Donny delight
SKY BET LEAGUE ONE DONCASTER ROVERS ... 1 STANLEY........................... 2
ACCRINGTON Stanley gave themselves a huge boost in their battle to avoid relegation after they earned a win at play-off hopefuls Doncaster Rovers.
First-half goals from Sean McConville and Paul Smyth helped Accrington pick up the victory at the Keepmoat Stadium, despite a late consolation strike for Doncaster from Danny Andrew.
The victory moves the Reds five points clear of the League One relegation zone with just two games to go, and Stanley boss John Coleman was thrilled to come out on top.
“I thought the players got exactly what they deserved. They showed big hearts, big character, mental toughness and I must say a great mention for the fans, they were superb,” he said.
“It’s been a long hard slog this season, we’re still not there yet but we’ve took a step towards it. I thought everyone was fantastic, they all put a real shift in. We limited them to very few chances.
“This is a very, very strange league this season, and there’ll be lots and lots of twists and turns before the end of the season.
“We need to get some points, or a point on Saturday, then I think we could be mathematically safe but until five o’clock we won’t know what’s required before the Portsmouth game.”
Accrington were seen as underdogs in the game, with Doncaster challenging for the play-offs, while the Reds were only a few
points above the relegation zone and headed into the match on the back of a 3-0 loss at home to Luton Town on Saturday.
Despite that, the visitors were the better team in the opening stages of the match, and made the most of their early pressure when they took the lead in the 17th minute.
McConville was the man to get it, as he got on the end of a cross from Smyth before tapping home to make it 1-0 to the away side.
It got even better for Accrington when Smyth then doubled his side’s lead just before half-time. It was an impressive finish, as he received the ball before taking a touch and lifting the ball over Marko Marosi in the Rovers net, meaning it was 2-0 at the break.
Doncaster almost gifted Stanley a third in the 53rd minute as Matty Blair mistimed a header back to the goalkeeper, nodding the ball over Marosi and on to the crossbar to spare his side’s blushes.
The home side did all they could to try and get back into the game, putting pressure on the Accrington defence in the second half, with John Marquis coming close and Kieran Sadlier hitting the crossbar.
The Stanley defence was playing well though as they looked to ensure their two-goal lead remained intact, and were preventing their opponents from making any clear-cut opportunities.
Doncaster did manage to pull one back in the 90th minute, as Andrew’s deflected free-kick bounced off Accrington’s Seamus Conneely and over goalkeeper Jonny Maxted.
Sadlier also saw a lastminute strike bounce back off a post, with Stanley managing to absorb the late pressure to come out on top and pick up a huge 2-1 victory.
The win has seen Stanley move up to 14th place in the League One table, and up next for them is a home game against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.