ACCRINGTON Stanley have just enjoyed their best season in the club’s history, but owner Andy Holt said: “I’m glad it’s over.”

An incredible 15-game unbeaten run ensured the Reds won promotion with four games to spare, going on to secure the League Two title ahead of a Luton side who had been top from November until Stanley toppled them in March.

But Holt admits the tension of the run-in got too much.

“This last month has been a nightmare,” he admitted.

“The pressure on you when you think you’re going to win it, it’s got to be worse than when you think you’re not going to win it, or when you’re losing and when you’re near the bottom.

“I wouldn’t want to swap places with Morecambe that’s for sure, but it carries its own pressure.”

Morecambe’s season went down to the wire at the opposite end of the spectrum as they avoided relegation on the final day courtesy of a goalless draw at Coventry City which kept them up on goal difference.

Of the pressures Holt experienced at the opposite end, he added: “We just wanted to get over the line. We were never going to get another chance like this, although I thought that two years ago,” he said of their near-miss with automatic promotion, going on to lose out in the play-offs.

“We weren’t ready then. In my opinion we’d have come flying straight back down. And it proved to be because the season after we were third bottom at Christmas, so for me it would have been a nightmare and could have cost us.

“We’re building the fanbase, we’ve got a better squad, we’ve got better contracts, a new stand going up. There’s been a lot of preparation that we’ve been doing over the last couple of years that will really help us next year.

“I’m chuffed to bits. We’ve done it and our name will be written on that trophy forever more.”