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[monks data]
Accrington Stanley
League Two
Aug 10, 2013 at 12.15pm UK
 
Portsmouth

2-2

Murphy (48', 85')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Connolly (57', 79' pen.)

Live Commentary: Accrington Stanley 2-2 Portsmouth - as it happened

Read how Accrington Stanley and Portsmouth picked up their first point of the new season in a captivating 2-2 draw in Lancashire.
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Both Accrington Stanley and Portsmouth went into today's second league game of the campaign looking to get their seasons off and running after 4-1 defeats on the opening day.

Neither has a zero next to their name in the table anymore after a 2-2 draw in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff.

Read how an entertaining affair unfolded at the Crown Ground in our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Morning all! On the second Saturday of the English season we kick off with an intriguing League Two meeting, for plenty of reasons. Before we get into that, let me bring you the team news...

ACCRINGTON XI: Dunbavin, Hunt, Aldred, Atkinson, Liddle, Hatfield, Murphy, Richardson, Naismith, Carver, Webber

POMPEY XI: Smith; Moutaouakil, Devera, Bradley, East; Wallace, Padovani, Ferry, Barcham; Agyemang, Connolly

A pair of changes to Stanley's side as Kal Naismith and Danny Webber replace Luke Clark and Piero Mingoia.

Former Rangers man Naismith only completed his move to Accrington this morning but he goes straight into the starting lineup.

Webber is a former Portsmouth striker and his presence will be a bonus for Stanley manager Beattie. Pompey have made three changes to the side that were trounced by Oxford a week ago, with Phil Smith, Danny East and Romain Padovani coming in.

As mentioned above, the season began extermely poorly for both these sides as Accrington went down 4-1 at the Football League's newest club - Newport County - while Pompey were thrashed 4-1 by Oxford.

Since then, both teams have been in Capital One Cup action in midweek. Stanley pulled off a memorable 2-1 win at Championship side Middlesbrough while Pompey's losing start to the season continued with a 1-0 loss at South Coast neighbours Bournemouth.

Here's Pompey's official Twitter feed: "New contender for worst mascot after Oldham's Screwfix catalogue is the Accrington Storefirst box! #pompey" Picture to follow...



PREDICTION! Just five minutes until kickoff at the Crown Ground so it's time for my prediction. Accrington will go into the match full of confidence after their midweek heroics but I don't see them winning this game as surely it took a bit out of them winning at the Riverside. I'm gonna go for a 2-2 draw.

Here come the two sides at an overcast Crown Ground. The pre-match handshakes are just taking place and Stanley captain Nicky Hunt really slaps his hand into the opponent. No messing with the former Bolton man!

Before we get underway, here are the two benches today. Accrington haven't named a keeper!

Accrington: Joyce, Miller, Gray, Mingoia, McCartan, Winnard, Wilson
Pompey: Sullivan, N'Gala, Butler, Holmes, Harris, Craddock, Bird

KICKOFF! Accrington, in their all-red colours, get us underway. Pompey are in their away strip of white shirts with blue shorts and socks.

CHANCE! Great chance for the hosts to go ahead after just 30 seconds! Hunt delivers a fine cross from the corner that's perfect for Carver. He can't quite flick it with enough angle though and the ball flashes wide of the near post.

Naismith crunches in on Connolly and is lucky to avoid anything worse than a talking to. The number 11 wants to impress the home fans as they might not know much about him as he signed this morning!

Lovely one-touch passing from Pompey down the right flank but Wallace, racing to the byline, gets the ball caught under his feet a little and duffs the cross. Good, fast-paced start in Lancashire.

Agyemang, who has been excellent as Pompey's target man early on, is bundled over about 45 yards out but the delivery into the box is overhit and Stanley clear.

Webber is hauled over about 30 yards out and Naismith is allowed an opportunity to show what he can do from a dead ball. It's hit well enough and curling near the top corner but Smith knows it's over and would have had it covered anyway. 5/10.

Again it's Naismith trying to make an impression. He's a left-footer but playing from the right wing at the moment, a la Arjen Robben. He tries to do what Robben has made his name doing - cutting in and curling into the far corner - but gets under it.

