STRUGGLE: Ian Craney has been disappointed with his season
STANLEY midfielder Ian Craney has blamed his side's poor home record on the pitch at the Fraser Eagle Stadium.
The Reds take to the field tomorrow against Bury hoping to secure just their eighth home win of a miserable season on home turf.
The statistics - won: seven; drawn one; lost: 14; scored 20; conceded 37 - make grim reading for players and supporters alike.
And Craney believed the state of the surface was big a factor in their frustrating form.
He said: " I think the reason we play well away from home is because we go to some great pitches.
"Our pitch doesn't do us any favours at all and I think it's got a lot to answer for.
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"We've got players in the team who like to get on the ball, who like to run with it and pass it about.
"But our pitch doesn't let you do that. The ball's jumping about all over the place.
"It's something the club needs to look at and invest in so that it's sorted for the start of next season."
Craney injured his knee in training yesterday and is doubtful for tomorrow's clash with the Shakers although he admitted he was "desperate" to play in the end-of-season finale.
The Scouser's first game for Stanley was the controversial match at Gigg Lane back in September, when Bury snatched a late winner, despite Reds players and officials wanting the ball played out so the injured Andy Procter could receive treatment.
And he was hoping they could exact some revenge over Alan Knill's side and end the campaign on a high.
He said: "Bury was my first game and it was a game we should have won. That's been the story of our season really, it's been stop, start and we haven't been able to put a run together.
"You never like getting beat off a team twice in a season, especially one of your local rivals, so we've got a score to settle there.
"And I think we owe it to the fans. They've paid their money and turned out this season, but we haven't really given them much entertainment. We've got to try to put on a show for them."
Craney has scored eight goals for the Reds since returning from Swansea City, initially on loan, before securing his permanent transfer back to East Lancashire in January.
And although the 26-year-old is disappointed with his season, he has seen enough to convince him that the good times are just around the corner.
He added: "It's been frustrating. I know I've scored eight goals, but I should have scored 15, even though I was out for two months with a hamstring injury.
"I came back to Accrington because I think they are a club that's moving forward. We've got to win tomorrow and take that on to next season."
Posted by: diane, accrington on 9:13am Mon 5 May 08
Ian Craney is bang out of order with these comments, a case of a bad workman blaming his tools maybe? His re-signing was supposed to be the best thing to happen to Stanley this season but unfortunately that wasn't the reality, in fact just the opposite in my opinion. To blame the pitch is just stupid, both teams have to play on the same surface and surely our lads have the advantage in knowing just where any defects are.
Ian Craney is bang out of order with these comments, a case of a bad workman blaming his tools maybe? His re-signing was supposed to be the best thing to happen to Stanley this season but unfortunately that wasn't the reality, in fact just the opposite in my opinion. To blame the pitch is just stupid, both teams have to play on the same surface and surely our lads have the advantage in knowing just where any defects are.
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