Accrington Stanley V Crewe Alexandra – Friday 25th September

League One/Two Tips

 

Accrington Stanley V Crewe Alexandra

 

 

Kick-off: Friday 25th September – 19:45 GMT

Competition: English League 2

 

 

As the Accrington board scrape the bottom of the barrel for every last penny, they mustn’t forget that they still have to do their utmost to keep adding points else their league 2 status could be in jeopardy regardless of whether they find enough to pay the tax man. Time is running out for Stanley but they’ve got their fans to rally behind them and several volunteers will be around some of the key venues over the weekend seeking out donations as the Accrington SOS campaign drivers on.

 

Crewe won’t let Accrington’s heartfelt story affect them on the night as they aim to grind out their third away win of the season and end their run of two straight defeats in the league. They were beaten at home by Aldershot last weekend (1-2), and they were beaten 2-0 the weekend before away at Shrewsbury. Those two defeats have tinted the early gloss that had seen Crewe win four of their opening six league games.

 

Accrington Stanley were always going to endure a tough season and the fact that the club are struggling to pay the players will only hinder their on pitch performances. However, the Stanley players have put aside their own money problems but winning three of their opening eight games. That may not be the glistening form we were perhaps building up to but it’s pretty clear that the fans rallying call is having a positive affect on the players.

 

There should be a fair turnout at Accrington although that’s one of the reasons why the club is in the trouble they’re in. The fans don’t show their support on match days enough to keep the club afloat and their recent efforts to put their hands in their pocket and support their team from pitch side could be a little too late.

 

Crewe are the favourites and they should get all three points despite their recent defeats. However, Crewe have failed to find the opposing net in their previous two away outings, while Accrington have only failed to score in one of their four home games thus far. It’s clear that Stanley’s better results will come at the Fraser Eagle Stadium and they could be worth a small nibble on Friday night. However, we will ignore the recent statistics and form and back Crewe to get their first win in three attempts. They should be contesting for a play-off spot come the end of the season and they have to beat the poorer sides in the league if they are to reach their season objectives.

 

 

Match odds:

 

Accrington Stanley – 9/5 Coral

Crewe Alexandra – 6/4 Ladbrokes

Draw 12/5 Bet365

 

 

 

Matt’s Tip: Crewe to WIN – 6/4 Ladbrokes

 

 

Side Bet: BOTH teams to SCORE – 4/5 Bet365

 

This is more like an insurance bet. I would be surprised if Crewe made it three away games without a single away goal while Accrington have scored in three of their four home encounters this season. A correct score punt on 1-2 Crewe could also be worth a small nibble at 9/1 with BlueSquare.