STANLEY 2

Colby Bishop 17, 41 pen

IPSWICH 0

ACCRINGTON Stanley ended Ipswich Town’s unbeaten start to life in League One in a fiery encounter at the Wham Stadium – but manager John Coleman felt it was business as usual for his side.

Two goals from Colby Bishop were enough for the Reds to climb out of the relegation places in League One in a game which saw both sides have a man sent off.

“I’m delighted with the result but there’s no real difference in the performance to the ones we’ve been producing, it’s just that we got the rub of the green at crucial times,” explained Coleman. “We kicked one off the line and got the penalty having had not had plenty of penalties given.

“I don’t think anyone could argue about the win. I thought we were the better team. We were on the front foot and I thought we looked as though we had more energy.”

Bishop set Stanley on their way in the 17th minute when he rose highest at the far post to head home an inviting delivery from Sam Finley to break the deadlock.

The goal gave Stanley confidence and they might have had a second less than 10 minutes later when this time a right wing ball in from Callum Johnson presented Offrande Zanzala with a free header inside the box but the front man couldn’t get his effort on target.

Ipswich threatened little while the Reds enjoyed a good spell but were inches from an equaliser just after the half hour mark. Former Stanley striker Kayden Jackson ran amok with his pace down the right, playing the ball low into the box and seeing Dimitar Evtimov spill only for Clark to retreat and scramble the ball off the line.

Another former Stanley man in the Ipswich ranks was in the spotlight next and this time for the wrong reasons as defender Toto Nsiala presented Bishop with a chance to score his second when he fouled the striker in the box and ref Seb Stockbridge pointed to the penalty spot. Bishop stepped up and though Holy guessed right drilled his kick into the bottom left corner for his seventh of the season in all competitions.

A double change from Paul Lambert at the break gave Ipswich impetus but Stanley’s defence stood firm with Evtimov forced to push out a deflected Luke Garbutt cross from the right and Luke Woolfenden looking like he’d reduced the deficit with a far post header. Ross Sykes had other ideas, flinging himself at the ball to clear off the line despite Ipswich protests it was over.

Sykes was soon heading for an early shower, dismissed for pushing sub Armando Dobra to the ground after a flash point between the two that saw the Ipswich man also sent off.

It’s a decision that Coleman isn’t convinced was the right one.

“We’re disappointed that it’s been ten v ten and we got Jerome Opoku booked which means he’ll miss Wednesday. We’ll have to see whether we’ll appeal the red card. It makes us a bit thin on the ground defensively.

“From all accounts he’s pushed him in the chest. We’ve had players pushed and not even had a foul given. I thought you had to raise your hands and push them in the face (for it to be a red).”

Ipswich pressed to get back into the game and Evtimov saved well to deny sub Anthony Georgiou but Stanley also had a chance to put it beyond doubt when another sub, Dion Charles, blasted over on the counter.

Six minutes of stoppage time made the battle longer than expected but Stanley held on for only their second home league victory of the campaign and their second in two attempts against the Tractor Boys.