Portsmouth vs Accrington Stanley Preview

Last updated : 12 December 2014 By Jim Bonner

Pompey will be looking to focus on the on-pitch issues tomorrow when Accrington Stanley visit Fratton Park.

Team News

Jed Wallace is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season at Tranmere whilst Ricky Holmes is also likely to be missing with a thigh injury. Ryan Taylor and Jack Whatmough were both doubts but should be fit to play.

Accrington midfielder Andy Procter could miss the match after being forced off with a groin strain in the FA Cup match with Yeovil but John O'Sullivan and Sean Maguire are available again having been ruled illegible for that tie.

The Match

It's good to be able to talk about football again after the badly handled depature of Alan McLoughlin this week but with the appointment of Gary Waddock hopefully the club can now put this saga behind them.

What matters now is picking up another three points at home having been soundly beaten away at the second-worst team in the entire Football League last time out. With home form so storng, there's a lot of pressure to win this game.

Losing Wallace is a blow because he's the one player in the team that can drive the team forward and score goals from midfield. With Ricky Holmes also out, it's likely that Lee Holmes will make his first start for the club with Miles Storey staying out on the wing.

You would expect the rest of the team to pick itself so long as everyone remains fit and no matter how bad Pompey have been away from home, the players will be expected to get the job done at home to Accrington Stanley.

They won't be pushovers, however, as they currently lie just below Portsmouth in the League Two table on goal difference and have improved since James Beattie left as manager and John Coleman took over.

Their form is mixed but they have knocked Notts County out of the FA Cup and face a replay with Yeovil in the second round. Hopefully that cup game may distract their players with the prize of a home tie with Manchester United on offer in round three.

Hopefully the furore of this week will be forgotten about if Pompey can pick up the three points expected at Fratton Park.

Predicted Starting Line-Ups

Pompey

GK: Paul JONES

RB: Matt FISH

CB: Paul ROBINSON

CB: Jack WHATMOUGH

LB: Dan BUTLER

RM: Miles STOREY

CM: Marcus BEAN

CM: Danny HOLLANDS

LM: Lee HOLMES

CF: Ryan TAYLOR

CF: Craig WESTCARR

Accrington

GK: Jack ROSE

RB: Dean WINNARD

CB: Rob ATKINSON

CB: Tom ALDRED

LB: Michael LITTLE

RM: Piero MONGOIA

CM: Luke JOYCE

CM: John O'SULLIVAN

LM: Kai NAISMITH

CF: Shay McCARTAN

CF: Sean MAGUIRE

Last Time: Portsmouth 1 Accrington Stanley 0 (League Two - 25/02/2014)

Jake Jervis' soft 25-yard-strike was enough to beat the Accrington goalkeeper and seal a win for Richie Barker's men in this otherwise fairly dull Tuesday night encounter.

My Prediction

Pompey do bang them in at home and although they're without Wallace, there should still be enough firepower in the side to see off Stanley, especially with the fortnight's rest the players will have had.

Portsmouth 2 Accrington Stanley 1