Coleman’s ready for his return to Accrington Stanley (From This Is Lancashire)

Coleman’s ready for his return to Accrington Stanley

10:23am Friday 5th October 2012 in Sport By Chris Flanagan, Sports reporter

JOHN Coleman returns to Accrington Stanley as Rochdale manager for the first time tomorrow, but he insists he will not have any extra motivation to secure a result against his old club.

Coleman left Stanley to join Rochdale in January, after more than 12 years with the Reds, because of the lure of League One football.

But Rochdale have since been relegated and go into Saturday’s game at the Crown Ground one place below in-form Stanley in the League Two table.

Coleman, though, insists the game will be no more important than any other.

“If you equate it to having a dial on your chest how much you want to win, mine is always set to maximum,” said the Rochdale boss, who has been back to the Crown Ground to watch games since his departure.

“It doesn’t matter which game we’re playing in, who we’re playing ag-ainst and what the competition is.

“I wanted to win as much in the Lancashire Cup as I want to win on Saturday. Tuesday against Bury will be exactly the same. People might think I’m being churlish about that but I’m not.

“Obviously it will be nice to go back and see a lot of old faces, a lot of people who I know and a lot of people who I have a lot of respect for, but I’m not expecting anything from them.

“We’ll work our socks off and try to win the game, like we’ll try to do in any other game.”

Coleman had been due to bring his Rochdale side to the Crown Ground in July for his long-awaited testimonial match, only for the game to be called off because of wet weather.

He included former Stanley players Phil Edwards, Kevin McIntyre, Ray Putterill and Ian Craney in his squad for Tuesday’s draw with Bradford, when Bobby Grant was sent off – meaning he will now miss tomorrow’s game through suspension.

Ex-Reds captain Peter Cavanagh will hope to recover from injury to play, though.

It would be his first appearance at the Crown Ground since he was found guilty by the FA of betting on Stanley’s match against Bury in 2008, as part of a £5 accumulator.

The verdict led to an eight-month ban from football and signalled his departure from Stanley in August 2009, after eight years at the Crown Ground.

Tomorrow’s match will see Coleman face his friend and former Stanley first-team coach Paul Cook, now in charge of the Reds.

Cook will be without Michael Liddle, who must now serve the final match of a three-match ban this weekend after Tuesday’s game against Rotherham was washed out.

Danny Schofield, who is on loan from Rotherham and would not have featured in midweek, is available again.