OFF THE LINE! Well done Michael Liddle! Bradley meets a corner from the left and places his header past a diving Dunbavin. You're expecting to net to bulge but Liddle leaps from his position on the post to head clear.

Nice pass over the top from Murphy plays in Webber, who takes a touch before volleying at goal. It was saved by Smith but the linesman's flag was up anyway. Replays show that the number 9 was probably just on.

CHANCE! Agyemang has been brilliant with his back to goal so far but he's just spurned a great opening when facing it. Barcham catches up with a ball down the left and plays it across for the big man who is just put off enough to slide it wide of the goal.

YELLOW! Hunt is sold a little short with Murphy's pass so East decides to go for the ball. His challenge is a meaty one and although he had eyes always on the ball, referee Eddie Ilderton gets his yellow card out fo rthe first time.

SHOT! Pompey fail to clear their lines and Naismith collects the ball in the area. He's surrounded by white shirts but does well to flick a pass to Murphy who curls for the far corner but gets it a little straight to make it an easy save for Smith. Stanley's first effort on target.

Fabulous inswinging cross from Barcham, who looks very lively out on the left. There's not a white shirt ready to meet it though and Stanley hack clear.

Bradley is a real danger from set pieces and Atkinson, who's been assigned to mark him, just can't handle the big centre-half at the moment. The latest corner is met by the number six but this time he doesn't get enough purchase on it, flicking wide of the far post.

Poor from Carver. Murphy's perseverance is midfield wins the ball and Naismith is able to bring it clear. He picks out Carver on the right and he has plenty of options in the middle but overhits the cross out of play.

That may be something that I'll never see again! The huge frame of Agyemang has just attempted, and pulled off, an overhead kick! There wasn't much pace in it so it's an easy save for Dunbavin, but still!

SAVE! Sublime link-up play between Agyemang and Connolly! A high goal kick is brought down calmly by the former who pokes it to the Connolly. He instantly backheels it into the number 23's path but Agyemang can't quite take it in his stride and has to dig out a shot that Dunbavin keeps out, just.

If journeymen Agyemang and Connolly can both stay fit for Pompey this season then you can see why they're one of the favourites for promotion.

GREAT SAVE! Oh we've almost just seen a George Weah-type goal at the Crown Ground! After a bit of head tennis in the Pompey defence, Barcham collects the ball midway inside his own half and sprints clear of a number of red shirts. It's not long before he's bearing down on the area. He's forced onto his left peg but still gets away a shot that is clawed away by Dunbavin's strong left hand. Great stuff.

HALF-TIME: Accrington 0-0 Pompey

It ends goalless after the first half then. How different it could have been though if some of the chances had been taken. A thoroughly watchable opening 45 in Lancashire.

Looking at the stats, you have to say that it's been Pompey's half. They may have got their season off to a sluggish start a week ago, but today they've been excellent. They've had more of the possession away from home (55%) and 12 shots to Accrington's four. Only a quarter of those 12 have hit the target though. They need to test Dunbavin more.

As for the home side, first thing they need to address is that possession stat. When you're at home you shouldn't struggle for the ball. Up front, Webber has shown some good movement but a player of his quality needs decent service and he just hasn't got it so far. His strike partner Carver has done very little.

As it's a Saturday there is a host of fixtures up and down the country in the Football League. See them all here.

The two sides are back out. It's quite gloomy now at the Crown Ground. Neither manager has made a half-time change.

KICKOFF! We're back underway.

GOAL! Accrington 1-0 Pompey (Murphy)

Wowee wow! What a goal! Webber is played in down the inside-right channel but can't move on goal as Bradley covers well. He manages to dig it back to Murphy about 30 yards out. Why on earth is he shooting?! That's why! His first-time effort isn't hit too hard but is curled over Smith into the far top corner. Superb!

OFF THE LINE! Richardson drives at the Pompey defence and is able to squeeze out a shot that bobbles past Smith and would be going in had Bradley not come across to cover.

Pompey have responded well in the last couple and now have a free kick about 22 yards out...

Wallace gets it over the wall but there's not enough dip and Dunbavin sees it over the bar.

