Two teams near the bottom of League Two face off in the second round of the FA Cup this weekend as Accrington Stanley host Swindon Town at Wham Stadium.
With Premier League and Championship clubs entering the cup in the third round, both sides will have significant motivation to secure their place in the draw for the next stage of the competition.
Match preview
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After failing to win any of their first eight league matches, the hosts have shown improvement in recent weeks, recording four victories and three draws in their subsequent eight fixtures.
One of those draws came against this weekend's opponents, with that fixture taking place just two weeks before this cup clash, as the two sides played out a 2-2 draw on November 16.
That result extended Accrington's strong scoring record against Swindon, with the hosts finding the net at least twice in their last five meetings against the Robins, winning three of those encounters.
Stanley reached this stage of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over National League North side Rushall Olympic and have progressed to the third round in each of their last three appearances at this point.
Their most recent cup run was in 2023 when they reached the fourth round before being eliminated by then-Premier League side Leeds United in a 3-1 defeat.
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Meanwhile, for Swindon, the domestic cups have been a rare source of joy in recent times - their only two wins from their last eight games have come in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.
The victory in the FA Cup came against fellow League Two side Colchester United at The Nigel Eady County Ground, where a late equaliser from Joel McGregor forced extra time, before Kabongo Tshimanga scored the decisive goal to secure Ian Holloway's first win as their manager.
Holloway replaced Mark Kennedy, who was sacked in October, and since then the former Blackpool boss has seen his team claim just two points from a possible 12 in the league - which has led to claims from the 61-year-old that Swindon's training ground could potentially be cursed.
His beliefs will have only heightened in recent days, with Swindon losing 3-2 at home to Morecambe last time out, a result that moved the Shrimps level on points with Holloway's team.
The departure of head of football Jamie Russell, as well as news of an upcoming fan protest against Clem Morfuni's ownership of the club, have only added to the worries surrounding the club at present.
Therefore, a win against Accrington this weekend and the potential for a draw against one of the big teams in the next round would help to lift the club's mood.
It has only been three seasons since Manchester City visited Swindon in the third round, when goals from Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Cole Palmer ensured a comfortable 4-1 win for Pep Guardiola's men.
In the two seasons since facing City, the visitors have failed to progress beyond the first round, including last year, when they suffered a humiliating 7-4 defeat at home to Aldershot Town.
Team News
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Accrington will be without Farrend Rawson, who is suspended following his red card in their recent 2-2 draw in the league against AFC Wimbledon.
In his absence, Zach Awe and Sonny Aljofree are the likely pairing at centre-back, as part of a youthful Stanley defence.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without captain Ollie Clarke, who suffered a twisted ankle in training, another reason behind Holloway's comments to the media about a potential curse at the training ground.
Elsewhere, Rosaire Longelo has struggled for fitness in recent weeks and is likely to be used as a substitute for the visitors for this game.
Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Crellin; Batty, Awe, Aljofree, Love; B Woods, Khumbeni, Coyle, Costello; J Woods, Walton
Swindon Town possible starting lineup:
Bycroft; Wright, Hall, Delaney; McGregor, Ofoborh, Kilkenny, Cox; Tshimanga, Smith, Butterworth
We say: Accrington Stanley 2-1 Swindon Town
Accrington have a habit of scoring goals against the visitors, a trend we expect to continue in the cup this weekend.
There are a lot of issues both on and off the pitch at Swindon at the moment, so we think Accrington will edge a tight encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
