The League One season reaches matchday 31 on Saturday afternoon, as Cheltenham Town welcome Accrington Stanley to the Johnny-Rocks Stadium at 3pm in a basement battle at the foot of the table.

Eighteenth-placed Cheltenham are three points and four places above their visitors, with both sides needing the points in order to aid their respective battles against relegation to League Two.

Match preview

Cheltenham are in their second season in the third tier after winning the League Two title in 2020-21, and are seeking to avoid second season syndrome, after Wade Elliott replaced Michael Duff as manager in July following Duff's move to Barnsley at the end of last season.

The Robins would take a repeat of last season's 15th-placed finish, as Elliott's side are currently only two points and three places clear of the relegation zone in 18th place. A win on Saturday would take Town six points clear of their hosts, and they could move five points clear of the last relegation spot, depending on other results.

If Town are to win, they will need to improve their awful form of six matches without a win, with five of those six games having been losses.

Cheltenham are also bottom of League One for goals scored per match with 0.8, and they have not scored in their last two matches, with their most recent match being a 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers last weekend.

In order to improve these statistics, the Robins will need top scorer Alfie May to both improve on his nine goals and two assists between now and May, and receive help from other areas of the team.

The fact that midfielders Taylor Perry, Liam Sercombe and Ryan Broom have five goals and as many assists between them is a damning indictment of the side's attacking output, but a home game against fellow strugglers Stanley is a perfect opportunity for the trio to boost these numbers.

John Coleman's 23rd-placed Accrington are even deeper in the relegation mire, with Stanley having also lost three of their last five league games, conceding seven and scoring just three goals in the process.

The Lancashire side's away form is similarly dire, with the team currently on a run of four games without a win on their travels, losing three of those games.

Accrington are ranked 21st and 18th in the goals scored per match and shots on target per match tables, respectively this season. In order for these statistics to be improved upon from Saturday's game onwards, the team will need midfielders Tommy Leigh and Sean McConville to increase their league tally of 10 goals and three assists between them.

The 'Owd Reds will also hope that a much greater attacking output will be forthcoming from the January loan signings of Aaron Pressley and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who joined from Brentford B and Arsenal, respectively.

The pair started as a front two in the 3-0 loss to Lincoln City in their last match, and they will be looking to score their respective first goals for the club on Saturday against Cheltenham.

Stanley will be targeting Saturday's fixture as a chance to both cure their travel sickness, and go level on points with their hosts with a victory. Three points against Cheltenham could also take Accrington out of the relegation places, depending on results elsewhere.

Team News

Cheltenham and Accrington are both able to name unchanged 11s for the fixture at the weekend, with Stanley's Joe Pritchard being the only long-term absentee with a ruptured achilles tendon.

Wade Elliott will utilise the side's usual 3-4-1-2 formation against Accrington, with Broom playing as a number 10 and being charged with supporting May and Will Goodwin in attack.

Ben Williams and Ryan Jackson will provide the width for Town, whilst Elliot Bonds and Perry will offer protection for the three central defenders.

John Coleman's side will line up with an identical system to Cheltenham's formation on Saturday, with Doug Tharme, Ryan Astley and Harvey Rodgers making up the team's back three.

Stanley's captain Sean McConville and Rosaire Longelo-Mbule will take up the wing-back roles for the Lancashire outfit. Shaun Whalley will play in the number 10 role and hope to provide extra attacking ammunition and creativity for the team.

Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Long, Raglan, Taylor; Jackson, Bonds, Perry, Williams; Broom; Goodwin, May

Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Savin; Tharme, Astley, Rodgers; Longelo-Mbule, Coyle, Leigh, McConville; Whalley; Butler-Oyedeji, Pressley

We say: Cheltenham Town 2-0 Accrington Stanley

History in this fixture is on the side of Accrington, with Stanley having won three and drawn two of the last six meetings between the sides.

A repeat of April 2022's barmy 4-4 draw at the Wham Stadium would be just fine for the neutrals, but home advantage may see Cheltenham claim a crucial win.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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