Odejayi hails Stanley survival

Kayode Odejayi believes it is a significant achievement for Accrington to avoid dropping out of the Football League this season.

Relegation had looked highly likely back in October when Stanley opened the season without a win in 12 League Two games in James Beattie's first campaign at the helm. However, the ex-England striker steadied the ship and Saturday's 2-1 win at Oxford, their first ever triumph over those opponents, confirmed their safety for next season. "It's brilliant - you can imagine," Odejayi said to the club's official website of the dressing-room atmosphere. "The boys are delighted from the staff right through the squad. It's a really good achievement for a club like Accrington when you think of the resources and the fanbase - as great as the fans are - and the size of some of the clubs we find ourselves up against. "And then with the bad start we had...all credit to everyone connected to Accrington Stanley Football Club." Beattie was a player when Stanley achieved safety last term and Odejayi believes his togetherness with the squad, who requested he be appointed at the end of last season, is one of the reasons why Accrington have stayed up. "He's a top man and he's one of the lads," added Odejayi. "He was in the dressing room last year and has had to make that transition so he's obviously not as in there as he was last year. But he should go on and have a great career as a manager."