Preview: Accrington Stanley vs Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

Accrington Stanley and Gillingham will kick off their 2025-26 League Two season when they meet at the Wham Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts won just one of their four pre-season friendly fixtures in preparation for this clash, alongside one draw and two losses, while the visitors won two, drew one and lost three of their six friendly outings.

Match preview

Accrington Stanley have had a difficult time in League Two since their relegation from League One in 2022-23, finishing 17th in 2023-24 and 21st in 2024-25.

John Doolan, in charge since March 2024, will be hoping to steer Accrington Stanley clear of the relegation battle this term, and a positive start on Saturday could be vital in setting the tone for their season.

The Reds do have a strong record when playing at home in their opening game of the campaign, having won two and drawn one of their last three matches when starting their season at the Wham Stadium.

Hoping to extend that streak with a positive result on Saturday, Accrington Stanley will be aiming to build upon a 4-1 win over Rotherham United in their final friendly fixture.

However, that victory was Accrington Stanley's only win during their pre-season schedule, recording one draw (1-1 with Everton) and suffering two defeats (2-1 to Blackburn Rovers and 4-2 to Wigan Athletic).

Gillingham have similarly struggled since their demotion from League One in 2021-22, having finished 17th in 2022-23, 12th in 2023-24 and 17th again in 2024-25.

The Gills initially started the season in superb form, sitting top of the table at the end of September, but after suffering 10 defeats in the following 15 matches, Mark Bonner was sacked from his role as manager.

John Coleman briefly stepped in as manager, but two wins, seven draws and five defeats later, and Gareth Ainsworth was eventually hired on a permanent basis.

Ainsworth ended the campaign unbeaten, with six draws and three wins, and the manager will be hoping to pick up where they left off with a win on Saturday.

Gillingham do have plenty of reason to be confident heading into this clash, as they are unbeaten at the Wham Stadium in all of their last seven visits, including five wins and two draws.

Accrington Stanley form (all competitions):

L D L W

Gillingham form (all competitions):

W D L L L W

Team News

Shaun Whalley was Accrington Stanley's joint-top scorer in 2024-25 with nine goals in 33 league appearances, and with three goals in his last two matches during pre-season, the forward should lead the line.

Charlie Caton could be Whalley's strike partner on Saturday, while Benjamin Woods - who also scored nine league goals last term - should start in central midfield.

As for Gillingham, Sam Vokes and Seb Palmer-Houlden have both joined the club during the summer transfer window, and both could be in contention to make their competitive debuts on Saturday.

Joseph Gbode had a promising pre-season with three goals in his last two matches, and the 20-year-old forward could start for Gillingham in this one.

Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:

Kelly; Rawson, Matthews, Coyle; Sinclair, Woods, Grant, Love; Brown; Caton, Whalley

Gillingham possible starting lineup:

Morris; Smith, Ogie, Masterson; Hutton, McKenzie, Little, Clark; Dack; Palmer-Houlden, Gbode

We say: Accrington Stanley 1-2 Gillingham

Gillingham enjoyed a superb end to the 2024-25 campaign under Ainsworth's management, and given their strong record at the Wham Stadium, we believe the visitors will secure the victory over Accrington Stanley.

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