Wagner signs World Cup ace
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman is aiming to improve on the 1-0 defeat Town handed the Lancashire outfit last pre-season when the teams meet again today.
Tom Ince made his first appearance for Town that day and scored his first goal in the blue and white stripes to seal the victory.
But hosts Stanley had improved on the previous clash between the sides in 2016, when they were comfortably beaten.
And Coleman is hoping his side, which achieved promotion to League One last term, can once again improve.
He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “The season before last they wiped the floor with us but last year we gave them a good game. “Hopefully we can keep improving. “We have an Accrington XI going to (North West Counties side) Shelley so players will be getting a run out – so there will be a chance to get a lot of minutes under players’ belts.
“I think it’s important you have games that test you.
“Certainly the games we have lined up will do just that.”
The Stanley boss is keen on getting his players as fit as possible for their first season in League One.
He said: “I think everyone is feeling the heat, literally, and it hampers what you can do. It saps the players’ energy, so you have to be mindful that you don’t overwork them.” TOWN winger Tom Ince believes the joy of staying up last season has died down for the Terriers and now they want to get going again in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old scored two crucial league goals for Town last season, earning David Wagner’s men a point against Stoke City and three against Watford with his pair of strikes.
Those efforts helped the Terriers secure a second season in the top flight against the odds, an achievement reached after a 1-1 draw with 2017/18 league champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The penultimate-day draw sparked wild scenes of celebration in the Town end, but Ince believes that elation has now disappeared and the Terriers must now refocus.
He told HTTV: “I think the elation from last year has died down a little bit.
“I think it has to - I think we have to look at ourselves and be proud of what we’ve done, but not necessarily underestimate ourselves.
“We worked ever so hard last year to be here again and now there’s that really big, burning desire to get going.
“There’s no better start than to have Chelsea and Manchester City in the first two games and that shows the rewards and the exciting times still to come from the hard work that happened last year.”
Before Town retake their spot in the top flight, they must navigate a pre-season consisting of seven matches and the Interwetten tournament.
The Terriers began their summer campaign with a 4-0 victory over Bury FC.