Russell winner on Reds return
ACCRINGTON Stanley moved up to 10th in the Sky Bet League One table on Saturday night after a second minute goal from Chelsea loanee Jon Russell was enough to take all three points against Northampton Town at Sixfields.
It was Stanley’s first league outing in almost 4 weeks, since Covid-19 put a temporary halt to their season, but any sign of a related hangover was quashed as John Coleman’s side dominated proceedings from start to finish in what were tricky conditions in Northamptonshire.
There was a change in personnel, Harvey Rodgers replaced Ross Sykes in the starting 11, the young Centre Back took a knock leading into the game.
All the talk before the game was if the Red’s time away from playing games was to be a factor, however, the team wasted no time in showing they were very much at the races and struck before most fans had even logged on to their IFollow accounts.
The move began from a Michael Nottingham throw in deep into Stanley territory. Nottingham, filling in for the injured Sykes in the back three, played a neat one-two with Matt Butcher and sent a direct ball into the feet of Colby Bishop.
The striker couldn’t contain possession after a loose first touch but a kind deflection off a defender saw the ball find it’s way to Dion Charles, who was making his 50th appearance for Stanley.
Charles turned into the centre of the field and looked up to find Russell darting forward unopposed.
He threaded his pass through the defenders to give Russell the best part of 50 yards to run at with only Jonathan Mitchell in the Cobbler’s goal to beat.
The midfielder galloped with ease and shot low and left of an advancing Mitchell to give Stanley the perfect start to the match.
Northampton tried to hit back immediately and had Toby Savin scrambling to his right from a Sam Hoskin set piece. Luckily for Savin, who kept his place for league duty after an impressive two performances from Nathan Baxter in the last week, the ball hit the post and Rodgers was able to clear for a corner kick.
Chances for the hosts would prove to come at a premium, and at the other end Charles had a chance to double Stanley’s lead.
From a Mitchell goal kick the ball was lofted high and won in the air by Butcher.
The header dropped to Bishop who popped a ball over the top and into the feet of Charles to the left of the home sides 18-yard box.
From there, the exSouthport man was able to cut onto his right foot and shot low towards the keepers near side.
The ball hit the outside of the post and went out to safety.
It would prove to be the first of many chances for Stanley’s number 32. Who didn’t have his best day in front of goal.
His second chance came when a long ball forward from Rodgers was flicked on by Bishop, splitting the home defence with ease and giving Charles the opportunity to run at Mitchell.
The ball held up on the soggy playing surface, this allowed Cian Bolger to close the angle on Charles. Despite this, he was still able to get a well struck shot on target, but Mitchell got down well and was equal to it.
Northampton continued to offer little in the respect of chances, but Fraser Horsfall gave Stanley a warning on 40 minutes when his shot was saved by Savin to keep his side in front.
The worst was yet to come for Charles, as just before half time Butcher swung a corner in that evaded all to find an unmarked Charles at the back post.
All he had to do was meet the ball well with his head, instead his tame connection went wide from all of three yards out. Despite a host of wasted chances, Stanley had their noses in front as the whistle blew for half time.
The opening 25 minutes of the second half lacked the flow of quality football that we’d seen in the opening half, as both sides jostled in an attempt to gain control of the tie. Despite Town’s best efforts, Stanley continued to look the more dangerous and create chances.
Joe Pritchard looked in the mood to add to his tally as the half went on. Looking to get in on the action he tested Derby County loanee Mitchell twice in as many minutes. First, he tried to catch him out and sent a shot towards goal from a position that looked more suited to a cross into the box. Straight after that Mitchell tipped his free kick over the bar and out for a corner.
There was no time to rest for the young keeper and as the game approached the 70th minute Stanley thought they had found their second goal.
A Pritchard corner was met by the leaping Charles at the front of the six-yard box.
His header struck the cross bar and flew towards the turf, spinning away from an advancing Bishop who couldn’t find a touch. The Red’s appealed for a goal, but the linesman and referee judged the ball not to have crossed the line.
Stanley still had time to go close once again as a Pritchard cross was narrowly missed by a diving Bishop, but the game was to end with just a single goal and Stanley recorded their fifth win of the campaign.
Coleman was full of positivity for his young side after the match: “I’m delighted, and it should have been more. Considering our last few weeks, it’s a testament to our coaching staff that our fitness levels are so good. I thought we defended magnificently in tough conditions against a good side.”
The only criticism anyone could have of the performance was that Stanley could have been run away winners on the night, the manager understood that: “It would have been nice to get back to a positive goal difference but we’ve just got to keep going.”