ACCRINGTON Stanley captain Luke Joyce has hailed his reunited midfield partnership with Andy Procter.

The duo played together for the Reds for two and a half years before Procter moved to Preston North End in January 2012.

MORE TOP STORIES:

But after Procter returned to the club on September 1 they have resumed their partnership in the middle, which was a key factor in Stanley’s run to the play-offs in 2010/11.

With over 580 appearances for the club between them they do not lack for experience, and Joyce, who scored Stanley’s winner from the spot at Mansfield on Saturday, is delighted to see his old mate back at the Store First Stadium.

“It’s been great,” said Joyce of playing alongside Procter. “He does really well in the air, uses his body well, his size, he can get the ball down and play as well so he compli-ments me really well, because I’m not the biggest but I put myself about and win as many as I can.

“I think we work well together and we’re really happy to be back playing together, the last time we were playing together we got in the play-offs so hopefully we can do the same again.

“We’ve got a real threat now in that front four, they’ve all got pace, they can all beat a player, they’re all composed and really good on the ball so it’s great for me and Proccy to play off them because we know when we give them the ball nine times out of ten they are going to use it well and keep hold of it.”

The win at Field Mill was Stanley’s third in a row since John Coleman and Jimmy Bell returned.

The winning run has got the Reds looking towards the promotion race, rather than over their shoulders at the bottom, but Joyce believes they now have to show they can deal with the expectation that comes along-side their good form, starting with next week’s game at home to Dagenham & Redbridge.

“With three wins on the bounce expectations go up,” added Joyce.

“After the game the gaffer said next week is probably the first time in a while where we’re expected to win the game, so we need to make sure we go into it with the right frame of mind and not just think that because we’ve kept two clean sheets on the bounce and won three that it’s a given that we’re going to go and win the game.

“We are going to have to work just as hard as we have today and have done in the last few weeks, but we’re hoping to take that momentum into the home game and keep this run of form going.”

Joyce also hailed the influence Coleman and Bell have had since they returned to the club to replace James Beattie.

“The gaffer’s made a difference,” added Joyce. “He’s changed the shape, he’s brought players in, he’s filling the lads full of confidence and he expects 100 per cent week in week out so he’s putting that pressure on the lads and at the minute the lads are thriving on it and really enjoying it.”