Cheltenham Town hit the road and travel to Lancashire and the Wham Stadium this Saturday as they face Accrington Stanley in Sky Bet League Two (kick-off 3pm).
The Robins will be aiming to back-up the 3-1 home victory over Colchester United last weekend and record a first league win of the season away from the LCI Rail Stadium.
Stanley have enjoyed a strong start the campaign under manager John Coleman and are riding high in third place in the table going into the weekend’s fixtures.
The Opposition:
Accrington Stanley are sitting pretty in third spot in the table after the opening eight games of the season, and have lost just once – to Grimsby Town – on home soil.
Last time out they defeated Chesterfield 2-1 – a result that saw Gary Caldwell lose his job – to move back towards the league summit.
Stanley were also winners in mid-week as they defeated Middlesbrough U21s in the Checkatrade Trophy, a performance that manager Coleman admits has given him a few selection headaches before the Robins arrive.
“It’s going to be difficult to pick a bench let alone a starting 11,” he said. “I think they all made cases to be asking me the question on Saturday.
“It’s a tough decision to leave someone like Scotty (Brown) out of the side, he came in the other night and I thought he was fantastic, Callum (Johnson) had a good game too and he’s chomping at the bit for more first team action.
“If you speak to any manager they’ll tell you that they’d rather have too much than too little, I think we’ve got strength in depth in every area now.”
Team News:
Cheltenham team news: Jaanai Gordon will miss the game after the news that he suffered a knee injury in the victory over Colchester United. But young striker Freddie Hinds is back available. Nigel Atangana and Jerell Sellars proved their fitness in the midweek cup clash with Gloucester. Jordon Forster remains a long-term absentee as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
Accrington Stanley team news: Ben Richards-Everton will miss the game, despite making progress in his recovery from a shoulder injury, while goalkeeper Max Stryjek – a deadline day signing from Sunderland - is also out with a hamstring strain suffered at the start of the month against Morecambe.
The man in the middle:
Sunderland based referee Andy Haines – who has handed out 25 yellow cards and one red card in eight games this season - will take charge of the league game in Lancashire. He will be assisted at the Wham Stadium by Nicholas Barnard, Duncan Street and fourth official Chris Isherwood.
Last time we met:
14/01/17 – Cheltenham 3-0 Accrington Stanley (L2)
08/10/16 – Accrington Stanley 1-1 Cheltenham (L2)
20/02/15 – Accrington Stanley 1-1 Cheltenham (L2)
16/08/14 – Cheltenham 2-1 Accrington Stanley (L2)
18/01/14 – Cheltenham 1-2 Accrington Stanley (L2)
Ticket Information:
Tickets can be purchased on the day at Accrington’s Away Ticket Office and the prices are:
- Adults - ÂŁ20
- Concessions (over 65) - ÂŁ15
- Students (with valid ID card) - ÂŁ15
- Under 12s - ÂŁ5
Any disabled supporters pay the relevant price for their ticket, with a carer free of charge. Fans who require wheelchair allocation should book by calling 01254 356950.