Accrington Stanley search for a fifth consecutive home win against relegation-threatened Gillingham

Accrington Stanley are in scintillating form at the Wham Stadium, winning their last four homes games, but Neil Harris’ revived Gillingham will provide a challenge.

It looks like another season of comfortable survival for Stanley as they have a 17 point gap from AFC Wimbledon, who currently occupy the final relegation spot in League One.

Saturday’s visitors have been buoyed by the appointment of the experienced coach Harris, who has inspired the Gills into picking up 15 points since his arrival in January.

John Coleman’s Stanley have not lost on their own patch in the last nine fixtures, but the Liverpudlian manager has voiced his frustrations that they have failed to reproduce the same form on the road.

The Stanley manager said:

“I guess our home form makes you feel a bit frustrated that we can’t do it away from home.

“But saying that, it’s good for our fans, good for business, we want as many people as we can through the gate, and we want to put on a spectacle, that’s our remit.

“First and foremost, we are a football club, and we want to produce a product on the pitch that people come and watch.

“I think this season we have at home, we have got good results but also performed well and had some exciting games.

“I can’t remember many drab games at the Wham Stadium this season, there has always been a lot of thrills and spills and good football played.

“Given good conditions, I think you are in for a treat whenever you watch Accrington play at home.”

There is no doubt that Stanley have been exciting to watch at home, scoring 34 times and conceding 26 so far this season, which has led to 11 victories, four draws and four defeats.

The statistics away from home make grim viewing for Accrington fans as they have only found the net 13 times while conceding 37 leading to 12 defeats, four stalemates and only three victories.

However, there are some interesting facts and figures that give some reason why Stanley have been more effective at home.

Coleman’s Reds have only failed to score in 5% of their fixtures at the Wham Stadium, while away from the place they have called home since 1968, they have failed to score in 53% of the games.

Failing to score in over half of their away games means Stanley were left to rely on the hope of keeping a clean sheet, which has proved a problem and led to some awful away performances, with last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle a prime example.

Surprisingly, Accrington have taken more shots in away games, averaging 16.05 per fixture compared to 15.05 at home.

But the key is the shots conversion rate which is a healthy 12% at the Wham Stadium compared to a measly 4% during away fixtures.

Stanley’s fantastic home form should intimate their struggling visitors from Kent, but Coleman was wary of the threat carried by the Gills but maintained that his side should be up for the challenge.

Coleman would add:

“The team that Gillingham have got will always be difficult to play against.

“Teams who have a lot to play for you think they can raise their game, but no one wants to win a game more than us.

“It doesn’t matter where we are in the league.

“The idea that they need it more than us goes out the window.

“We lost the corresponding fixture last year and, for that alone, I want to win as felt we did enough to win that game, a lot of things went against us.

“We have had good tussles with Gillingham over the years and had some entertaining games.”

Accrington and Gillingham have only 15 times in the past, with the last fixture between the two sides, which took place in October, culminating in a 0-0 draw.

The Gills have won seven of the 15 encounters with Stanley triumphing in four games, and there have been four draws.

Harris’ Gills need desperately need all the points they can get due to being only one point above the drop zone, but Coleman will be motivated to continue Stanley’s stunning home form.

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