Stanley punish
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO MATTHEW GREGORY
ACCRINGTON Stanley made the most of a nightmare debut for Chesterfield keeper Aaron Ramsdale, romping to a comfortable 4-0 victory on Saturday which pushed them back into the playoff places.
After a slow start, Stanley scored from the first meaningful attack of the match. Kayden Jackson picked up a short corner on the right side of the Chesterfield penalty area and produced a delightful turn to beat two defenders before squaring for Mark Hughes to lash the ball in to the roof of the net.
Struggling Chesterfield, whose owners are in the process of selling the club, had failed to win in their previous five games but gave the Accrington defence plenty to think about in the first half, with debutant Josh Kay looking especially dangerous, rifling a fierce twenty-yard strike narrowly over the crossbar.
It was Accrington who scored again, however, thanks to a stunning goal from Sean McConville after 32 minutes – the winger finding room at the edge of the D to send a glorious curling effort into the top right corner for his eighth goal of the season.
Accrington could have extended their lead through Jordan Clark, the midfielder first deftly flicking the ball over the head of Jerome BinnomWilliams before sending a half-volley just wide, and then later shooting wide again from the edge of the area following a quick counterattack.
Chesterfield continued to threaten before halftime, Kay again going close with an angled drive that flashed wide of the far post, but the game was effectively ended just two minutes into the second half after a calamitous mistake by the visitors’ new goalkeeper Ramsdale.
Jackson put in a speculative low cross from the right wing and Ramsdale, under no pressure, somehow allowed the ball to squirm beneath his body and in at the near post as his horrified defence looked on.
Shortly after that, Accrington gave a debut to new signing Jimmy Dunne, the Irishman making his first football league appearance after signing on loan from Barrow, replacing Janoi Donacien in defence.
Despite the setback, Josh Kay continued to provide Chesterfield with an attacking outlet, stinging the palms of Aaron Chapman in the Accrington goal with a ferocious long-range effort, and Chapman ensured a clean sheet with ten minutes left on the clock thanks to a fine double save – parrying away a long shot from Jack McCourt before reacting quickly to smother the ball at the feet of Zavon Hines.
Stanley added a fourth late on thanks to another goalkeeping error.
Liam Nolan picked up a loose ball on the right of the Chesterfield area and passed it into Mekhi McLeod, whose scuffed effort should have been claimed by Ramsdale - but the keeper capped a debut to forget by spilling the ball into the path of the onrushing Billy Kee who tapped in to complete the rout.
The result moves John Coleman’s side up into fourth, just one point behind third-placed Coventry City and with a game in hand over the Sky Blues – although just three points separate third and tenth.
Stanley’s next fixture sees them travelling to mid-table Cheltenham Town on Saturday looking for a third successive win – an impressive turnaround after losing their previous four matches in a row.