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Accrington Stanley 2-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Saturday, 2nd Oct 2021 16:58

Accrington Stanley came from a goal down at half-time to beat under par Town 2-1 at the Wham Stadium. Macauley Bonne gave the Blues the lead in the 38th minute with his eighth goal of the season but the home side netted through Colby Bishop and Harry Pell on 50 and 79 to deservedly claim the points.

Macauley Bonne’s eighth goal of the season has given the Blues a 1-0 half-time lead over Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium.

Town boss Paul Cook named the same team which thrashed Doncaster 6-0 on Tuesday, while Kyle Edwards and Toto Nsiala returned to the 18 after injury.

On a slippery pitch following morning rain, Stanley saw most of the ball in the early minutes but on five Bersant Celina threaded a ball through for Bonne but Accrington keeper Toby Savin was out quickly to clear.

The home side continued to have most of the possession but on nine Bonne chased a ball down the middle which Savin sent straight up in the air as he sought to clear. The striker got his head on the ball as the keeper tried to punch clear but it looped well over. At the other end, home skipper Sean McConville blazed well over from outside the box.

On 15, following the Blues’ first real spell of possession of the afternoon, Wes Burns intercepted an under-hit Stanley pass midway inside their half and fed Bonne to his right but the Zimbabwean international’s shot was blocked behind for a corner.

Chances had been non-existent at both ends but on 26 Evans played a ball through for Bonne which skipped off the surface through to Savin. On a drier pitch the striker would have reached it before the keeper.

The game continued in the same pattern with both sides having spells on the ball but without finding a way into the final third.

However, in the 38th minute, the Blues went ahead via the only serious chance of the first half.

Scott Fraser intercepted a David Morgan pass down the Accrington right and tried to find Bonne. The ball was stabbed back to the former MK Dons man by Michael Nottingham and the Scot turned it into Celina, who played into the path of Bonne on the left of the area and the on-loan QPR man confidently stroked past the advancing Savin to claim his eighth goal of the season.


The striker from Chantry wasn’t too far away from his ninth in the 40th minute when he was allowed to take down a long kick from Vaclav Hladky but his first touch took it just too far away from him and Savin was able to gather.

Bonne attempted to replicate his last-gasp goal against Sheffield Wednesday as the Stanley striker prepared to kick but Savin spotted him and the two shared laugh.

Neither side threatened again before a busy if not overly entertaining half was brought to a close.

Bonne’s well-crafted and confidently finished goal had been the only real chance during a half in which both sides had struggled to show the guile to find a way through the opposition.

The Blues weren’t far away from doubling their lead a minute after the restart. With rain again falling steadily, Morsy found Fraser on the left with a superb cross-field ball and the Scot crossed to Bonne at the near post but the striker met it at the same time as Savin, who was able to force it behind for a corner.

However, in the 50th minute, Stanley equalised. Following a throw on the right, a cross from Yeboah Amankwah was flocked on through a crowd of players by former Colchester man Pell and Bishop hit a shot on the turn across Hladky and into the corner of the net.

The Blues found themselves under some pressure as the hour mark approached, Janoi Donacien blocking brilliantly from Pell on the edge of the box before Nottingham shot over from 25 yards.

Town had been unable to play much football and had threatened little since half-time and it was little surprise when manager Cook, a former Accrington player and manager, made changes with Celina, who had been quiet since creating Town’s goal, and Fraser swapped for Rekeem Harper and Edwards.

But it was the home side who would create the next opportunity, Bishop turning and hitting a shot which Hladky was forced to turn over the bar. As Stanley prepared to take the corner, the Czech keeper and Pell clashed and referee Martin Coy spoke to them but kept his cards in his pocket.

Accrington continued to take the game to Town, as they had for much of the half with the Blues unable to get the ball down and string passes together, and in the 71st minute Lee Evans got in the way of a Pell shot from the edge of the area.

Moments later, Donacien was hit full in the face by a cross and required treatment before the corner was taken and then after Sam Sherring had headed wide from the flag-kick.

Stanley had been on top since the break and in the 79th minute they went in front. McConville sent over a cross from the right and Pell got in front of Donacien - perhaps feeling the effects of the blow to the head - to volley past Hladky from a couple of yards inside the penalty area. On the balance of the second half, Town could hardly complain.

