Accrington Stanley will be in desperate search of vital points in their conquest for survival, as they match up against Shrewsbury Town at the Wham Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In their last game, Accrington were defeated by Wycombe Wanderers in a 2-0 defeat at home, while Shrewsbury drew away at Exeter City 0-0.
Match preview
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It has been a worrying season thus far for John Coleman, as his side currently sit 22nd in the League One table with the impending doom of relegation looming for the Accrington faithful.
In their last match, Accrington again showcased their inability to create and score chances, as they recorded 21 shots on goal, but did not create one big chance and were beaten 2-0 by Wycombe. The scoring was opened up for the visitors by Josh Scowen in the 18th minute before Garath McCleary put the final nail in the coffin when dispatching a chance in the 90th minute.
Accrington currently hold the worst attacking record in the division, as they are the joint lowest scorers alongside Forest Green Rovers, Cambridge United and Cheltenham Town, amassing a mere 25 so far this campaign.
Having not scored in their previous two matches, an early goal in this affair would give Accrington much-needed confidence as they face off against one of the most in-form sides in the division.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for the home side in this game, as they hold a strong head-to-head record against Shrewsbury, having won three and drawn three of the previous six encounters between the two sides.
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Meanwhile, Shrewsbury head into this fixture in scintillating form since the FA Cup defeat against Sunderland and are unbeaten in their last seven games, having won six of those seven matches.
However, they were held to a 0-0 draw in their last outing against Exeter, as Steve Cotterill's side were unable to score for the first time in seven games, ending their run of six consecutive victories.
This spell of form has elevated Shrewsbury to eighth in the league and has given them an opportunity to compete for a promotion playoff spot, as they are currently only five points behind Barnsley in sixth.
It will be important that they use their strength of set pieces to exploit Accrington, as Shrewsbury possesses the capability to dominate in aerial duels and will need to be aggressive in this affair.
Christian Saydee will be Shrewsbury's biggest threat in front of goal on Saturday, as the 20-year-old has found himself on the scoresheet seven times this season and currently has the highest goal tally for his side in the league.
Team News
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The Accrington XI that started in the 2-0 defeat against Wycombe is set to remain unchanged for the Shrewsbury clash.
Harvey Rodgers will be unavailable for this fixture, as he is serving his last game of a three-match ban after being sent off against Port Vale.
Steve Cotterill is not expected to make any changes to the side that drew 0-0 against Exeter in their last match.
There are no fresh injury concerns for Shrewsbury, but they will be without the services of Daniel Udoh and George Nurse for the rest of the season.
Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Fernandes, Pickles, Sangare; Longelo, Coyle, Martin, McConville; Quirk; Whalley, Pressley
Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:
Marosi; Dunkley, Leahy, Moore; Bennett, Winchester, Shipley, Phillips; Bayliss; Rowman, Saydee
We say: Accrington Stanley 1-2 Shrewsbury Town
This fixture is set to be a war of attrition due to the aggressive nature of both sides, but we believe that Shrewsbury will slightly edge this match, as they pose a major threat from set pieces.
We think that Accrington will still cause Shrewsbury some defensive issues, but will be unable to continue their six-match unbeaten streak against the away side.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
