NEVER quite able to make the breakthrough during their failed promotion bid last season, Accrington Stanley will make a leap into the League Two play-off places with a result at home to Southend United tonight.

For Jimmy Ryan a place in the top seven tonight is undoubtedly an incentive.

But the midfielder has warned that it must not be regarded as a season-defining game, for fear of pressure suddenly getting in the way of the Reds’ rise up the table.

Stanley, with 27 points from their last 12 games, have never been in the top seven at the business end of a campaign.

They flirted with it last year, on the brink of the play-off places with games in hand, but couldn’t break through the barrier, eventu-ally finishing 15th after a poor end to the season.

Now they are eighth, needing just a draw to move into the top seven. Indeed, they now have two matches before their play-off rivals play again – perhaps why boss John Coleman has described this game and Friday’s trip to Macclesfield as the biggest few days of his football career.

“We’re a different side from last year,” said Ryan, who expects to shake off a dead leg and a knock to the hip in time to play.

“We had about nine games where we went without a win then but we feel that we’re getting a bit fitter now than we were last season and we’re playing better than we were at this time last year.

“Hopefully we can keep on winning and keep on playing well.

“Moving into the top seven is the incentive that we’ve got for this game.

“But we just need to go out there and give it our all, and if we don’t get the win we’ve got to kick on for the next game. We can’t let a loss or a win determine our season.

“As much as getting into the top seven will give you belief, you can’t let it dishearten you if you don’t get in there.

“There’s still plenty of football to be played and if we win enough games then we’ll get in there.

“It’s down to us, not other teams around us.”

Southend, 14th in the table, were left angry when this fixture was called off just 90 minutes before kick-off in February because of drainage problems with the Crown Ground pitch.

Ticket prices have been reduced to £5 and Stanley will hope to secure an eighth straight home win after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Northampton.