Reds turn corner
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman hopes his side have now turned a corner after ending their four-match losing streak with a 3-0 win at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
Goals from San Finley, Sean McConville and Jordan Clark earned the Reds all three points away from home and ended their poor run of form.
The win saw Accrington climb back into the top half of the League One table and spend Chirstmas in 10th position, and Coleman was glad to finally have a positive outcome to a game heading into Boxing Day’s clash against Shrewsbury.
“I was delighted with them. I am delighted that they got a reward for all their hard work that they have been putting in for the last month,” he said.
“We have gone seven games without winning and we have been playing quite well in that spell, we just haven’t been able to put the ball in the net.
“I am delighted they have got the reward and the ball has eventually gone into the net for them. But I have got to take my hat off to Plymouth as well, they have made an entertaining game.
I think it was a great advert for League One football, with some wonderful passing, dribbling, shots, saves, blocks and wholehearted passion.
“It wasn’t just Accrington that were on the pitch, Plymouth were there as well and our goalkeeper has made a couple of really good saves, including a block on the line straight after half-time when they ramped up the pressure. The game was always going to be decided by the opening goal and thankfully we got it.
It will boost morale. We didn’t train last Thursday because we decided that we would be better off talking it through with the players. “We sat down and had a very frank and open discussion and we heard what the players had to think and then we gave them our thoughts as well.
“We said that we had to reset, we had to refocus and we had to come up with a way of winning games because our form in the last seven games has been quite good, we just haven’t been able to convert it into results.”
Stanley were attempting to build on that performance when they were in action as the Express went to print on Boxing Day, with the side taking on Shrewsbury at home.
Shrewsbury had endured a difficult start to the campaign, but after sacking John Askey as manager, they have slightly improved in recent weeks, losing just one of their last four games to leave them in 15th position.
A win for Shrewsbury in the game would see them leapfrog Stanley in the table, while Accrington could climb as high as eighth if they are victorious and other results go their way.