[mab]

Next up and Stanley take on Bradford City (Bantams) who are the visiters to the crown ground this saturday 23/04/2011 3pm KO for this L/2 fixture Bantams season sofar is W - 14 D - 5 L - 22 GF - 38 GA - 57 GD - -19 in 19th place with 47pts from 41 games played Although this will change after there home game on tuesday against Burton... Stanley's season sofar is W - 16 D - 17 L - 9 GF - 66 GA - 53 GD - +13 in 8th place with 65pts from 42 games played ....Last time at the Crown.. Date : Sat 20th Feb 10
Game : Accrington Stanley 2 v 0 Bradford City
Scorers : Miles (54, 86)
Att : 3396

Stanley returned to winning ways thanks to a brace from John Miles and ruined Peter Taylor’s first game in charge of Bradford.

After Tuesday’s last-gasp defeat at Lincoln manager John Coleman gave ten of the eleven players beaten at Sincil Bank the chance to make amends. The one change saw Sean McConville drop to the bench and Luke Joyce return to the starting line-up after shaking off a dead leg.

The Reds started well and crafted the first chance of the game when Michael Symes headed the ball down for Bobby Grant on the edge of the area only for the young striker to volley just wide of the left hand post.

In the opening stages Taylor must have been relatively pleased with what he saw from his new team as they crafted a couple of half chances for Simon Ramsden and Chris Brandon, but that was almost as good as it got for the Bantams.

Openings were few and far between in the first half, though Zesh Rehman was almost embarrassed when he headed a Joyce free kick dangerously close to his own goal in the 24th minute.

The big talking points in the Stanley dressing room and on the terraces at half time were likely to have been penalty decisions, or the lack of them. The home side had three in ten minutes, first when Andy Procter thought his shirt was tugged in the box, then when Grant appeared to be hauled down but was flagged offside and then when Rehman went in hard on the Stanley number 11. On all three occasions referee Trevor Kettle remained unmoved by the appeals of the players.

Before the break came there was time for another half chance when Grant capitalised on Rehman’s mistake to pick out Symes expertly, but he was off balance and could only stab the effort wide.

After the interval it was the visitors with the early momentum, but they squandered their best opening of the whole game with just a minute gone. A free kick from the right was diverted off Symes into the box and fell to James Hanson, who despite being Bradford’s top scorer looked anything but clinical as he fired over the top.

It was undoubtedly a let off and Stanley ensured that the Bantams were made to pay for not opening the scoring. In the 54th minute Miles, who’d had a pretty quiet game, broke away down the left and despite appeals for offside from the defence found himself advancing on Matt Glennon’s goal. For a man who’d previously scored one goal in the campaign he looked composed as he fired the Reds in front much to the consternation of a bumper visiting support.

Less than ten minutes later the former Macclesfield man could have made it two for him and his team as he nicked the ball from Ramsden and got a shot away, only to be denied when Glennon parried the effort away.

After the events of Sincil Bank, Coleman must have been praying for another goal to give his side some breathing space, but in the other dugout Taylor had other ideas as he sent on two attacking substitutes in the shape of Michael Boulding and Leon Osbourne.

Neither Bradford player could really make the difference though as Stanley continued to threaten; Miles and Jimmy Ryan both firing over before Andy Procter produced a disappointing shot after a splendid run.

Any nerves were put to bed in the 86th minute when Ryan found Symes down the right and he produced a decent cross towards the back post. Miles reacted quickest, taking a touch before driving beyond Glennon once more.

It was a long way from classic entertainment, but when the final whistle went and took the winless run with it, few in red really minded.

Stanley: Ian Dunbavin, Tom Lees, Phil Edwards, Darran Kempson, Dean Winnard, Jimmy Ryan, Luke Joyce, Andy Procter, John Miles, Michael Symes, Bobby Grant
Subs not used: Dean Bouzanis, Peter Murphy, Johnny Flynn, Sean McConville, Chris Turner, Gary King, Billy Kee
Booked: Ryan
Goals: Miles 54, 86

Bradford City: Matt Glennon, Simon Ramsden, Matthew Clarke, Zesh Rehman (Peter Thorne 83), Luke O’Brien, Chris Brandon (Michael Boulding 60), Lee Bullock, Michael Flynn, Scott Neilson (Leon Osbourne 69), James Hanson, Gareth Evans
Subs not used: Jon McLaughlin, Steve Williams, Jonathan Bateson, Steven O’Leary

Ref: Trevor Kettle (Rutland)
Back to this saturdays game,Bantams usualy bring a large following!!so with this in mind whats your Guess on the attendance? here we go with Guess The Gate I'll go for 2,645 Everyone welcome to have ago Good luck everyone As this is a home game the winner will recieve an Offical Accrington Stanley Team Sheet signed by both home and away teams managers ...
Pleases note guesses with ish + or - or their abouts or around will be deemed an invailed guess and wont count GOOD LUCK
PLUS AN EXTRA PRIZE!!! A £5 GIFT VOUCHER TO USE IN THE STANLEYSTORE KINDLEY DONATED BY LEW....STANLEYSTORE MANAGER...... I BELIEVE DO YOU