Cambridge United v Accrington Stanley

Today’s Opposition
accrington stanley
FOUNDED: 1968 | NICKNAME: STANLEY/ACCY | STADIUM: WHAM STADIUM | LAST SEASON: 11TH
Stanley arrive at the
Abbey Stadium this
afternoon having made
the 200-mile trip down
the country in hope of
maintaining their two
game winning run – after
previously going six
games without one prior
to their 2-0 win over
Oxford United a week and
a half ago.
Having seen off Oxford United
before comfortably beating
relegation threatened Crewe
Alexandra at the Wham Stadium
last weekend, John Coleman’s
men will be aiming to replicate
the same early season form that
saw Accy sit in the League One
play-offs after four games – after
winning three in three following
an opening day defeat at
Wycombe.
John O’Sullivan was on hand to
score his first of the season and
the opener in Accrington’s win
over Oxford a week and a half
ago – firing in from the edge of
the area – before Ethan Hamilton
wrapped up the three points
and Accy’s first win of 2022 in
additional time, while in turn
condemning Karl Robinson’s
side to their first defeat in four
matches.
John Coleman’s men stand in
good stead to improve on their
11th placed finish last season after
comfortably seeing off Crewe
Alex in their last outing. Ross
Sykes’ brace either side of the
half-time whistle, coupled with
goals from Tommy Leigh and Sean
McConville saw Accy move up to
12th; sitting just five points shy of
9th placed Ipswich Town.
August’s reverse clash at the
Wham Stadium, the clubs’ first
meeting in three years, saw Accy
pick up their first League One win
of the campaign after racing in to
a 2-0 goal lead after half an hour.
Despite a much improved second
half from Mark Bonner’s men,
which saw striker Joe Ironside half
the deficit with ten minutes to
play, United were unable to muster
up a comeback.
Fans may remember Mark Angel,
Darren Quinton and Darren
Bridges all scoring in a dominant
Cambridge United opening 45
back in 2005, when United ran out
3-1 winners over an Accrington
side that would go onto the be
crowned Conference National
champions later that season.
That win in August 2005 proved to
be one of only two wins for the U’s
over Saturday’s visitors since the
turn of the century, with United’s
only other win coming in an
action packed clash at the Abbey
Stadium in 2016, whereby two red
cards and two Will Norris penalty
saves in additional time saw Shaun
Derry’s U’s hold on for a 2-1 win in
League Two.
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