Having conceded their second goal, and having made little headway prior to that, Town switched Evans for James Norwood.

The Blues huffed and puffed in the closing stages as they looked for an equaliser, Burns hitting an 88th-minute shot from a very tight angle high and wide with Savin out of his goal.

The game briefly boiled over soon afterwards after Town claimed Bonne had been fouled then Morsy made a strong challenge on an Accrington player. A confrontation involving members of both teams followed with Norwood and Conneely both booked.

Town were unable to threaten again before the end and once again left the Wham Stadium, which has become something of a bogey ground in recent seasons, having been defeated.

Cook’s men got their noses in front in a first half in which there had been little between the sides but after the break struggled to make headway against a physical and determined Accrington team, who were worthy of their victory.

Aside from Bonne’s clinically taken goal, Town didn’t manage a shot on target, while at the other end the defensive frailties which appeared to becoming a thing of the past were again in evidence.

The Blues looked to have taken a big step forward with the 6-0 home win against Doncaster but today’s defeat to Accrington - the type of opponent they have struggled against ever since their relegation to League One - is a stumble in the other direction.

Town are next in action on Tuesday in the Papa John’s Trophy at Gillingham and then in League One at home to Shrewsbury next Saturday.

Accrington: Savin, Sherring, Hamilton, Butcher, Pell, Bishop, McConville, Nottingham, Conneely (c), Morgan, Amankwah. Unused: Trafford, O'Sullivan, Leigh, Mansell, Nolan, Clark, Malcolm.

Town: Hladky, Donacien, Edmundson, Burgess, Penney, Evans (Norwood 80), Morsy (c), Burns, Celina (Harper 64), Fraser (Edwards 64), Bonne. Unused: Holy, Nsiala, Aluko, Chaplin. Referee: Martin Coy (Durham). Att: 2,600 (Town: 846).


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BromleyBloo added 17:00 - Oct 2
Terrible! Sounds like Accr the better team and we hardly turned up - how can that be??? Hard to know what to say - manager and players must do better!!!

COYB…………..
13

BangaloreBlues added 17:00 - Oct 2
Just as I was getting my hopes up.
Oh well, back to the local croquet team.
4

bringonbrazil added 17:00 - Oct 2
Almost a quarter of season gone. Now worried. Awful tactics. Needed to get at them at pace. Instead, seemed to have no game plan at all.
7

WonTheCupin78 added 17:02 - Oct 2
Awful second half. Deserved nothing and got nothing.
8

confederateblue added 17:03 - Oct 2
Strong first half from the lads, Accrington just had that little bit more quality. Some glimmers of hope though, definitely some signs of Cook getting a team together. It's easy to get desperate dent but remember, ‘We be Gelling'.
Disappointing to hear some of the fans singing ‘you don't know what you're doing' and ‘Cook out'.
I'm still confident we can push on and achieve a mid table finish in this difficult league.
-17

Paddy39 added 17:03 - Oct 2
And to think I have my ticket for Pappa John on Tuesday night. Might be better off at home with a Pizza.
5

BobbyPetta11 added 17:04 - Oct 2
Awful performance they wanted the ball in the air and that's what we gave them.

Celina central all game.

Evans was woeful he should of been replaced by Harper and left Fraser / Celina on

Morsy is probably the best CM in the league and yet we play long balls all game

Both full backs are so poor going forward.

Cook needs to win the next match or the heat is on again that was like watching a Lambert side.
6

BlueRuin69 added 17:04 - Oct 2
2,600 att at the mighty stanley......stuck in league one forever, horrible league to escape from, embarassing being a town fan. We are truly in no mans land as rainy days in places like Stanley against a physical side we crumble as always.....dear oh dear
11

runningout added 17:04 - Oct 2
Outclassed
2

dirtydingusmagee added 17:05 - Oct 2
VERY VERY DISAPPOINTING . that was an awful performance . The raised hope from Donny game completely dashed today.
16

jas0999 added 17:08 - Oct 2
Nowhere near good enough. Probably got ahead of ourselves after the excellent win on Tuesday - as overall the results haven't been good enough. We need to be able to win back to back games. Go on runs. This was an excellent opportunity but we've come up short. Again.

