ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman is hoping his side can develop a winning mentality for their League Two campaign, starting with tonight’s home friendly with Championship side Preston North End.

The Reds welcome Alex Neill’s side to the Wham Stadium (7.30pm) tonight hoping for a first victory of the summer after a 1-0 loss to Premier League new boys Huddersfield Town and a 3-3 draw against an Everton XI.

While those results are far from disastrous and there were positives to take from the games, particularly against David Wagner’s Terriers, Coleman’s focus is as much on the result as the performance.

He said: “I want to win the game and get used to winning football matches. I want the players to buy into that.

“You do want to get your style of play right and you do want to progress and use the games as trial runs but you want to try and win. That is something I will always tell my players, even in training you want to win the games.

“We want to increase the fitness levels and give players a bit more longer on the pitch and it would be nice to win the game as well.

“When all is said and done the object of a game of football is to win it.”

Coleman has brought in five new faces so far this summer and admits that continuity has helped on the training pitch as he prepares for the new campaign.

He added: “I have been pleased with the way the training has gone, the players have worked hard and we didn’t have that much integration to do.

“Everyone knows their jobs and we are hoping to get a little bit fitter before the season starts and peak before the start of August.”

Tonight’s fixture comes just a matter of weeks before the pair do battle again in the EFL Cup first round and Coleman is hoping to strengthen his squad further before that clash, with a striker who has been on trial with the Reds the most likely imminent revival.

The Reds chief added: “I keep saying be patient, things will happen and we are trying to bring in a signing sooner rather than later but things do take time.

“We are in the process of speaking to the player and his club and we will know more by the end of the week.”