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Match Reports

Stanley 4-1 Portsmouth

Reds come from behind to make it four games unbeaten

14 December 2019

Match Reports

Stanley 4-1 Portsmouth

Reds come from behind to make it four games unbeaten

14 December 2019

Accrington Stanley scored three second half goals to come from behind to beat Portsmouth 4-1 at the Wham Stadium.

The visitors had opened the scoring through Ronan Curtis, but an own goal from Ellis Harrison drew Stanley level shortly before the half-time break.

Following the interval, Jerome Opoku displayed great strength to work his way past multiple Portsmouth players before Dion Charles fired the ball past Craig MacGillivray and into the back of the net.

Fellow striker Colby Bishop then bagged a double of his own to secure the emphatic win and ensure that John Coleman's side came from behind to secure the victory and make it four games unbeaten.

Coleman made three changes to the side that beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in the Leasing.com Trophy in the week, and the Reds manager also gave a first Sky Bet League One start for goalkeeper Josef Bursik.

Stanley started the game the better of the two sides with Bishop, Charles and Jordan Clark all failing to hit the target with efforts at goal.

The game's opening goal came on 35 minutes when Marcus Harness whipped the ball into the box and Curtis headed it past Bursik and into the back of the net.

Despite going a goal behind, Stanley continued to dominate and Opoku will have felt unlucky not to have grabbed his first goal for the club when he rocketed an effort from range against the post.

However, the equaliser did come six minutes later when Joe Pritchard whipped the ball into the box and Harrison headed it into his own net.

After the break, Harrison was again involved as he fired an effort at goal but Bursik did incredibly to deny the Portsmouth striker.

Shorty after the hour mark, the Reds grabbed their second goal of the afternoon when Charles smashed the ball past MacGillivray following good work by Fulham loanee Opoku.

Stanley increased their lead seven minutes later when Bishop bagged his eleventh goal of the season from a tight angle, after MacGillivray had saved well to deny an effort from Finley.

The striker then grabbed his second goal of the game and his twelfth of the season as he rocketed a strike into the back of the net, after the referee had played advantage for a late foul on Charles.

Next up for Stanley is an away trip to face Doncaster Rovers on Saturday 21st December, 3pm kick-off.


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