John Coleman knows the Easter weekend could be ‘definitive' in his side's promotion push as he targets six wins out of the last nine games for a top three spot.
The Reds take on fellow promotion chasers Leyton Orient tomorrow before they make the trip to 17th place Newport County on Monday.Fifth placed Stanley are one point behind third placed Bristol Rovers and Coleman knows at least one victory in these two games is vital.
“I think we need one win over Easter for an automatic promotion place,” said the Stanley boss. “If you don't pick up a win over the next two games, it makes it difficult to go up automatically, it gets harder as the games run out.”
In the 2011/12 season when Stanley reached the play-offs, they won five and drew four of their last nine games.
“You would hope that should do it,” said Coleman, who was looking to boost his squad with two new additions on loan deadline day. “I personally think if we win six out of the last nine games we will go up.”
Coleman knows though his side face a tough test against seventh placed Leyton Orient – especially with their recent away record.
“In their last five away games they have had remarkable results, winning at Oxford, Portsmouth, Notts County and Wycombe and drawing at Carlisle,” said the Stanley boss.
“They are one of the form teams in the division and they were top of the league for the first 10 games and it should be a fantastic game with a good crowd.”
Coleman has tackled a Nolan management team before in the Merseyside Sunday Leagues but hasn't come up against the O's player-manager Kevin Nolan.
“His brothers manage in our local Sunday League and I don't have a very good record against them but I would gladly swap 20 defeats in the Sunday League against the Nolans for a win tomorrow!
"They are a good footballing family from Merseyside. Kevin is level headed and a good pro while they also have our former player Nicky Hunt in their side and we need to negate what he brings to the team – he is a good passer of the ball and has a good footballing brain.
“They have kept four clean sheets in their last five away games but we know what we are capable of at home and we can give teams a tough game.
“Historically, Easter, being so close to the end of the season, is a definitive weekend and I hope it's positive for us.”