Wanderers welcome Accrington to the UniBol on Saturday.
From likely line-ups to key men and the referee. All you need to know can be found below.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Wanderers: Matthews, Lowe, Nsiala, Hobbs, Bryan, Bunney, Crawford, L Murphy, Hamilton, Politic, D Murphy
Accrington: Bursik, Johnson, Sykes, Hughes, Opoku, Clark, Finley, Conneely, Pritchard, Ashley-Seal, Bishop
OPPOSITION MANAGER
John Coleman - The Liverpudlian has enjoyed two spells in charge of Accrington with his first starting in 1999 and coming to an end in 2012 when he joined Rochdale. He only lasted a year at Spotland before rejoining Stanley in 2014. Coleman guided the Reds to the League Two title in 2018.
HEADLINE NEWS
John Coleman doesn’t think Stanley’s loss at Oxford United on Tuesday night was worthy of the 3-0 scoreline (Lancashire Telegraph)
Stanley’s new pitch has been deemed a huge success after withstanding the recent wet weather (Lancashire Telegraph)
Accrington captain Seamus Conneely thinks the Reds have all but secured League One football for next season (Lancashire Telegraph)
WHO MAKES THEM TICK?
At the back: Jerome Opoku - The left-back has been a revelation since joining Stanley on loan from Fulham. Loves to break forward with the ball and create chances.
In the middle: Sam Finley - Tenacious and aggressive in the centre of the pitch, but is also capable of a defence splitting pass.
Up front: Colby Bishop - Back from injury and the man with 10 goals this season is raring to go. Signed from non-league Leamington in the summer.
THEY SAID IT
“I’ve seen them play several times since and they’ve been quite unlucky.
You’ve got to keep your foot on the gas to win any game in League One.
“We expect them to give us a tough game. Keith Hill and Flicker know their onions, they know their football.
“It’ll be a tough game, but it’s a good opportunity for our lads to get back winning again.” - John Coleman on the test ahead against Wanderers
HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
Played - 2
Wanderers wins - 0
Draws - 0
Stanley wins - 2
BOOKIES’ ODDS
Bolton win - 11/4, draw - 5/2, Stanley win - 11/10
REFEREE
Josh Smith - Lincolnshire official has given out 78 yellow cards and six reds in his 24 games this season. He has never taken charge of Wanderers having been promoted to the Football League list this season.
FIXTURE TRENDS
Wanderers have failed to beat Accrington on the two occasions they have come across each other – both coming at the Wham Stadium. This will be Stanley’s first game at the UniBol.
Whites fans will want to forget the 7-1 defeat in November, Keith Hill's side actually taking the lead through Daryl Murphy.
Stanley have lost their last two after winning three games on the bounce.
TRIVIA
Accrington Stanley’s home ground, the Wham Stadium, is located in Clayton-le-Moors, which is next to Accrington. The town got the name Clayton because it is a town built on clay.
TICKETS
Adults - £20, over-65s - £12, under-23s - £12, under-18s - £10
FIXTURES
Portsmouth v Rochdale (tonight), Blackpool v Ipswich, Bristol Rovers v Shrewsbury, Burton Albion v Peterborough, Doncaster v Wycombe, Gillingham v Wimbledon, Oxford United v Southend, Rotherham v MK Dons, Tranmere v Fleetwood.
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