Coley given manager of month award

SHELDAN KEAY

JOHN Coleman insists that the credit must lie with the team after he was named League Two Manager of the Month for February.

The Reds had started February in fifth spot in the table, but a good run of form saw them pick up 16 points from a possible 18 to move back into the automatic promotion places.

Coleman fought off competition from several other managers to receive the accolade, but he says the team should be praised for their efforts.

“It’s obviously about the team and the Manager of the Month award should go to the team,” he told the club’s official website.

“Saying that if I win it in either of the next two months it should mean we are going up so I will be more than happy to accept it in March or April!

“Hard work has been vital to what we’ve done in February, we didn’t have the best December, and we knew we had to knuckle down and work a bit harder and apply ourselves a bit better, and we did.”

George Burley, who chairs the Manager of the Month judging panel, said: “A packed schedule can either be a blessing or a curse, but John Coleman and his team took full advantage of their great form and are now serious contenders for automatic promotion with 16 points from six games in February.

“An important comeback against Stevenage started the run going as Accrington Stanley remained unbeaten through February.”

Sky Sports’ EFL pundit Don Goodman added: “When the games come thick and fast, you find out a lot about your players, and Coleman’s team of seasoned pros coped brilliantly with the demanding fixture list.

“With a few of the older lads still nursing the painful memories of having promotion snatched from them two seasons ago, Coleman won’t have to search too hard for motivating the squad for the run-in this season.”

Accrington Stanley defender Jimmy Dunne was also nominated for the Player of the Month award, but the on-loan Burnley man missed out on the accolade as this went to Swindon’s Marc Richards.