Coleman: Victory wasn't pretty to watch

John Coleman didn't enjoy the football on offer as Accrington ended Pompey's winning run.
Accrington celebrate. Picture: Joe PeplerAccrington celebrate. Picture: Joe Pepler
Accrington celebrate. Picture: Joe Pepler

And the Stanley boss admitted his men enjoyed a stroke of luck as Gary Roberts passed up a great early chance to set his team on their way at the Crown Ground.

The Blues saw their four-game winning sequence come to a close as Paddy Lacey got the only goal on Saturday.

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The clash failed to spark to life with decent chances at a premium throughout and both teams failing to find a rhythm for long spells.

Accrington did find a footing after Lacey’s 52nd-minute goal but Coleman was unimpressed with the quality on offer during the game.

Coleman told clubcall.com: ‘I didn’t really enjoy the match, it wasn’t a good game and both teams cancelled each other out.

‘We weren’t a threat in the first half, apart from hitting the bar from their player. We had a few words at half-time to be more of an attacking threat and I think we shaded the second half.’

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Pompey should have made the breakthrough when Carl Baker’s cross dropped to Roberts a few yards out.

The 32-year-old put his angled finish wide of the post, however, and Coleman admitted that he viewed that as a slice of fortune for his side.

Coleman said: ‘We had a bit of luck with Gary missing that early chance and it was always going to take one moment of quality to change the game – and thankfully it fell to us.’

That quality came from Lacey who was restored to the side after Scott Brown was taken ill.

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Coleman felt his 30-yard strike deserved to be the winner and wasn’t surprised to see the midfielder deliver.

He said: ‘It wasn’t a shock to us to see Paddy score that kind of goal.

‘We have seen him do it in training and in behind-closed-doors games.

‘We know he is capable of that and it was a goal worthy of winning any game.’