Accrington Stanley moved five points clear of the League One relegation zone with a 2-1 win at promotion-hopefuls Doncaster Rovers last night.
First-half goals Sean McConville and Paul Smyth all but secured safety for Stanley with two games left to play.
Danny Andrews netted a consolation for Rovers in the ninetieth minute but it was too little too late and the defeat left Donny sixth, three points ahead of Peterborough who have a game in hand and gives hope to the rest of the chasing playoff pack.
Accrington boss John Coleman was quick to praise the mental strength of his squad for bouncing back after their heavy home defeat to Luton on Saturday and become the first team to win at the Keepmoat since October. Speaking on the club’s official website he said: ‘I thought the players got exactly what they deserved tonight, they showed big hearts, big character, mental toughness and I must say a great mention for the fans, they were superb.’
While refusing to accept the result ensured League One safety for another season Coleman did acknowledge that it was ‘one of the best wins of my life’ and believed it lifted some of the pressure off his team going into the final two games.
Stanley fans soon took to Twitter to hail the performance and praise Coleman who has enhanced his already legendary status at Stanley by keeping them competitive on the smallest crowds and smallest budget in the division.
Several fans from Doncaster Rovers promotion rivals also took the opportunity to thank Stanley for a result that keeps their hopes alive.
Here is a small selection of their responses on Twitter to the crucial win.
https://twitter.com/jamesmainsworth/status/1120789500081385472
https://twitter.com/AdamHoulden1/status/1120966613447188480
https://twitter.com/haigy40/status/1120790022922358784
https://twitter.com/shaunwaddy/status/1120790341173547009
https://twitter.com/nathanmorton81/status/1120958706877968384
https://twitter.com/tomcpufc/status/1120789022899617792
https://twitter.com/_digsie/status/1120789082341355521
https://twitter.com/SBAidy/status/1120797989767995395
https://twitter.com/aidan__02/status/1120789355709313024
