9:56am Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Chris Flanagan
JOHN Coleman will reach his highest points tally as a Football League manager if Accrington Stanley win at home to Rotherham tonight, and defender Phil Edwards has urged the squad to win promotion for their long-serving boss.
Stanley were made firm favourites for relegation in August after Coleman’s playing budget was cut by 25 per cent, but Saturday’s win at Barnet took the Reds to 50 points for the campaign – the mark normally considered enough to avoid the drop – with 13 games still remaining.
Accrington have earned 50, 51 and 50 points during their three seasons since promotion to the Football League, but Coleman has guided Stanley to an improved league position in each of his 10 seasons in charge.
That record will continue if the Reds finish higher than 16th this season.
Currently 12th with three games in hand, that is looking likely as Stanley set their sights on the play-off places, which are five points away.
“People were tipping us to go down but that rallied us on,” said Edwards. “The gaffer has improved our points tally and the position every season so hopefully we can finish even higher this season.
“That would be a great achievement with what went on in pre-season with the budget. Getting to 50 points so early gives us a good base to build on.
“And our relationship with the gaffer works both ways.
“He puts pressure on us as players, so we want to go out and get results for him.”
Stanley host a Rotherham side currently sixth in the table, and then face two more home games against Rochdale and Burton.
The Reds have won eight matches at the Crown Ground already this season but only five teams have conceded more than Stanley’s 25 in 15 games on home soil.
“We need to be looking at getting nine points to try to catch the teams around us,” said Edwards, who scored at Barnet on Saturday but also missed a penalty.
“But we do need to get back to keeping clean sheets.
“If you don’t concede you don’t lose games.”
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