Stanley Await Pilgrims

...on the back of a third home victory of the campaign that has lifted John Sheridan’s men to 12th in the Sky Bet League 2 table. 

Stanley have recruited an old friend in John Coleman after parting company with James Beattie earlier this month. Coleman was previously manager of Accrington between 1999-2012, during which time they won three promotions and made an emotional return to the Football League.

Coleman has made an immediate impact, signing three loan players, two of whom – Blackburn’s John O’Sullivan and West Ham’s Sean Maguire – scored last weekend in an incredible 5-4 away win at Northampton. 

Argyle first-team coach Sean McCarthy is fully aware of Stanley’s potential potency but would prefer to concentrate on his own team.

“We’ve been doing okay lately,” he said. “The only games we’ve lost were by the odd goal and, if we can cut a few mistakes out, then we can get a run going.

“They were games we could have won. Certainly, at Cambridge, we were outstanding in the first half. It is important that, when we are on top of games, we need to score.

“If you can nip that goal, like we did at Luton, you are looking at keeping possession and dominating the game. Obviously, when you go ahead, players get a little bit of confidence and play without fear, if you like.

 

“We’ll take the game to them.”

Argyle are waiting on the fitness of leading goalscorer Reuben Reid – the only Pilgrim to have found the net more than once in the opening ten games of the campaign – and centre-back Peter Hartley.

 

Maybe portentously, Argyle have never lost at Accrington. After a 1-1 draw at Peel Park in 1959, their last two visits to the Crown Ground have also ended 1-1, following a 4-0 win in 2012-13. 

The six matches between the two sides since Accrington came back into the Football League have seen five draws and that 4-0 victory.