Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman praised his defence as they kept their first clean sheet of the campaign in a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers.

The decisive goal came in the third minute when Joe Pritchard’s 25-yard strike was fumbled by Pontus Dahlberg onto the crossbar and it bounced down, hit the inside of the post and the keeper couldn’t keep it out.

The Swiss stopper made amends with some great saves, denying Pritchard, Sean McConville and Colby Bishop, but Doncaster struggled to test James Trafford at the other end.

Coleman said: “You would like to give the goal to Joe Pritchard but it’s an own goal, it’s come off the keeper. But we had enough chances to make that immaterial as their keeper made three or four great saves after that.

“At 1-0 it’s always nervy but I can’t remember our keeper James Trafford making a save.

“We stood firm and defended magnificently. We could have sulked with the loss of team-mate and good friend Cameron Burgess to Ipswich but, if anything, it’s made us more resilient.

“It was an all-important clean sheet and that’s two wins at home and I would have taken six points out of the first nine.

“We showed terrific work-rate and desire, we worked our socks off. We did fade but we are still suffering with a sickness bug.

“I hope to have some new additions in by the weekend but who would you leave out on that performance?”