Amond: Stanley have firepower needed to maintain good start
11:00am Saturday 25th August 2012 in Sport
By Chris Flanagan, Sports reporter
PADRAIG Amond believes Accrington Stanley have the strike power to continue their good start to the season – with all three forwards already off the mark this term.
The Reds are third in the table ahead of this afternoon’s home match against Exeter, following victories over Southend and Port Vale in their opening two games in League Two.
Amond found the net against Vale on Tuesday for his first goal since his return to the club, on a permanent basis after a loan move from Pacos de Ferreira last season.
On-loan Reading man Karl Sheppard scored at Southend last weekend and Amond’s introduction to the starting line-up saw the duo formed a new strike partnership in midweek, as Stanley moved to a 4-4-2 after spending the majority of the past couple of years with just one up front.
Amond thinks it could be the start of a promising partnership with his former Republic of Ireland under 23 team-mate but knows they also face competition from James Gray, who came on to add Stanley’s second goal against Vale.
“Me and Karl roomed with each other a couple of times when we played with the Ireland under 23s so we know each other from before and we travel to training together,” Amond said. “I think you’re beginning to see the start of a really good partnership.
“But then again James Gray is doing really well and it was a great finish from him.
“It’s good to have all the strikers off the mark this season.”
There was satisfaction for Amond in midweek as his penalty beat Vale keeper Chris Neal, who had left him cursing his luck all summer after denying him six times in an end of season game last term while playing for Shrewsbury.
Amond said: “I said it to him when he saved one from Joycey early on, I said, ‘Don’t do this again this year, you did it to me last year!’.
“But when we got the penalty there only one thing on my mind and I was taking it. It was nice to get the goal.
“It’s really been a good start to the season but like the gaffer said in the dressing room after the game, when you’ve had a couple of wins there’s always a disaster round the corner.
“So it’s up to us to keep our heads down and try to prevent that disaster for as long as we can, and keep the good start going.”
