Stanley put to pick off survival fight rivals
STANLEY manager John Coleman is urging his side to take more advantage of playing the teams around them ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Shrewsbury Town.
The Reds were able to defeat one of their nearest rivals in the table when they overcame AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, securing a 2-1 win.
Goals from Jordan Clark and Dion Charles earned Stanley the victory at the Wham Stadium, despite having Joe Pritchard sent off just after half-time.
Attention now turns to their next game when they face Shrewsbury on Tuesday, who sit one place and one position above the Reds in the table.
With that in mind, Coleman has stressed just how important it is defeat sides that Accrington are fighting alongside in the battle to avoid relegation.
“We have lost to teams around us recently, Rochdale and Southend, and I was bitterly disappointed with them as, if we played them eight times, we would probably win seven of them but you have to look forward now,” he told the club’s official website.
“Goals breed confidence and, ironically against Peterborough last week, it was the first time we haven’t scored in 14 games.
“We have been finding the back of the net but not as many times as we should with the chances we have created.
“We have got to get back to hitting the target. Against Salford, we had 20 shots but only two on target; against Southend we had 20 shots but only hit the target five times and, against Peterborough, we only found the target twice.
“We have got to get back to finding the target 10/11 times and, if you do that, you should get two or three goals.
“The positive thing about Peterborough is that it was 60/40 possession to us so we are getting back to keeping the ball and we passed the ball well in the first half.
“We got a bit ragged in the last half an hour but we have to build on that. We have got to make sure, when we get the opportunity, we go for the kill.”