John Coleman ‘delighted’ for Joe Pritchard after goal on Accrington comeback

By Sports Desk September 16, 2023

Accrington boss John Coleman praised playmaker Joe Pritchard who scored after nine months out injured in the 4-1 win over Sutton.

Former Tottenham trainee Pritchard came on at half-time with Stanley already 1-0 up after Shaun Whalley had been upended by Craig Clay and Tommy Leigh slotted home the penalty in the first minute of first-half added time.

Leigh curled home the second after 57 minutes before Pritchard found Rosaire Longelo to fire home the third in the 63rd minute.

Omari Patrick blasted the ball home for Sutton after 64 minutes before Pritchard slotted home Whalley’s cross in the fifth minute of added time.

Pritchard suffered an Achilles tendon injury last December and it has been a long road back for him.

“I am delighted for Joe,” said Coleman, whose side had lost their previous two league games. “It’s been a long, hard struggle for him and there has been no-one more dedicated than him and no-one who deserves it more than him.

“I am so glad he got his goal, it was great to see him put the ball in the net.

“You could see his flashes of brilliance which should light this league up.

“We had a very strong bench and we have got competition for places which we have been craving and hopefully will help us be successful.

“I am delighted to get into positive goal difference and delighted for the win as this was a tough game.

“I don’t think 4-1 reflected the score, we did step it up in the second half but they had plenty of chances. Thankfully we got the goals at the right time.

“We have been stuck on 10 points for a couple of games so I am glad to get off that.”

Sutton have now lost seven successive league games and manager Matt Gray, who had his 42nd birthday on Saturday, is asking for everyone to stick together as they sit in the bottom two.

“The success Sutton have had over the last four years has been built on solid defence, resilience and being hard to beat and not conceding soft goals which we are at the moment.

“We are making mistakes and they are being punished. We are working hard to eradicate this.

“We also need to be ruthless and more clinical.

“It wasn’t a penalty in the first half and the first goal is always important. We need the rub of the green as well.

“It was soon 3-0 but we showed our spirit and togetherness to get a goal back and had a couple of chances but they got a fourth on the breakaway. To lose 4-1 was harsh to take.

“It is a tough situation but we will get through it. I feel like we aren’t too far away. Me, the staff and the players have got to keep grafting away and we have all got to stick together as we will get out of it.”

Related items

  • Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner

    Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training. 

    Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term. 

    The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.

    She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.

    But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.

    "We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said. 

    "But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.

    "So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.

    "The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.

    "But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."

  • Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run. 

    Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.

    The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.

    However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.

    Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang. 

    The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.

    Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand. 

  • Vlahovic out of Juventus clash with Milan Vlahovic out of Juventus clash with Milan

    Dusan Vlahovic will miss Juventus' trip to Milan in Serie A this weekend and is also a doubt for the Champions League game at Aston Villa, head coach Thiago Motta has confirmed.

    Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.

    "I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.

    "Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."

    Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.

    Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.

    "I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.

    "This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."

    Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.

    "It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.

    "We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."

    Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.