GOAL! Accrington 1-1 Pompey (Connolly)

Another fine, fine goal. Agyemang is the target of a long ball once more and he stands his ground before nodding into striker partner Connolly's path. The number nine doesn't have to break stride and half-volleys past Dunbavin at the near post. Those two have linked up so well today.

RASPER! Padovani lets fly with a technically brilliant volley from 30 yards. It's rising towards the top corner but Dunbavin prevents it reaching the net.

YELLOW! The first Stanley name to go into the book is Hunt for a deliberate trip on Barcham, who was beating him for pace down the left. An obvious booking, if ever you've seen one.

SAVE! Connolly really has looked quality today. He takes his time on the edge of the box before dinking into Barcham whose left-foot effort squirms under Dunbavin but into the side-netting.

ACCRINGTON SUBS: Double change from Beattie as Joyce replaces Richardson and Mingoia takes the place of Hatfield.

Into the final quarter of the match we go and it's really tough to pick a winner here. Pompey definitely deserve to be level but can they now go and grab the win?

ACCRINGTON SUB: Beattie makes his final change as Gray replaces Carver, who offered very little up top for the home side today.

There's a brief stoppage in play at the moment because of a bloody lip suffered by Atkinson.

Odd that Whittingham hasn't made a single change yet. Yes, his side is playing good football but maybe some fresh legs are needed in the remaining quarter of an hour to win the match.

PENALTY TO POMPEY! Connolly to take...

GOAL! Accrington 1-2 Pompey (Connolly pen.)

And Pompey do turn it around! Stanley captain Hunt played a careless backpass towards his own goal that Agyemang tried to intercept. He was bundled over by a red shirt but Connolly played on and was then taken out by Hunt. I'm not sure which of the two challenges the spot kick was awarded for, but Connolly makes no mistake by sending Dunbavin the wrong way from 12 yards.

One of the larger 'betting communities' on Twitter - @FootyAccums - just tweeted: "Must say this game has been a great advert for League 2 football, really good match." Quite right, it's been very enjoyable.

GOAL! Accrington 2-2 Pompey (Murphy)

He's scored maybe the goal of his career and now Murphy heads in from a yard for maybe the easiest. It was a great header back across goal from Aldred and either Murphy or Gray could have nodded home.

OFF THE POST! Barcham's performance down the left for Pompey has deserved a goal and he's ever so close to getting one. He jinks inside the challenge of Aldred before opening his body and curling to the far corner. Dunbavin has no chance and can only watch in despair as it rattles the upright. Wallace gets onto the rebound from a tight angle and drills it back towards the goal only for Dunbavin to race back and guide it over the bar!

FOUR minutes added on at the end for either side to grab a winner.

Naismith has been eager to prove himself today but that's just a little too keen. He's lucky to come out with the ball after one challenge, but instead of getting his head up, goes for glory and slices it well over.

PORTSMOUTH SUB: This actually happened a couple of minutes ago. Bird is on for Agyemang up front. The latter impressed me greatly today and even though Connolly has scored both goals, he is my man of the match.

FULL-TIME: Accrington 2-2 Portsmouth

It ends in a draw at the Crown Ground, then. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of this commentary you'll see that that's what I predicted beforehand! In the three Football League games that I've covered live this year, I've predicted the correct result in two of them. That's about as many as I got right during the whole of last season!

That's all we've got time for on SM, thanks for joining us. I'll leave you with the latest League Two table. That's all gonna change come this afternoon though! Stick with us for live scores from all the games this afternoon.

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Tables header RHS
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6Notts County167632315827
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12BarrowBarrow166461715222
13Fleetwood TownFleetwood145632015521
14Cheltenham TownCheltenham176382225-321
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16Newport CountyNewport166281926-720
17Accrington StanleyAccrington164662226-418
18Harrogate TownHarrogate165381422-818
19Tranmere RoversTranmere154561018-817
20Bromley153751719-216
21Colchester UnitedColchester152851822-414
22Swindon TownSwindon162771825-713
23Carlisle UnitedCarlisle1633101429-1512
24Morecambe1624101427-1310


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