Ten league games in now and unfortunately not good enough. Cook has managed just two wins - one against the bottom club. 10/30 points isn't good enough. Also lost two out of two cup games. The squad on paper is more than good enough. They have had time to gel, which begs the question - where is the problem? Is it Cook?

Disappointing today. Second half unacceptable.
24

tractorboybig added 17:10 - Oct 2
this man must be the worst manager in our history. look at his 30 + games in charge
13

Counagoal added 17:11 - Oct 2
Shocking yet again. Long ball all game which was gobbled up by an Accrington side who are almost all 6”0+ . Why at 1-1 he takes off Celina and brings on Harper I do not know. Should have taken off Evans and put Harper as one of the two holders.
4

delias_cheesy_flaps added 17:12 - Oct 2
After a 6-0 win you'd liked to have thought we'd have a bit about us today, sadly not? I really don't know wha's happening in-between games but we look devoid of confidence and ideas!
11

Orraman added 17:14 - Oct 2
Reality check. Paul Cook normal service resumed
17

thechangingman added 17:16 - Oct 2
Sadly predictable to see Town slip up again so quickly after giving us a fleeting glimmer of hope.
I am finding it very hard indeed to expect anything other than a very long stay in this league. In fact, although it pains me to say it, it's easier to imagine us dropping even further, than making it back to the championship.
Will the pain EVER stop?????
10

DaGremloid added 17:16 - Oct 2
Normal service resumed. Great.
7

Grammarman added 17:17 - Oct 2
40 years ago, we were European champions. I know that we should not live in the past but please bear with me. At the same time (ish), there was an advert on TV promoting milk, which was a little detrimental against a non-league, little known, North-West non-league club. Fast forward 40 years and it is clear that our management and players have not drank enough milk.
18

TimmyH added 17:17 - Oct 2
Disappointing...that's brought us back down to earth, 2nd half was dreadful!
14

Nobbysnuts added 17:18 - Oct 2
Cook out thought and tactically swept aside again...3 points above the bottom placed side with nearly a quarter of the season gone...alarm bells are surely ringing now. Crap...just crap.
13

Suffolkboy added 17:18 - Oct 2
This chap in charge seems to be obsessed with chat and charm but little concrete evidence of cohesive continuing success on the pitch !
SWALLOWS and SUMMERS come to mind ; what will it take for a current ITFC side to demonstrate utter resilience ,and a team effort to actually play 90 minutes and win games ?
Must sadly be nearing the time for the Board to demand explanations and strategies from Mr ‘ Liverpool ‘chatterbox , ( one might have used more colourful description) for his good humour , constant denial of any blame factors and studious defence of everything ITFC on the field of play ,is of itself becoming both tedious and the predictable .
I'm reliably told by season ticket supporters able to regularly attend , that we've a promising bunch of players who can produce and show effective skills ; sadly living miles away we cannot attend as often as wished , but the statistics are damning : we need desperately to see better results and more regular acquisition of points !
Let's see what PC has to say - will it be any different from usual ?
COYB


11

Robcol added 17:22 - Oct 2
Suffolk boy
I completely agree
1

1960H added 17:23 - Oct 2
ITFC The gift that just keeps on giving, I was optimistic that we could get a result today but as usual we balls it up, listening to the radio the performance sounded simply not good enough, why do we allow these lesser teams to dominate us? we need to be more positive and have a go at them but this never seems to happen.
6

Pezzer added 17:23 - Oct 2
Today was really poor. What an opportunity to lay down a marker with a win. Back to the drawing board....
7

martin587 added 17:23 - Oct 2
Such a shame as after Tuesday we expected the team to move up a gear but sadly they let them selves down and us traveling supporters down.We stuttered all through the game and having gone ahead we should have capitalized but once again fell back into our shell and at times looked totally devoid of ideas.I'm really lost for words as to see how we can improve when we on paper have the strongest team in this league.Nobody stood out for me today.
Spent two days searching for petrol and I'm sorry to say it was all for nothing.Rotten journey home in lousy weather.If there is still a petrol shortage this coming Saturday I certainly won't be going to the match and that's the first time ever I've said that.I'm really really p….Ed off.Good night.
14


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