Gritty Reds are
Accrington 1-0 Cambridge
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO STANLEY........................... 1 CAMBRIDGE .................... 0 SHELDAN KEAY
ACCRINGTON Stanley moved up to second place in the League Two table after defeating Cambridge United at the Wham Stadium.
Kayden Jackson got the only goal of the game in the second half to earn the Reds all three points and keep up their impressive run of form.
Reds boss John Coleman was pleased with the victory, and felt that his players had to dig in deep to come out on top.
“I was absolutely delighted with the result. That game called for a gritty and battling performance and we did that,” he said.
“The way the pitches go between now and the end of the season, there will be a lot of scrappy games. We spoke to the players about different ways of winning and needing to show spirit, and we certainly did that.
“We started off really well and had them on the back boot, but I’ve got to give Cambridge their due, they took the game to us and had a few chances themselves.
“It looked like it would be a toss of a coin at that point, but in the second half we battled well and were strong and physical.
“We gifted them a chance after a few minutes but Aaron Chapman got us out of jail, and then we forced them gradually back and got the goal.”
Stanley were going up against a Cambridge side that were in good form, having won their last three games since the departure of manager Shaun Derry.
Accrington started the game well, with Jordan Clark and Callum Johnson causing problems for the opposition defence, but they couldn’t find any teammates in the box after sending several dangerous crosses into the area.
Seamus Conneely then tried his luck with a halfvolley, but his attempt on goal was blocked by Gary Deegan.
Cambridge began to have chances of their own as the half progressed, and they thought they had made the breakthrough when Liam O’Neil’s header looped towards goal, but it cannoned back off the crossbar.
Aaron Chapman then had to be called into action to keep the match goalless, keeping out a low shot from Jevani Brown.
Stanley’s first real chance came just before the break when the returning Sean McConville tried his luck with a