Brave Reds’ stylish play is so easy on the eye
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman feels his players are playing the type of football that would impress any supporter as they prepare to face Sunderland on Saturday.
The Reds welcome Sunderland to the Wham Stadium, looking to build on the form that has seen them pick up 4 points from their last two league matches, including a 3-3 draw at Bristol Rovers last weekend.
Coleman doesn’t see the clash with Sunderland as being any bigger than their other League One clashes, and has also praised his players for their effort and their style of play.
“Every game we play in this league is a big game for us but what can I say for our lads is that they will never be questioned for their effort,” he told the club’s official website.
“We showed last week that we’ve got some unbelievably talented players and are capable of playing some football that people will come to watch. I’d like to watch that if I was a fan.
“We’ve got a great set of lads. We brought three lads in on deadline day, and Jerome Opoku came on and made his debut in difficult circumstances last weekend.
“He looked a bit shaky for the first minute and the first challenge he made, but then he grew into the game and he was a colossus then.
“We had to make some big decisions against Bristol Rovers. Callum Johnson was getting forward down the right and doing really well, but we thought that if we got a bit more solidity at the back then we could counter on them and we did and we continued to do that.
“The tempting thing would be to take a striker off and settle for what you’ve got, it’s 2-2 and I believed that we could hurt them with our forwards and Dion Charles was causing them problems and we were brave and kept two up front and I think it paid off for us.
“I was really proud with the way our boys played, we could’ve defended better but it was a terrific advert for League One football.
“There was no malice, no bad challenges, no nastiness, just wholehearted players wanting to win the game. If we can play like that for the best part of the season then we’ll be okay.”
Stanley are in 19th position ahead of this weekend’s match having won one drawn two and lost three matches this season, with opponents Sunderland in eighth place, one point adrift from the playoff places.
They did suffer a defeat in their last league match, after losing 3-0 at Peterborough.
Marcus Maddison scored twice and Josh Knight also netted, while Luke O’Nien and Charlie Wyke were sent off for Sunderland.