THE return of Paul Cook added extra spice to Accrington Stanley’s first win in nine games.

Pre-match comments from their former boss, suggesting he felt he had the better squad at new club Chesterfield, were pinned up on the home dressing room wall at the Crown Ground ahead of their New Year’s Day clash.

Rommy Boco, a player who Cook signed twice – first for Sligo, from Accrington, then again in the summer after returning to the Reds as manager last February – went on to score the winner to make his old boss eat his words.

But Stanley manager Leam Richardson insists there should be no better incentive for his side than winning games and climbing the table.

“You’d have to ask the players if Paul’s return gave them an extra edge,” he said.

“For me we hadn’t won for a few games so that was the incentive. At home the onus is on us to go and win.

“I felt we could at least give a good account of ourselves and get a result, which we did.

“The standards are set now.

“Since I’ve been in charge we’ve put some great performances together, sometimes we haven’t got the result.

“You live by that as long as you work hard and give everything.

“If the incentive isn’t to climb the league I don’t know what is.”

And after kicking off 2013 with a much-needed win, Richardson hopes it is the start of a positive run of results as they look to get back among the top half teams in League Two.

“If you look at the points there’s nothing between the teams for a good space above you and a good space at the other end,” he said.

“If you can put a good, consistent run of results together you’ll quickly climb the table and hopefully if we do that this month and next month we’ll find ourselves in a good position.”