MX23RW : Sunday, November 24 13:41:01| >> :600:590589:590589:
[monks data]
Accrington Stanley
League One | Gameweek 21
Mar 14, 2023 at 7.45pm UK
Wham Stadium
Portsmouth

Accrington
1 - 3
Portsmouth

Adedoyin (88')
Rodgers (49'), Fernandes (62'), Leigh (73')
Jensen (10')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Pigott (13'), Hackett-Fairchild (57'), Bishop (81')
Mousinho (11'), Morrell (46'), Scarlett (90+5')

Preview: Accrington Stanley vs. Portsmouth - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's League One clash between Accrington Stanley and Portsmouth, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Portsmouth will aim to break a five-game league winless run on Saturday, when they make the trip to take on Accrington Stanley.

A tough run of form has seen Danny Cowley's side drop to eighth place in the League One table, while their hosts have climbed to 19th spot and are unbeaten in four games in all competitions.


Match preview

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley pictured on May 9, 2021© Reuters

Accrington Stanley have certainly experienced a mixed first half to the season, as they began in impressive fashion, earning 16 points from their first 11 League One matches before quickly hitting a much tougher spell.

John Coleman's side would then slip down the table as they lost their next five games in England's second tier, with a draw and another defeat in the following two games making it a single point from a run of seven outings.

The Lancashire outfit appear to be turning their form around again, though, having now gone four games unbeaten in all competitions with four wins from their last six contests, including progression to the FA Cup third round courtesy of triumphs over Crawley Town and Barnet.

They were also able to make a return to winning ways in the league with a beating of Cambridge United in November, with Harvey Rodgers hitting the only goal of the game, before earning another commendable point against Oxford United last weekend, as the contest finished in a 1-1 draw thanks to Ethan Hamilton's late equaliser.

Now with plenty of renewed confidence, given their improvements on all fronts, and having risen to 17th place with a cushion over the bottom four, Coleman's men will aim to keep building momentum and climbing the division by taking a major scalp on Saturday.

Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman pictured in May 2021© Reuters

They face a Portsmouth side who are fighting to get back to winning ways in their fight for a playoff place, having gone five games without a three-point haul in the third tier.

Even after two draws and two defeats, a 1-0 win away at Forest Green Rovers in late October put Danny Cowley's side in a strong position with 25 points from 13 outings, but they would go on to draw their next four matches in League One, sharing points with Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town, Morecambe and Derby County.

They have, at least, enjoyed more success in other competitions in recent weeks, though, with those draws followed by consecutive victories away at Ipswich Town and at home to MK Dons in the EFL Trophy and FA Cup second rounds respectively.

Hoping to build on those triumphs and make a return to winning ways in the third tier, Pompey most recently travelled to take on Wycombe Wanderers last Sunday, but they left empty-handed after a disappointing display, eventually losing 2-0 as Anis Mehmeti and Garath McCleary netted goals for their hosts.

While they have dropped down the table to eighth spot as a result of their recent struggles, Portsmouth do remain just two points outside of the playoff places, and they will now be desperate to end their wait for a league victory with the chance to climb back into the top six depending on other results.

Accrington Stanley League One form:


Accrington Stanley form (all competitions):


Portsmouth League One form:


Portsmouth form (all competitions):



Team News

Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman pictured in January 2019© Reuters

John Coleman should again set Accrington Stanley up in a 3-5-2 shape, with Ryan Astley, Doug Tharme and Harvey Rodgers set to line up in a back three.

Seamus Conneely will provide further stability at the base of midfield, while Ethan Hamilton will offer further support going forward.

In the continued absence of Sean McConville, Shaun Whalley will again be heavily relied on to lead the line alongside Tommy Leigh, who leads the squad with six goals so far this season, including three in League One.

Colby Bishop will lead the Portsmouth line against the club he joined from in the summer, having netted 13 goals in all competitions since making the switch, including nine in 18 League One appearances this term.

He will be joined by Ronan Curtis, while Tottenham Hotspur loanee Dane Scarlett will be vying to keep his place with competition from the likes of Joe Pigott and Josh Koroma.

Marlon Pack offers plenty of experience in midfield alongside Jay Mingi, while Sean Raggett will again play at the heart of the back three with Clark Robertson and Michael Morrison.

Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Savin; Astley, Tharme, Rodgers; Conneely; Clark, Coyle, Hamilton, Longelo; Whalley, Leigh

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Griffiths; Morrison, Raggett, Robertson; Dale, Pack, Mingi, Ogilvie; Scarlett; Curtis, Bishop


SM words green background

We say: Accrington Stanley 1-1 Portsmouth

Portsmouth boast more quality in their squad than the hosts, but Cowley's men are struggling for form in the third tier while Accrington are improving, and we only see the visitors leaving with another draw at the weekend amid their struggles.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data


ID:501570:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect14632:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Accrington vs Portsmouth

Accrington Stanley
40.7%
Draw
18.5%
Portsmouth
40.7%
27
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah in action with Manchester City's Jack Grealish on November 9, 2022
Read Next:
Man City to face Chelsea in FA Cup third round
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Vikings
@
Bears
6pm
Lions
@
Colts
6pm
Patriots
@
Dolphins
6pm
Buccaneers
@
Giants
6pm
Chiefs
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Texans
6pm
Cowboys
@
Washington
9.05pm
Broncos
@
Raiders
9.25pm
49ers
@
Packers
9.25pm
Cardinals
@
Seahawks
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Port Vale1610332416833
2Walsall1593328151330
3Doncaster RoversDoncaster178542218429
4Notts County177732315828
5Crewe AlexandraCrewe158431913628
6MK Dons168352719827
7Chesterfield1767430201025
8Grimsby Town178181926-725
9AFC Wimbledon157262314923
10Bradford CityBradford166552117423
11Gillingham167271714323
12BarrowBarrow176471716122
13Fleetwood TownFleetwood145632015521
14Cheltenham TownCheltenham176382225-321
15Salford City165651518-321
16Newport CountyNewport176381926-721
17Harrogate TownHarrogate176381623-721
18Accrington StanleyAccrington164662226-418
19Colchester UnitedColchester163851922-317
20Tranmere RoversTranmere154561018-817
21Bromley153751719-216
22Swindon TownSwindon172782028-813
23Morecambe1734101729-1213
24Carlisle UnitedCarlisle1734101429-1513


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!