Bell urges Accrington Stanley to stay in play-off picture (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Bell urges Accrington Stanley to stay in play-off picture

10:00am Friday 12th March 2010 in

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ACCRINGTON Stanley may have won just one of their last seven matches, but Jimmy Bell believes they will make the play-offs – as long as they are still in contention when April arrives.

Sixteen precious points dropped have seen Stanley slip from the verge of the top seven, with several games in hand, to 14th in League Two.

Bell, John Coleman’s right-hand man at the Crown Ground, knows all too well that many are starting to dismiss their hopes of promotion this season.

After tomorrow’s trip to 17th-placed Barnet, the Reds play three of the division’s top six – Rotherham, Rochdale and Bournemouth – this month.

But Bell has inspected the fixture list closely enough to be confident that Stanley can climb the league again in the final eight games of the campaign, with only three top-half opponents awaiting them during the run-in.

“I think if we can get to the last eight games with the fixtures we’ve got and we’re still there or thereabouts, I’d fancy us to make the play-offs,” he said.

“We just need to stay involved in the next five or six games.

“Everyone is writing us off now, saying we’ve had our good run and we’re going to start sliding down the league, but we’re as determined as ever.

“Look at Port Vale. They’ve had a good run and now they must think they have a chance. Northampton too.

“All it takes is one win. There’s a long way to go.”

Stanley conceded their 11th penalty of the season on Tuesday and it proved costly as Macclesfield Town claimed a 1-1 draw at the Crown Ground.

That ended the Reds’ rather quirky record of being the only club in all four divisions without a home draw in the league this season.

“I think that’s because there have been times when we could have just got a point but we’ve pushed forward going for a win,” said Bell.

Stanley are yet to face Barnet in the league this season, with their home game against the Bees twice postponed because of the weather.

They have met twice in the FA Cup, though, when Bobby Grant’s goal handed Stanley a memorable win in the replay at Underhill.

“We played really well down at Barnet in the cup and could have won a lot more than 1-0 with the chances we had,” said Bell.

“I’m just looking forward to going down there and hopefully getting three points, because that can get our season going again.”