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INTERVIEW: Our win will be fresh in Wrexham minds says Coley

Reds make trip to Racecourse Ground for first time since 2008

29 February 2024

Interviews

INTERVIEW: Our win will be fresh in Wrexham minds says Coley

Reds make trip to Racecourse Ground for first time since 2008

29 February 2024

John Coleman believes Wrexham will still have November's 2-0 defeat fresh in their minds as Accrington Stanley travel to the Racecourse Ground for a league fixture for the first time since 2008.

Goals from Tommy Leigh and Rosaire Longelo halted promotion-chasing Wrexham's 11-game unbeaten run at the Wham Stadium in the latter end of 2023.

Phil Parkinson's side have stayed around the promotion places since then, currently fourth in the league, while 15th placed Stanley are looking to bounce back and move up the table following two defeats.

With the Hollywood owners and the influx of money, attendances have grown from 3,657 on Stanley's last trip to Wrexham 16 years ago - a 3-1 win with current player Shaun Whalley on target - to now averaging 10,000.

Coleman said: "You play the occasion and the football team. There were a lot of things said after our game, I think they were on a really good run.

"There is a feel-good factor around Wrexham which is good to see, you want to see clubs flourishing. I have no envy of that.

"They have had an influx of money, have spent it wisely, and they have great players.

"They have had some unbelievable success and we played them in the middle of that feel-good factor and we beat them.

"I think they felt slighted that they were beaten by 'little Accrington Stanley.'

"But we have proved throughout the last 12/15 years that we are no long 'little Accrington.'

"We might be in terms of monetary value and what we can pay etc, we live within our means, but we are rich in spirit and we have proved that time and time again that we are not the little club.

"It's not a shock when we do well and beat so-called bigger teams. We beat them and it will still be hanging over their fans in my opinion and I think their players will be wanting to win for that reason."

Stanley's injury-list remains in double figures and they are reliant on younger players, with Leslie Adekoya and Anjola Popoola coming on in Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Walsall. A packed Racecourse Ground will be a lively atmosphere for them to cope with.

Coleman continued: "We have got to talk to our players and remind them about their roles and responsibilities on the pitch. They have proved they can handle things, let's hope they can handle Wrexham on Saturday."

While the Reds have lost their last two games, it has been close and Coleman has been pleased with the application of his young side.

"Our team are doing wonders, being able to stay in games so long," he said.

"We haven't been beaten by two goals for a while and the fact that in late February we are still in a positive goal difference shows you how hard the lads are working to try and protect our goal.

"We would like to score more goals but it's not all doom and gloom and you have to take it on face value - the players are working extremely hard and are performing way above my expectations and I have high expectations of them all.

"The way we have adapted to so many changes in personnel, I can only take my hat off to them for their efforts.

"I would love to have more wins for our fans, ourselves and the team and we will be trying to go out and get more wins between now and the end of the season."

Coleman is hoping to have Whalley and Alex Henderson back but Ben Woods has had a scan with the Reds awaiting the results. Brad Hills sits out the third game of a four-match suspension.


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