Coleman sets survival target ‘If we can get six or seven wins we can allay relegation fears’
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman has set his side the target of securing six or seven wins before the end of the season to ease their relegation fears.
The Reds have failed to win any of their last five league games, and have won just one of their last eight, seeing them drop to 17th place in the League One table.
They have a big game at the Wham Stadium on Saturday when they take on 19th placed AFC Wimbledon, and Coleman has made it clear what he expects of his side.
“If we can get six or seven wins we can allay relegation fears and start looking up the league while also planning for next season,” he told the club’s official website.
“We know this is a tough place to come to, we beat Portsmouth and Ipswich here not so long ago. Our pitch is one of the best in the league and where we can get the ball down and play football.
“We have to be on the front foot, be on the attack and make sure we play as much of the game in the opponent’s final third as possible and then decisions and results tend to go for you.
“We have started to chip in with the goals now. Colby Bishop, Dion Charles and Offrande Zanzala must be pushing around 30 between them and two of the players have made three steps up while Ozzy hasn’t played a lot of football in his career.”
With the transfer window also shutting this week, Coleman was hoping to tie up some last minute deals to improve his squad.
“We have things in the pipeline but it’s whether we run out of time before we get them over the line,” he said.
“It is hard, a lack of training facilities is a big problem but everyone who comes here says the spirit in the camp is magnificent and many who have been here go away better players.”
Saturday’s opponents WimbledonSaturday’s opponents Wimbledon are unbeaten in their last two games, securing a 1-0 win over Peterborough around a fortnight ago, before following that up with a 2-2 win against Burton Albion on Tuesday.
Mitch Pinnock and Callum Reilly netted for Wimbledon as they twice came from behind, cancelling out the efforts from Joe Powell and Jamie Murphy for Burton.
The two teams couldn’t be separated when they met in the reverse fixture earlier this season, playing out a 1-1 draw at Kingsmeadow.
Luke O’Neill got the opener for Wimbledon just before the break, but Colby Bishop equalised for Stanley in the second half, who also had Zaine Francis-Angol sent off in the match back in August.