Hard work pays off for super Stanley

ACCRINGTON STANLEY boss John Coleman was elated with his side as they ended a four-match losing streak at Plymouth.

Coleman said: “I was delighted they got the reward for all the hard work they have been putting in over the last month.

“But I have to take my hat off to Plymouth as they made it an entertaining game.

“It was a great advert for League One, some wonderful passing, dribbling, shots, blocks, saves, whole-hearted passion.

“It wasn’t just Accrington that were on the pitch today, Plymouth were there as well.

“We know we are in for two difficult games over the Christmas period. That is what the players love and I love being involved in these games.”

Argyle boss Derek Adams rued his side’s missed opportunities. He said: “It wasn’t the scoreline everybody wanted. We have had a lot of good opportunities in the game and haven’t taken them. Accrington have been more clinical than us.

“We had a number of good opportunities in the first half and we should have been ahead in the game.

“Then in the second half they get a goal out of nothing and we are on the back foot after that.

“We still created opportunities but at this moment in time we are not taking them and we are leaking goals at the back.

“Everybody has got to take the blame because if we are not scoring going forward then it puts pressure on the back line and that’s what’s happening at this moment in time.”

Argyle started the game on the front foot, as Stanley keeper Connor Ripley had to use his feet to clear Freddie Ladapo’s goalbound shot in the fourth minute.

However, it was Accrington’s Sean McConville who went closest to scoring in the first half with a thumping effort that came off the underside of the bar. The visitors took control of the match after the break, with Sam Finley heading the opener in the 60th minute, latching on to a cross from Jordan Clark, which was flicked on by Billy Kee. Within five minutes it was 2-0 as Sean McConville cut in from the left and fired in off the post.

Kee fired just wide after 72 minutes as Stanley went in search of a third, and that wasn’t long in coming, as Clark went solo in the 77th minute to make it 3-0.