Accrington v Sutton preview and match information

15 September 2023

Sutton break new ground on Saturday with a first ever visit to the Wham Stadium to face Accrington Stanley in a Sky Bet League Two clash. Sutton will be wearing all white for the game.

The current Accrington Stanley was formed in 1968 two years after the previous club, a Football League club between 1921 and 1962, had collapsed, and the new club gained Football League status in 2006. Promoted to League One as champions in 2018 they were relegated last season, and currently lie in 15th place with three wins, a draw and three defeats from their seven games. The three defeats have come against the teams holding the division's top three positions going in to the weekend's games, while victories came at home to Newport and Harrogate and away to Salford.

The Harrogate game win came at a cost, though, with experienced midfielder Sean McConville, who has made over 300 appearances for the club, suffering a knee injury which could keep him out for three months. Manager John Coleman has been in charge for 22 years over two spells, overseeing both promotions, and this weekend will mark the ninth anniversary of his return to the club.

Sutton, who are looking to end a run of six consecutive league defeats but will have been buoyed by the performance in the last hour at Swindon, scoring three goals away from home for the first time since April 2022, have no new injury worries after a full week of training and Craig Eastmond and Sam Hart, who have both been out injured, are very close to being included in the first team squad again.

After recently promoted EFL referees have been in charge of Sutton's last three Saturday games, this weekend will move to the other end of the scale with former FIFA assistant referee Darren Drysdale, in his 20th season on the EFL list, taking the whistle. He last officiated a Sutton match on the last day of last season when Carlisle visited the VBS.

Tickets will be available at the ground on Saturday from the away turnstile, which is where any pre-ordered tickets can also be collected if they have not yet been. Prices are: Adults £20; Over 65s £15; Age 12-17/students with dated ID £10; Under 12 £5 (must be accompanied by an adult). Disabled supporters are admitted at the age appropriate price. Where assistance is required in the form of a personal assistant (PA), the PA is admitted free or charge. Proof of disability is required in order to qualify for the complimentary PA ticket. To qualify, a supporter must receive enhanced PIP and produce evidence of this when purchasing the ticket.

Our accommodation is in the studio.co.uk Eric Whalley Stand.

The Supporters' coach leaves at 6.15am.

For independent drivers the post code for the ground is BB5 5BX. Travel via the M6 and M65. Leave the M65 at junction 7, taking the Clitheroe turn off the roundabout. Turn right at the first set of traffic lights following the A678. Follow the road to the next set of traffic lights. Turn right again towards Accrington on the A680. Carry straight on at the next set of lights with the Greyhound pub on your right. Take the first left after the Crown pub into Livingstone Road. . No parking on site, but there is plenty of street parking around the ground, and limited parking for a donation about 50 yards past the ground.

For those travelling by train the easiest route is from Euston, changing at Preston. Leave at 08.23, 09.20 or 10.22. The advertised journey time is just over three and a half hours but if the train from Euston is on time at Preston you should be able to make an earlier connection with a train to Accrington at 44 minutes past the hour, which reduced the overall journey time to just under three hours. Return at 12 minutes past the hour, changing at Preston, or at 24 minutes past the hour with an additional change at Crewe. The station is a 15 minute walk from the ground, or bus 7 leaves from the nearby bus station every fifteen minutes.

An away supporters' guide to the Wham Stadium can be found here.

For supporters not able to travel, there will live commentary on our iFollow service with overseas supporters able to watch a live stream. For the audio commentary in the UK, passes can be bought for £2.50, but monthly passes are available for £4.49 and season passes for £45, both excellent value. Overseas supporters can watch every game, with a match pass costing £10. Again monthly passes are available at £25 and a season pass at £170. Click here for full details and to purchase a pass.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report for Accrington Stanley 4 Sutton United 1

16 September 2023

Accrington Stanley 4 (Leigh 45+1 pen, 57, Longelo 63, Pritchard 90+5) Sutton United 1 (Patrick 64)

Sutton's run of consecutive Sky Bet League Two defeats extended to seven in frustrating circumstances at the Wham Stadium as, having had the better of the first half and finished the period strongly, U's conceded a penalty in first half stoppage time and two more goals in the first eighteen minutes of the second half. Despite a brilliant goal from Omari Patrick within a minute of U's going 3-0 down the damage had been done, and Joe Pritchard's goal with virtually the last kick of the game was merely salt in the wounds.

