Match preview: Accrington Stanley v York City (From York Press)

Match preview: Accrington Stanley v York City

11:00am Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in Sport By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

ACCRINGTON Stanley boss Paul Cook will ring the changes for tonight’s home match with York City following Saturday’s thumping 5-0 defeat at Oxford.

That defeat was Stanley’s third in a row with the team shipping 11 goals during that run, having also gone down 3-2 to Rochdale and 3-1 at Torquay.

As a consequence, one-time, on-loan Minstermen Will Hatfield and Aiden Chippendale are both expected to earn recalls to the team.

Ex-Leeds midfielder Hatfield has failed to make the first XI for those last three defeats having started eight League games prior to that point. Former Huddersfield winger Chippendale, who failed to even make the bench during his brief loan stay with City in 2011, has only kicked off two League games since arriving from the Terriers in the summer.

Congolese former Everton defender Toto Nsiala is also likely to return despite a fall-out with Cook after the Rochdale defeat that has seen him completely frozen out for the last two matches.

Others expected to get their chance are right-back Peter Murphy and midfielder George Miller, meaning Dean Winnard and Craig Lindfield, as well as on-loan trio Danny Schofield (Rotherham), Piero Mingoia (Watford) and Jack Sampson (Bolton), are all likely to be dropped.

Cook has already selected 28 different players this season and has six loan players on his books with goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin and captain Luke Joyce the only ever presents in the League.

Worryingly for the former Wolves midfielder, the poor sequence of results has come during a time when he has a full squad to choose from with the only injury casualty — former Liverpool trainee midfielder Charlie Barnett — back in training after an ankle problem.

Only three teams in League Two have scored fewer home goals than Stanley, whose tally of six betters only that of Rochdale (five), Wycombe (four) and Aldershot (two).

The Oxford game, however, was only the second time this season that Accrington have failed to find the net in a League match, having lost 3-0 at home to Exeter back in August.

Former Sligo Rovers forward Padraig Amond is the top scorer with six goals and will continue as Accrington’s lone central striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation tonight.

Stanley are still struggling for supporters having only managed two gates of more than 2,000 this season against Bradford and neighbours Rochdale.

The most disturbing attendance came against Exeter when only 1,149 fans turned up for the team’s first Saturday home game.

Accrington (probable): Dunbavin, Murphy, Atkinson, Nsiala, Molyneaux, Joyce, Miller, Hatfield, Boco, Chippendale, Amond.

Match facts

City made 24 Football League visits to Accrington at their old Peel Park ground between 1929 and 1961, winning three times and sharing three draws.

The successes were 2-1 in 1937/8, 2-1 in 1946/7 and 3-1 in 1955/6. Their heaviest defeats were 5-0 in 1932/3 and 7-2 in 1935/6. The last visit was in 1960/1.

In August 1960, City were winning 2-1 with seven minutes remaining when the game was abandoned because of a violent thunderstorm and the rearranged match was on April 19, 1961 when they lost 2-0 with the following line-up: Forgan, Bingley, Howe, Woods, Jackson, Fountain, Hughes, Hoggart, Wilkinson, Weir, Gould.

City made two Conference trips drawing 2-2 in 2004/5 and losing 2-1 on October 29, 2005. Andy Bishop was the scorer and the team was: Porter, Price, Dudgeon, McGurk, Merris, Convery (Mallon), Yalcin, Dunning, O’Neill (Stewart), Bishop, Donaldson.

Players who have appeared for both clubs include Tom Lockie, Syd Storey, Alex Hamilton, Ian Blackstone, Rory Prendergast and Paul Crichton.

It happened on October 23

1948: A Bootham Crescent crowd of 10,888 saw City beat Mansfield Town 2-1 in Division Three North. On target were Matt Patrick and Jimmy Rudd.

1967: At the 14th time of asking, City won their first game of the season when they beat Swansea Town 2-1 at Bootham Crescent thanks to goals from Rowland Horrey and an opponent. The crowd for this Fourth Division game was 4,036.

2004: City lost 4-0 to Conference leaders Barnet at Underhill.

2010: In the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, City won 2-0 at Kidderminster Harriers with Danny Racchi and Jonathan Smith the marksmen.

Compiled by Dave Batters