John Coleman knows wins are special but Jack Nolan’s late free-kick against Harrogate in Accrington’s 2-1 victory gave him more pleasure than most.
Stanley dominated the game in terms of chances and took the lead in the 28th minute with Sean McConville curling a free-kick into the top of the net.
Reds defender Seb Quirk was sent off for two bookable offences on 82 minutes and, from the resulting free-kick a minute later, Luke Armstrong’s header was turned in by Warren Burrell for the equaliser.
Shaun Whalley hit the post for Stanley and then goalscorer McConville was stretchered off before, in the eighth minute of added time, substitute Nolan fired home the winner from 30 yards.
Coleman, whose side are fourth, said: “I am absolutely delighted. Some wins enthral you more than others and today was one of them.
“I think for most of the game we were the better team, we took the game to them but in the second half we took our foot off the gas but Toby Savin still didn’t have a save to make in the second half and they scored from a set-piece. We are usually good at defending them.
“They were two excellent free-kicks for our goals. I can’t take the credit for putting Jack Nolan on as I was going to put someone else on and shore it up but Jimmy Bell (assistant) told me to put Jack on so he deserves a pat on the back.
“Shaun Whalley was outstanding, Rosaire Longelo was magnificent and Seamus Conneely ran himself into the ground and we will need everyone.
“That’s seven points out of 12 and it’s nice to do well at home. I want to us entertain the fans and get the feel-good factor back.”
Harrogate boss Simon Weaver was disappointed as his side have now lost three league games on the bounce.
“We were miles off it in the first half, it was hard to comprehend, we were second to the ball, we didn’t possess enough energy to make our mark and they were in the ascendancy.
“I didn’t think their first goal was a free-kick, it didn’t look like a free-kick.
“I made three changes at half-time and the players came on with a point to prove and we were in the ascendancy but we still weren’t creating a lot of chances or shots on goal.
“We looked fantastic in pre-season and in the first game of the season but now the pressure is on we have got to create the same level of chances.
“I picked the wrong team in the first half as first and foremost you have to be up for the fight.”
Chicago Fire 1-4 Inter Miami: Suarez on target once more in road win
Luis Suarez scored two and orchestrated another as Inter Miami cruised to a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Saturday.
His shot led to the opening own goal before his second-half double put the game out of reach as Miami stretched their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to nine points.
Suarez played a neat one-two with Diego Gomez to set up a strike from the edge of the box, and though Chris Brady did well to save it, he pushed it straight against Tobias Salquist, who chested it over the line 25 minutes in.
The Uruguayan thumped a free header against the bar minutes later, but finally got his reward just after the break – he raced in behind before slotting a neat shot in at the near post.
Alba then picked him out for his second in the 65th minute, fizzing a low cross into the six-yard box for him to guide past Brady.
Gomez was unlucky from distance as his drilled shot hit the inside of the post before Georgios Koutsias' instinctive close-range finish beat Drake Callender.
Substitute Robert Taylor then rounded off the scoring with a lovely first-time finish in stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Suarez continues to step up in Messi's absence
Miami have now been without their talisman Lionel Messi for three months due to the Copa America and an ankle injury, but Suarez has proven once again that they still pose a threat without him.
He has scored four times from a total of 12 shots since MLS resumed, with nine of those coming in this game.
The 37-year-old ran the show, leading the team in expected goals (1.4), shots on target (five), touches in the box (eight) and big chances (four).
Fonseca shrugs off talk of rift with Milan duo
Paulo Fonseca was quick to dismiss talk of any tension with Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, who both appeared to snub him shortly after coming off the bench.
The pair came off the bench to help earn a 2-2 draw with Lazio on Saturday, being brought on in a quadruple change by Fonseca after being left out of the starting line-up.
Milan were losing 2-1 at the time of their introduction, and they immediately turned things around, with Hernandez and debutant Tammy Abraham, another substitute, involved in Leao's equaliser.
Minutes later, the game stopped for a cooling break, with both managers using the opportunity to instruct their players, but both Leao and Hernandez remained on the far side of the pitch, taking no part in the team talk.
"The situation with Theo and Leao, there is no problem and I think Theo has already explained," Fonseca told DAZN.
"We don't need to create any problems. This week I spoke with the players and they accepted my decision. There is no problem, I was concentrated, and I didn't see that they weren't there."
Hernandez had already given his reasons immediately after the game.
"We had been on for two minutes, we didn't need the cooling break," Hernandez said.
"It was nothing against the team and the coach. Then people talk, say things that aren't true. Rafa and I are always with the team to help, and that is the important thing."
Milan are still without a league win this season after three games, but Fonseca says he saw a decent performance in the opening half, giving him something to work on.
"We had a good first half. We always managed the game well with the ball. When you control the game like this, we have to have more moments to become dangerous, but it's something we have to work on," Fonseca told Milan TV.
"We must always have the courage we had in the first half because we did good things. If we had won the other two games, this could have been a good result, but it is not so. But we have to start from today's first half."
Brentford 3-1 Southampton: Bees begin life after Toney with comfortable win
Brentford began life without Ivan Toney with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton.
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace and a Yoane Wissa goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and condemned the Saints to their third straight loss since promotion back to the Premier League.
With departed striker Toney watching in the stands after his move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the hosts proved too strong for Russell Martin’s men. They created the superior chances and capitalised on an error-strewn performance from Southampton’s backline.
Mbeumo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead halfway through the second period and Wissa then got on the scoresheet moments later to continue Brentford’s strong start to the campaign. Yukinari Sugawara bagged a consolation in injury time for the Saints.
Brentford sit in fifth place ahead of the first international break, while Southampton are second-bottom of the league table with zero points.
Data debrief: Wissa continues to prove effective at home
Wissa now has five goals and two assists in his last seven matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have recorded consecutive home league wins for the first time since last November, and the first time in their opening home games since August 2018.
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