Accrington Stanley secured another impressive away victory at Colchester United on Saturday courtesy of a second-half Billy Kee strike. The result leaves the surprise League Two leaders on the brink of promotion.
Kee, who returned to football this season following a battle with depression, netted his 21st goal of the season from close range in the 63rd minute. The goal sealed Stanley’s seventh consecutive league victory. It’s been an unbelievable season for Stanley and they find themselves top of League Two chasing automatic promotion to League One for the first time in the club’s history. The Lancashire side have been League Two ever-presents since their promotion to the football league ten years ago. They managed to secure a play-off finish in 2011 which ended in semi-final defeat and in 2016, they came so agonisingly close again. Right up into the last few minutes of the final fixture of the season against Stevenage, they were set for automatic promotion. After hitting the crossbar at 0-0 in the 93rd minute, elsewhere Bristol Rovers scored in the 94th minute to leave Accrington again settling for the play-offs. They failed to get past AFC Wimbledon over two-legs and their big opportunity looked missed.
This season however, Stanley look set to avoid the lottery of the play-offs as they aim to secure automatic promotion as League Two champions. After a blistering start to the campaign, many expected them to fade away, but a relentless pursuit for promotion was solidified last month with a remarkable 2-1 away win at promotion rivals Luton Town. A further four back-to-back victories since and Stanley are now three-points clear of second place Luton with two games in hand. A win against fourth place Exeter this weekend will secure promotion for John Coleman’s men.
Understandably, Accrington owner Andy Holt has been overjoyed with his side this season, but Holt himself got into a bit of hot water with the EFL last week after revealing his unusual incentive scheme for the players if they win, a post-match McDonalds. This promoted the League to check if the League Two club had declared it in their “bonus schedule” at the start of the season, as required under regulation 61.6. Not finding a McDonald’s clause in Accrington’s player contracts, the League wrote to the club on 21st March to ask for an explanation.
In a statement, the League said it had to question Holt’s payment for post-match food because he said it was related to the result. It explained that it would not normally comment on such correspondence with clubs but had to in this case because Holt had made it public. He later confirmed that there are no contractual provisions to support payments of this type. Holt avoided any punishment but was told by the League that he can only continue to treat his players to post-match McDonald’s meals if he does so when they lose as well. But given their form this season, it’s something his side show no intention of doing.
It’s not only the players who are benefiting from unusual bonuses, as manager John Coleman has been promised by a local hair replacement clinic that they will deliver him a new celebratory mop if he can lead his side to promotion. Whether Coleman will be marching the touchlines of League One next season as Lancashire’s own Antonio Conte is yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure, if he manages to lead the club with the lowest playing budget and lowest gates in the league to the division crown, then that will be something quite remarkable.
