JC v TB

[Bazf]

Pressure takes toll on play-off hopefuls
By Nicholas Harling
(Filed: 18/04/2005)



The managers of Accrington Stanley and Aldershot will do well to keep their tempers in check tomorrow when their clubs meet in what will be a tense encounter with play-off positions at stake.

<script src="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/NetGravity/mpu.JavaScript" language="javascript"></script> <script language="JavaScript" src="http://ads.telegraph.co.uk/JavaScript.ng/site=sport&spaceid=mpu&logstatus=t&transactionID=1 113914498324&Section=Sport/Football/Non-League&view=details&gender=Male&postcode=bb5_1hx&b irthyear=1900&ag=105&status=Single&city=&country=G B&xml=/sport/2005/04/18/sfncon18.xml"></script><!--// //--> With their respective clubs involved in games that finished 2-1, both men were involved in controversies at the weekend. Accrington's defeat to a last-minute goal at Woking upset their manager, John Coleman, while Aldershot's Terry Brown was not in the best of moods despite his team's success at Northwich Victoria.

Coleman's fury concerned the penalty refused his side by referee Martin Yearby after Gary Roberts seemed to be muscled out of a goalscoring opportunity. "It's easy to blame the referee after a defeat but everyone in the ground could see we had a stonewall penalty turned down," fumed Coleman.

Gary MacDonald headed in Woking's late winner during a frantic finale that also saw a dismissal for Accrington substitute Ged Brannon. The visitors had gone ahead through Paul Mullin before Chris Sharpling's equaliser.

Accrington's defeat left them trailing fourth-placed Aldershot by six points.

The margin could be trimmed by half if they win tomorrow, by which time Brown should have recovered from the embarrassment of being ordered from the dugout at Northwich for telling referee Stephen Dorr where he was going wrong.

"All I said was that both benches thought he was poor," said Brown.

Canvey Island's first win in 14 games, by 1-0 at home to Scarborough, courtesy of a magnificent goal lobbed in by Lee Boylan, means that the Essex side will be safe if they take a point from tomorrow's home game with York.

[Mik Griff]

"Terry Brown Got Chinned By Coley!"