Match report

Accrington ST Defeats Cheltenham 3-1 in League Two

Accrington ST
Accrington ST
3–1
FT
Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Jan 31, 2026

Accrington Stanley (ST) dominated Cheltenham to secure a decisive 3-1 win in the League Two fixture. The home side took an early lead through Sam Whalley before further goals from David Love and Danny Matthews sealed their victory. Despite Jordan Thomas's late consolation goal for Cheltenham, Accrington maintained control throughout.

Key Facts

  • • Accrington ST 3 - 1 Cheltenham (Final Score)
  • • Sam Whalley scored in the 8th minute and provided two assists
  • • David Love added a goal in the 45th minute
  • • Danny Matthews netted in the 59th minute
  • • Jordan Thomas scored for Cheltenham in the 73rd minute

Lineups

Accrington ST

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Starting XI

  • 13 O. Wright
  • 2 D. Love (D)
  • 5 F. Rawson (D)
  • 17 D. Matthews
  • 38 C. O'Brien (M)
  • 28 S. Conneely (M)
  • 11 I. Sinclair (M)
  • 30 I. Heath
  • 7 S. Whalley (F)
  • 10 A. Henderson (F)
  • 39 J. Woods (F)

Substitutes

  • 27 D. Abimbola
  • 20 C. Brown
  • 24 L. Butterfield
  • 18 C. Caton
  • 4 C. Grant
  • 1 M. Kelly
  • 3 F. Sass

Cheltenham

Formation: 4-1-4-1

Starting XI

  • 1 J. Day (G)
  • 27 J. Tomkinson (D)
  • 6 R. Cundy (D)
  • 5 J. Wilson (D)
  • 21 G. Nurse (D)
  • 26 B. Stevenson (M)
  • 2 A. Jude-Boyd (M)
  • 8 L. Young (M)
  • 7 C. Deeming (M)
  • 11 J. Thomas (M)
  • 20 J. Bickerstaff (F)

Substitutes

  • 28 T. Backwell
  • 9 J. Davison
  • 41 M. Diallo
  • 3 G. Harmon
  • 16 J. Martin
  • 10 G. Miller
  • 24 S. Sherring

Timeline

  1. Accrington ST
    8' Accrington ST Goal · Normal Goal
    S. Whalley
  2. Cheltenham
    45'+1 Cheltenham Card · Yellow Card
    Robbie Cundy

    Foul

  3. Accrington ST
    45' Accrington ST Goal · Normal Goal
    D. Love · Assist: S. Whalley
  4. Accrington ST
    55' Accrington ST Card · Yellow Card
    A. Henderson

    Foul

  5. Accrington ST
    59' Accrington ST Goal · Normal Goal
    D. Matthews · Assist: S. Whalley
  6. Cheltenham
    60' Cheltenham subst · Substitution 1
    Off: C. Deeming · On: J. Davison
  7. Accrington ST
    66' Accrington ST subst · Substitution 1
    Off: A. Henderson · On: Conor Grant
  8. Accrington ST
    66' Accrington ST subst · Substitution 2
    Off: C. O'Brien · On: F. Sass
  9. Cheltenham
    69' Cheltenham subst · Substitution 2
    Off: G. Nurse · On: Josh Martin
  10. Cheltenham
    69' Cheltenham subst · Substitution 3
    Off: J. Wilson · On: S. Sherring
  11. Accrington ST
    73' Accrington ST subst · Substitution 3
    Off: J. Woods · On: D. Abimbola
  12. Accrington ST
    73' Accrington ST subst · Substitution 4
    Off: S. Conneely · On: L. Butterfield
  13. Cheltenham
    73' Cheltenham Goal · Normal Goal
    Jordan Thomas
  14. Cheltenham
    77' Cheltenham Card · Yellow Card
    J. Davison

    Foul

Match Stats

Stat Accrington ST Cheltenham
Fouls 7 10
Pass Accuracy 64% 71%
Offsides — —
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 16 13
Corners 10 8
Total Passes 299 400
Yellow Cards 1 2
Blocked Shots 4 3
Shots on Target 8 4
xG 0.67 1.20
Shots off Target 4 6
Possession 43% 57%
Goals Prevented — —
Accurate Passes 191 282
Shots Inside Box 6 10
Saves 3 5
Shots Outside Box 10 3

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Sam Whalley's early goal set the tone for Accrington, giving them a crucial psychological boost
  • ▸ David Love and Danny Matthews further extended Accrington's lead within minutes of each other in the second half, effectively securing the win