Stephens’ sights on

DALE STEPHENS

RECENT scores for matches involving Accrington Stanley read like those in a video game.

Button-bashing your way to a 7-4 win on a console rarely raises an eyebrow — but when such a tally occurs in the professional ranks, it makes everyone sit up and notice.
Accrington Stanley, who are they? Well, it seems 'they' are a very entertaining side to watch for the neutral.

The above score, achieved in a madcap home clash against Gillingham at the start of October, provided the last three points which John Coleman's npower League Two strugglers picked up.

Currently in 18th place, their 5-2 hammering by Chesterfield was a fourth defeat in five matches.

In struggling, Stanley still manage to be entertaining. No less than 38 goals have come in their last seven games, at an average of just under five-and-a-half per 90 minutes.

The old saying suggests that league form goes out of the window when FA Cup weekend comes around.

And after the disappointing abandonment at Rochdale on Tuesday night, Athletic midfielder Dale Stephens is hoping that another large travelling band of fans spurs on the team in what promises to be a tricky, goal-laden test at the Crown Ground.

"The fans were great at Rochdale and they were very loud even in the warm-up," said Stephens, who has only missed five minutes of Athletic's entire league and cup campaign so far this season.

"We started the game well and they were right behind us. It would have been enjoyable to play in front of that but it was right to call it off and we can do it again at a later date.

"It will be a tough game at Accrington but we have had a rest with having no midweek game, so we can go into that game fully-fit.

"We have gone out of both cups (Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy) this season in the first round.

"But the FA Cup is the main one and we want to get involved in it and play against some big teams.

"It is quite local for us, so hopefully we can take plenty of fans there and make it another good atmosphere to play in front of."

Familiar faces in the Accrington squad include 31-year-old winger Andy Parkinson, who made more than 200 appearances for Tranmere, goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin, the former Liverpool trainee who has also represented Shrewsbury and Halifax, and another ex-Tranmere forward, Terry Gornell, who has six goals to his name in his last eight matches.

Andrew Proctor is Stanley's captain and is a mainstay of the club.

The midfielder was part of the side which gained promotion to the Football League for the first time in 2006.

Coleman — former player-manager at Ashton United — has been in charge for more than a decade and is the third-longest serving boss in the game, behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

In recent seasons, Coleman has had to cope with a number of winding-up orders which have threatened Stanley's continued existence.

The clubs have met three times in the past six years in the Football League Trophy, with Athletic winning twice to Accrington's sole victory, achieved at Boundary Park last season.