With eight games left of the season, it looks a pretty safe bet that Accrington Stanley will be playing League Two football next season. They currently sit in 16th position and have a cushion of nine points on second bottom Cheltenham. If they do manage to survive as expected, it would mark their 10th consecutive season of playing at this level. They’re on course for a similar season to last years campaign when they finished just below mid-table. They have performed well at home this season, winning eight and drawing five of their 19 matches at the Store First Stadium, and it is this form that will go a long way to ensuring they stay up.
The success of fellow Welsh clubs Swansea and Cardiff over the last few seasons will serve as a motivation for Newport. They are clinging on to the final play-off position in League Two but it is a tightly contested race with seven clubs challenging for what looks like three spaces. There are even clubs out with those who probably think they have an outside chance. This is County’s second season in League Two since promotion from the Conference and it is testament to the work of the players and management at how much they have improved in that time. They ran out of steam towards the end of last season and whilst they have suffered some indifferent spells in this campaign, they appear to be more resilient.
Games involving Stanley are never short of entertainment which has been the case for a long time. They have always tried to play attacking football and it is an approach which has paid dividend for them once again. Their games average the highest number of goals of any club in this division but they know how to win games, too. Their highlight this far would have been their 1-0 win over league leaders, and likely Champions, Burton. That victory proves how difficult it can be for visiting sides and although they do not have much more than pride to play for, they will also be playing with a sense of freedom which could make them even more dangerous.
When you look at Newport’s final eight games, it should give their supporters real hope of finishing in the top seven. Although they to play two sides above them, it is a kind enough run-in. They also have the advantage of playing one of the other clubs who are also challenging for the final play-off spots at home. One area they have certainly improved on between this season and last is their form away from home. They managed just four wins on their travels in 2013/14 which seriously held them back. It has been a different story this time around, though, having won seven already, including victories at Wycombe, Burton and Bury – three of the current top four.
This may not be the most exciting of games on paper but it is very important for Newport’s chances of promotion. As it’s the first game of the weekend in England, the County can strike a blow in the battle for the play-offs by taking three points here and putting more pressure on the teams that sit below them. However, any dropped points and it will be a huge boost for those same clubs heading into their own fixtures. We know how the home side will approach this which should make for an open and end to end 90 minutes. These sides have met three times previously and all of them have seen both teams scoring. This fixture last season ended 3-3 and whilst it may not feature six goals this time around, there is enough value in the price for both teams to find the back of the net again.
Both teams to score 10/11 @ William Hill