There was a return in goal for Dean Bouzanis and a first league start for Ryan Jackson as U's tried to shore up the defence that had conceded goals rather too freely in recent weeks, and, in a gusting wind that didn't help the game as a spectacle and in temperatures considerably lower than U's supporters would have left London in, for virtually the entire first half Bouzanis was untroubled. Brad Hills and Tommy Leigh sent shots off target, but it was Sutton, with the benefot of the wind in the first half, who looked likelier to score, Harry Smith miscuing a shot wide, Josh Coley denied by a good block after a fine move had ended with Aiden O'Brien putting him through, and O'Brien himself having a shot deflected wide.

With Christian N'Guessan also going close with a dipping volley just before the break U's could feel satisfied with the first half, until, as at Swindon, they were cut open by a swift counter attack on the left, with Josh Andrews flicking a clearance on to Shaun Whalley, who raced clear and then checked inside, going over under Craig Clay's challenge. To the Sutton player's horror referee Darren Drysdale pointed to the penalty spot, and after Bouzanis had been booked he dived the wrong way from Leigh's penalty.

The goal changed the complexion of the game, and Accrington came out strongly at the start of the second half and it took a fine block by Ben Goodliffe to deny Leigh a second. It was only a brief respite, though, as Andrews showed persistence to keep the ball in on the by-line as Goodliffe tried to see it out for a goal kick, and when Andrews' cross was diverted to Leigh the striker this time made no mistake with a low curling shot from the edge of the penalty area which took a slight deflection off Rob Milsom on its way in.

Goodliffe had a chance to atone when a Milsom free kick landed at his feet, but his volley was high and wide and worse followed for U's as Jackson's pass forward was cut out by Rosaire Longelo, who played the ball up to Andrews and continued his run to receive a pass from substitute Pritchard and go on to comfortably beat Bouzanis.

U's response was immediate, Patrick and Coley carving through the defence with a superb exchange before Patrick sent an unstoppable shot in to the top far corner, and for the next twenty minutes U's had the look of a side that still thought a point was there for the taking. O'Brien sent Coley clear of the defence, but having rounded goalkeeper Toby Savin he couldn't get a shot away and eventually found Patrick, whose effort was blocked, and Smith missed badly with a free header from a Milsom free kick. The home side withstood the pressure, though, and deep in stoppage time with U's pushing up Whalley broke clear on the right and at the second attempt crossed low for Pritchard, who had earlier missed a golden chance when he shot wide from twelve yards, this time to turn the ball past Bouzanis and complete another harrowing afternoon for U's and the 145 travelling supporters.

Sutton: D Bouzanis, R Jackson(sub J Kizzi 81), R Milsom, C Clay (sub H Beautyman 71), B Goodliffe, L John, J Coley(sub D Pereira 72) C N'Guessan, H Smith, A O'Brien(sub S Kashket 81), O Patrick. Subs n/u J Rose, O Sowunmi, L Angol. Booked: Bouzanis

Accrington: T Savin, L Shipley(sub J Pritchard H-T), J Rich-Baghuelou, K Mellor(sub S Quirk 79), B Hills, L Coyle, S Whalley, S Conneely, J Andrews, T Leigh, R Longelo. Subs n/u J McIntyre, B Woods, M Lowe, J Gubbins, J Nolan. Booked: Andrews, Longelo, Savin

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Attendance: 2,036(145 away)