Preview: Accrington Stanley v Wycombe Wanderers

Wycombe Wanderers travel to Accrington Stanley on Saturday for their 5th league game of the season.

The early table shows Wycombe in 8th place with 6 points while Accrington occupy 7th spot on the same number of points but with a superior goal difference. Both teams have played just 4 league games.

Before the season started most bookmakers had Wycombe as favourites for the title and Accrington as near certainties for the drop, but Stanley had other ideas and August's results tell a totally different story.

With more shots on target than anyone else in the division (over three times as many as Wycombe), Stanley are also the only team yet to concede a goal in the entire Football League.

Their unbeaten league start consists of a 3-0 win over Macclesfield and goalless draws against Aldershot, Oxford and Northampton - three sides tipped by many to be challenging for the play-offs at least.

They've also knocked Championship side Doncaster Rovers out of the Carling Cup and League One Tranmere out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy - winning both ties away from home.

Stanley's solitary defeat came in the Carling Cup second-round when Premier League new boys Newcastle United visited the Crown Ground and proved too strong for their hosts - winning 3-2.

Not quite the whipping boys the bookies expected them to be, Accrington also have a playing surface which may not suit Wycombe's passing game. Aldershot manager Kevin Dillon certainly didn't like it, telling the newspapers: "The pitch was absolutely dreadful. In this day and age, it's inadequate and not good enough." This tells us it must be really, really bad, because it's unlike Dillon to moan.

Wycombe haven't yet lived up to their billing as pre-season favourites, but they've made a solid start and remain unbeaten in the league, although they fell at the first hurdle in the Carling Cup - losing 2-1 to Millwall.

Gary Waddock's attacking philosophy hasn't borne much fruit so far - with the Chairboys only managing 9 shots on target in their 4 league games - the second worst record in the entire Football League.

Fortunately, the Wycombe defence, and particularly keeper Nikki Bull, have been keeping them out at the other end to preserve the Blues' unbeaten record and give their start to the season an air of respectability.


Accrington's season so far

LG2: Aldershot (H)...........Drew 0-0
Ccp: Doncaster (A)...........Won 2-1
LG2: Northampton (A)......Drew 0-0
LG2: Macclesfield (H)........Won 3-0
Ccp: Newcastle (H)............Lost 2-3
LG2: Oxford (A)...............Drew 0-0
JPT:: Tranmere (A)............Won 1-1 (5-3 on pens)


Wycombe's season so far

LG2: Morecambe (H).......Won 2-0
Ccp: Millwall (H)..............Lost 1-2 (AET)
LG2: Stockport (A).........Drew 0-0
LG2: Oxford (H).............Drew 0-0
LG2: Northampton (A)....Drew 1-1


Accrington's summer signings

Alex Cisak (Goalkeeper) Leicester
Andrew Owens (Defender) Rhyl
Jonathan Bateson (Defender) Bradford
Sean Hessey (Defender) Macclesfield
Tom Smyth (Defender) Preston
Michael Hall (Defender) Blackburn
Andy Parkinson (Midfielder) Gateshead
Ray Putterill (Midfielder) Unattached
Charlie Barnett (Midfielder) Tranmere
Rory Boulding (Striker) Bradford
Terry Gornell (Striker) Tranmere
Craig Lindfield (Striker) Macclesfield


Wycombe's summer signings

Nikki Bull (Goalkeeper) Brentford
Dave Winfield (Defender) Aldershot
Danny Foster (Defender) Brentford
Andy Sandell (Defender) Aldershot
Alan Bennett (Defender) Brentford
Marvin McCoy (Defender) Wealdstone
Kieran Murtagh (Midfielder) Yeovil
Ben Strevens (Striker) Brentford
Scott Rendell (Striker) Peterborough


Accrington Goal Stats (7 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total).........8
Goals Conceded (Total).....5

Goals Scored (Home)........5
Goals Conceded (Home)....3

Clean Sheets....4


Wycombe Goal Stats (5 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total).........4
Goals Conceded (Total).....3

Goals Scored (Away)........1
Goals Conceded (Away)....1

Clean Sheets....3


Accrington's Top Goal Scorers (All Competitions)

Sean McConville........3
Ray Putterill..............2
Craig Lindfield...........1
Sean Hessey.............1
Chris Turner..............1


Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers (All Competitions)

Jon-Paul Pittman........1
Ben Strevens.............1
Andy Sandell.............1
Scott Rendell.............1 (inc 1 pen)


Accrington Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Ray Putterill........11 on-target...8 off-target...0 against woodwork
James Ryan..........8 on-target...9 off-target...2 against woodwork
Sean McConville....7 on-target...5 off-target...0 against woodwork


Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Kevin Betsy...........2 on-target...9 off-target...0 against woodwork
Gareth Ainsworth...2 on-target...4 off-target...0 against woodwork
Matt Phillips...........1 on-target...4 off-target...0 against woodwork


Shooting (Club) - All Competitions

Accrington........43 on target...29 off target...3 against w'work (Rank-1)
Wycombe.........13 on target...23 off target...2 against w'work (Rank-22)


Previous Meetings

In 6 previous meetings there have been 3 wins for Wycombe, 2 for Accrington and 1 draw.

At the Crown Ground there have been 2 wins for Wycombe and 1 for Accrington.

2006/07 LG2: Accrington 2 Wycombe 1
2007/08 LG2: Accrington 0 Wycombe 2
2008/09 LG2: Accrington 0 Wycombe 1


The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Robert Madley from West Yorkshire who's enjoying his first season on the National List of Referees. So far he's issued 6 yellow and 0 red cards in 2 games.


On this day in history - 4th September

Accrington.......Played 14 - Won 5 - Drawn 3 - Lost 6
Wycombe..........Played 3 - Won 1 - Drawn 2 - Lost 0


Prediction

Accrington 1 Wycombe 1

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