JOHN Coleman hopes one small step will lead to a giant leap for Accrington Stanley.

The Reds manager was in confident mood ahead of the visit of Exeter City on Saturday.

With the bad memories of last weekend's FA Cup defeat to Leigh banished and the positive points of Tuesday's display at Oldham at the forefront of their minds, despite defeat, Stanley were ready to turn their season around.

Just one win in October had led to Coleman's men dropping slowly down the Conference table, but mixed results for most of the other promotion contenders had still left them on the cusp of the play-off places.

Saturday was the day the Stanley chief wanted his side to launch themselves back into the top five. And had they got the breaks their attacking play deserved, they would have succeeded.

Looking more like their old selves as they threw men forward after a muted opening, an early goal looked as if it would be destined to inspire them onto much bigger and better things.

Lee McEvilly, Paul Mullin and Ian Craney were at the forefront of a string of chances, so it was difficult to understand how Stanley went into the half-time break goalless.

McEvilly got them into their stride after 12 minutes as he darted down the right, skipped past Scott Hiley but his delivery was headed away.

Exeter's gameplan was disrupted when captain Glenn Cronin, who was injured in the build-up, was stretchered off and replaced by Daniel Clay.

But Stanley didn't let the stoppage affect their concentration and ploughed forward almost at will.

However, when McEvilly's shot struck the post and rolled along the line for goalkeeper Martin Rice to collect, there was a sense that, again, it wasn't going to be Accrington Stanley's day.

That didn't stop them trying though, and when Craney sent a delightful chip over the defence for McEvilly to charge on to, Mullin was waiting to receive the cross but was unlucky not to connect with the ball.

Stanley had begun to defend higher up the field, allowing them more space to run into on the counter attack, and Andy Procter was unlucky not to make the most of it as he burst on to Flitcroft's through ball but the keeper charged out to stop the ball at his feet.

McEvilly was on hand to perform heroics at the back moments later when Alex Jeannin's floated free kick slipped through Carl Ikeme's hands and threatened to drop over the line before the striker intervened and hooked the ball away.

Stanley recovered quickly and Mullin just missed the target with two headers after getting clear of his marker and Ged Brannan guided a header just wide across goal.

At the other end, Ikeme was twice called into action to stop Sean Devine's shot on the turn before parrying Kwane Ampadu's 18-yard drive while, on the stroke of half-time, striker Steve Flack had a shot deflected by Mike Flynn before heading over the bar following a spell of pressure.

The mist descended over the Interlink Express Stadium throughout the second half, but McEvilly's intention remained clear.

When Procter pulled the ball back from the byeline, the former Rochdale man only had the goal in his sights but his effort was blocked by Hiley. Moments later, he volleyed Brannan's right wing cross agonisingly over the bar.

Half-hearted appeals for a penalty were ignored when Santos Gaia went down in the box and took Mullin with him.

Craney then got in on the act but screwed his shot wide after linking with McEvilly, before Lutel James replaced Mullin.

But the striker had little impact as, like they did in the first half, the Grecians left it late to fight back.

Procter got in the way of Flack's shot before the striker almost made the most of a breakdown in communications at the back. Defender Gary Sawyer then headed wide.

McEvilly's bustling led to a corner for Stanley from which substitute Jonathan Smith almost connected with a header at the far post.

But Exeter had the last word, with Smith playing a crucial role to deny a late winner as he headed Les Afful's drive over the bar.

Coleman said: "We wanted our season to start today. Okay it didn't kick-off with a win but it's a small step in the right direction.

"It's not the big leap that we wanted and we expected - it's a small step and there are a lot of positives to take out of it.

"But we've got to keep believing in ourselves and our luck will change."