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Club News

Stanley 1 Wycombe 0

21 November 2017

Club News

Stanley 1 Wycombe 0

21 November 2017

Mark Hughes struck the decisive goal as Stanley remained in the Sky Bet League Two automatic promotion places with a 1-0 win at home to Wycombe Wanderers.

It was a tightly contested affair under the lights at the Wham Stadium, the visitors had the better of the early chances but the Reds began to crank up the pressure in the second period.

It told with 20 minutes left on the clock, as defender Hughes stayed composed inside the area to score the only goal, and, his second of the season.

Manager John Coleman made two changes, as Farrend Rawson and Mallik Wilks replaced Jordan Thorniley and Jordan Clark, as Stanley lined-up in the same 3-4-3 formation that they ended the game against Newport playing.

The first chance fell to the away side, a long searching ball pumped into the Reds area and Craig Mackail-Smith, fresh from his hat-trick on Saturday, took a touch before firing a half-volley toward the bottom corner, but Aaron Chapman was equal to it - pushing it round the post.

Stanley's first real sight of goal came just before the half-hour mark, the pacey Kayden Jackson cut inside the area, hitting a low shot that came off the heels of Wanderers defender Anthony Stewart and almost snuck in at goalkeeper Scott Brown's near post, but his outstretched arm managed to claw it to safety.

Wilks came close to opening the scoring in the 39th minute, the on-loan Leeds forward stooped low at the back post to head a Sean McConville cross, but he was denied by a superb reaction save by Brown.

It was Wanderers who made the best start to the second period, half-time substitute Marcus Bean with the first effort as he flashed a volley wide of the post.

McConville went for the spectacular on the hour mark, his curling effort from distance couldn't catch Brown out, as the came keeper beat it away with both fists.

Stanley began to ramp up the pressure as Callum Johnson had a goalbound effort deflected wide before Ben Richards-Everton rose high inside the area but the defender's header was straight at the goalkeeper.

The pressure told in the 70th minute, McConville's mis-hit free-kick found Billy Kee, who laid off a clever ball into the path of Mark Hughes and the centre-half finished like a seasoned centre-forward, low and beyond Brown to nudge the Reds ahead.

With little under 10 minutes remaining Jackson could have doubled Stanley's lead with an effort from distance that stung the palms of Brown, the goalkeeper could only push it into the path of substitute Mekhi McLeod but it was hooked away as the winger looked to pull the trigger.

Gareth Ainsworth's men pressed forward as the clock ticked beyond 90 minutes, but the Stanley defence never looked like being breached after going in front.

Attendance: 1,119 (111 away)


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