John Coleman knows there are plenty of goals in his Stanley side and feels they are getting closer to cutting them out at the other end as the Reds take on Blackpool on Saturday.
Coleman’s side face the fifth placed Seasiders at the Wham Stadium looking to chalk up their second League One win of the campaign and their first clean sheet since January this year.
The Reds boss says striker Colby Bishop’s ankle injury, sustained in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Wycombe, is not as bad as first feared and he knows there are goals in his side. Dion Charles, signed from Southport in the summer, scored his third goal of the campaign at Adams Park before a disputed penalty levelled the scores.
“We are scoring goals and we look like we will score goals,” said Coleman. “If you look at the stats in the league we have made the third most chances, we just need to continue that and put them away and then we should be able to climb the table.
“Both Colby and Dion have taken to this league like ducks to water and they will only get better. Dion does unbelievably good things, and sometimes some unbelievably silly things, but he is still learning and his enthusiasm is hard not to like.
“Colby is having a scan today but his injury is not as bad as first feared. He is adjusting to the demands of full-time football again and he will get fitter and sharper. Both are a handful for us.
“We have been working hard to eradicate the errors at the back and I think we saw that on Tuesday.
“We didn’t get the clean sheet we have been craving but it was a dubious penalty, I think anyone will agree with that.
“We dealt with Wycombe’s aerial and physical threats and we know Blackpool will be similar in that way. They have some physical forwards and they are a good team who are capable of winning and losing at the same time, similar to ourselves.
“We have to focus on what we are going to do and not get blinded by the opposition. At home, we have to concentrate on giving them problems not what problems they will give us.”
Coleman was full of praise for Blackpool counterpart Simon Grayson, who took over at Bloomfield Road for the second time in July.
“Simon is a good manager, especially at this level. I have known him quite a while and he always produces good players and good teams.
“I think he is embracing and enjoying going back to a club he knows, he feels comfortable at, and I hope they do well – just not when they play us.”