MY ACCOUNT
– League One strugglers Accrington Stanley are suffering an injury crisis
– National League Boreham Wood have claimed some big FA Cup scalps in recent seasons
– Recommended bet: Boreham Wood Draw no bet
League One Accrington Stanley host National League side Boreham Wood in this rescheduled third-round FA Cup replay and the prize is huge – a home game against Premier League Leeds.
And while home advantage and divisional dominance suggest that Accrington should be red-hot favourites, it is the underdogs who have the better FA Cup pedigree after last season’s impressive run to the fifth round.
Victories over AFC Wimbledon and away at Bournemouth before bowing out at Premier League giants Everton have given Boreham supporters a taste for more, and long-term manager Luke Garrard will fancy another crack at a top-tier opponent.
Standing in their way is an Accrington side who sit above them in the football pyramid but who have never been further than the fourth round and are struggling in League One due to an injury crisis.
The Wood will fancy their chances of claiming another FA Cup scalp.
Accrington vs Boreham Wood (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
Team news
Accrington manager John Coleman claimed that as many as 19 players could be unavailable due to injury or illness for the originally scheduled replay and while Rosaire Longelo returned to the bench at the weekend, the Stanley squad remains hugely undermined by absences.
Visitors Boreham will be fresh having not played for a fortnight due to postponements.
The stats
The 1-1 draw from the original fixture was a fair reflection of that game, with possession pretty evenly split – Accrington edging it by 53% to Boreham’s 47% – both having two shots on target and the National League side edging both shots and corners.
Boreham Wood sit 12th in the National League but could rise into the play-off places if they win their two games in hand. And while a long shot, victory in the play-offs could put them in the same division as Accrington next term as Stanley sit just one point above the relegation places in League One.
The Crown Ground has been far from a fortress for Accrington of late, with Coleman’s men winning only three of 12 home games in League One, losing four.
And Boreham will be confident of putting in a solid performance as they have picked up more points on the road than at home in the National League, losing only four of 13 away games while winning five.
Prediction
While a home match against a team two divisions below would seem the ideal route to a money-spinning tie with Leeds, this match has all the ingredients of an upset for Accrington.
Stanley manager Coleman is unlikely to make too many changes but that is in large part because he lacks the personnel to do so. And the injuries and absences within his squad make them vulnerable against a Boreham side who have a track record for FA Cup upsets.
While they left it late to tie the game at 1-1 in the first meeting, the National League side were good value for their equaliser as they pressed hard for much of the second-half until Lee Ndlovu finally levelled in the 78th minute.
Backing both teams to score looks a sensible addition to Bet Builder selections. Boreham have netted in all three meetings with the top two in the National League this term and have scored against higher-ranked opposition Bournemouth, Wimbledon and Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup over the last two seasons.
But it is also worth taking a small chance on another FA Cup upset when fully focused Boreham visit their injury-ravaged hosts. Back Boreham Wood draw no bet, available at 7/5 with LiveScore Bet.
