ACCRINGTON Stanley winger Sean McConville believes there are similarities between the quality of football the Reds have produced this season and in their late run to the play-offs five years ago.

Most of the talk in recent weeks has been on the 10-year anniversary of Stanley's Conference winning side, led by John Coleman.

But McConville was a key member of the 2010/11 vintage whose fifth placed finish is the highest in the club's history at the moment.

That record looks like being broken this season with Coleman's side sitting second with two games to go and McConville believes there is a sense of excitement that something special is beginning to brew around the Wham Stadium.

“It’s exciting times, people can feel something happening around the club. The year we got in the play-offs in 2010/11 everyone could feel the same.

“Between the squad, the management, the fans, the new owner, everyone is sensing something’s going to happen at Accrington this season.

“Hopefully we can get over the line with the automatic spots."

Stanley could be promoted this weekend if they win away at Wycombe and either Oxford lose or Bristol Rovers draw.

However wins over Wycombe and Stevenage at home on the final day of the season will guarantee automatic promotion regardless of how other results go.

The Reds have hovered around the promotion battle all season, although they only recently forced their way into the top three. A slow start saw them in mid-table in August but since September 14 they have never been lower than eighth.

Five years ago it was a different story. Stanley were 19th at the turn of the year but lost just three times after that to storm home in fifth place.

Despite ending the season in form they suffered play-off heartbreak, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Stevenage, with McConville seeing red in the home leg.

“We’re playing similar football to then, but in that season we struggled early on and I think we were 18th or 19th come Christmas and then all of a sudden we just hit a run and started winning a lot of home games," said McConville, who scored 13 goals in 48 games for the Reds that season.

“That year we got in the play-offs we were very strong at home, I think we won seven out of seven at home towards the end of the season."