’t take them, with the players going into the break with the scores goalless.
Crewe managed to make the breakthrough just moments into the second half though, as a cross from Charlie Kirk was
turned home by Ainley to make it 1-0.
The Reds went close moments later as Bastien Hery fired over the bar after getting on the end of a ball from Arron Davies.
Crewe managed to double their lead when Cooper broke clear of the Stanley defence before firing past Elliot Parish to make it 2-0.
It then got even worse for John Coleman’s side in the final moments when substitute Udoh scored at the near post to make it 3-0 in stoppage time.
It means that Stanley begin their EFL Trophy campaign with a defeat, leaving them bottom of Group B in the Northern Section. Up next for Accrington in the competition is a trip to Chesterfield.