One week later than planned, Accrington Stanley welcome Boreham Wood to the Wham Stadium for their FA Cup third-round replay on Tuesday night.
The two sides, who played out a 1-1 draw in their opening game, were due to renew hostilities last week before the tie fell victim to the latest cold snap.
Match preview
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As the UK battles its latest bout of freezing temperatures, the pitch at the Wham Stadium was deemed unplayable for Accrington Stanley and Boreham Wood's replay last Tuesday, giving both managers another week to scope out the opposition.
The League One hosts - who will soon find themselves back in the doldrums of League Two if results do not pick up soon - were 12 minutes away from getting the job done at Meadow Park on January 7 following Ryan Astley's sixth-minute opener, but Lee Ndlovu forced a replay in the 78th minute.
Since being held by their fifth-tier counterparts, Accrington Stanley have progressed past Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy and seen off Bristol Rovers in the third division, but their purple patch came to a sudden end away to Barnsley on Saturday, losing 3-1 after conceding a trio of strikes before the 20-minute mark.
Languishing in 20th in the League One table and just one point above the dreaded dotted line, John Coleman's men can at least boast a four-game unbeaten run at the Wham Stadium in all tournaments, which should serve them well as they try to match their best-ever finish in the FA Cup.
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Accrington Stanley have made it as far as round four in the 2009-10, 2016-17 and 2018-19 FA Cup campaigns, but Boreham Wood - who managed to get as far as round five last season - will not roll over lightly as they endeavour to become the lowest-ranked team in the fourth round.
Luke Garrard's side have been the draw specialists so far in 2023 - playing out 1-1 stalemates with Barnet and Notts County in the National League either side of their clash with Accrington Stanley - extending their winless run across all tournaments to five matches.
Having posted just one win from their last 11 in the fifth tier, Boreham Wood find themselves lying smack-bang in the middle of the table in 12th place, safely 13 points clear of the relegation zone and only five adrift of Bromley - who have played two games more - in the final playoff place, such is the congested nature of the rankings.
Garrard's men have recent when it comes to defeating League One opposition away from home in the FA Cup - seeing off Bristol Rovers 2-0 in the second round after previously sending Wealdstone and Eastleigh packing in the 2022-23 edition.
However, Boreham Wood have suffered three defeats and a draw from their last four away games since getting the job done against Bristol Rovers, but a glamour tie at home to Leeds United in the fourth round is all the motivation that the non-league hopefuls need here.
Team News
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Accrington Stanley manager Coleman claimed that he had no fewer than 19 players unavailable for the original replay with Boreham Wood, as injuries and illness take their toll on the hosts' squad.
Aaron Pressley and Seamus Conneely both missed the defeat to Barnsley after suffering injuries in the recent win over Bristol Rovers, where left-back Rosaire Longelo was also absent, but he was able to come off the bench on Saturday.
Experienced striker Nathan Delfouneso has now left the club, leaving Tommy Leigh and Shaun Whalley to shoulder the goalscoring burden for the time being.
As for Boreham Wood, Garrard's men have not been in action since the draw with Notts County on January 10, with a frozen pitch postponing the weekend's league match against Torquay United, and the visitors should therefore be in prime physical condition for the cup clash.
A recognisable 3-5-2 formation should take to the field for the visitors, where Danny Newton and Tyrone Marsh will battle it out to start alongside Ndlovu in the final third.
Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Savin; Tharme, Astley, Rodgers; Quirk, Coyle, McConville, Hamilton, Longelo; Whalley, Leigh
Boreham Wood possible starting lineup:
Ashmore; Ilesanmi, Evans, Bush; Coxe, Payne, Brunt, Broadbent, Lewis; Ndlovu, Marsh
We say: Accrington Stanley 2-1 Boreham Wood (a.e.t)
A wealth of missing players for Accrington Stanley is not what the doctor ordered for Coleman, whose under-performing crop should expect a rough ride against a refreshed Boreham Wood outfit with nothing to lose.
Extra time may very well be required to settle this contest, but the hosts have held their own in front of their own fans of late, and a Boreham Wood side who do not travel well may fall just short of joining fellow National League side Wrexham in round four.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
