JOHN Coleman has called for his battle-hardened troops to keep up the good work-rate.

The Accrington Stanley boss believes his players' labour in closing Nottingham Forest down was key to them claiming yet another cup scalp on Monday night.

And he has urged them to take that, and the added confidence from their 1-0 win, into tomorrow's League Two showdown with neighbours Rochdale.

But Coleman knows the Reds will have to be wary against a side looking for not only their first point but also first league goal of the season.

"The players have set themselves a standard now that we know they can aspire to and they've got to keep doing it," he said.

"The Forest game takes care of itself, live on Sky and against quite an established club.

"Rochdale presents its own problems because they're trying to kick-start their season.

"It won't be easy against them - they'll be smarting from the fact they haven't won yet and we have to be on our guard.

"People can have off days and people can have good days. But things level out.

"This league is much of a muchness. I've watched a lot of games already. I went to Bury the other night against Sunderland, I watched Wrexham and Chester on Sunday, I watched Boston v Notts County last week, so I've got a fair idea of what it's all about now.

"Rochdale scored a couple of goals the other night against higher opposition (Doncaster - in the Carling Cup) so that might give them a bit of confidence. They don't want to go too long without a win and they'll be seeing us as a potential target to try to beat us so we have to be on our mettle."

But the Stanley chief is also banking on the euphoria from their Carling Cup first round scalp, and first clean sheet of the season, galvanising his side.

"I hope it encourages the players now to relax," Coleman said.

"I don't think there's anyone to be scared of in our league. If you're in a position where you are scared you shouldn't be playing for me, you should be playing elsewhere.

"They've got a clean sheet and a win under their belt against higher opposition, which is good.

"It's unbeaten in three now and we have to try to take a bit of comfort from that."

Coleman is, however, still waiting for his team to find full throttle.

"The lads were told in no uncertain terms that I didn't think the performance was acceptable (on Monday)," he said. "There are areas to improve and they've got to improve.

"It's a case of learning all the time, but I think you do that in all walks of life - not just football.

"But I think you learn in any standard of football.

"If you think you know it all I think you're very much in line for a fall.

"What you have to do is try to take on board how we can improve in this league and how we can achieve results in this league."

He added: "I still think the physical side of it (the division) does play a part but you have to combat it and there are ways and means of combating teams who are big and strong.

"You're not just going to make your players grow overnight but you can adapt to how other teams play and certainly then impose our style of football to give them problems.

"I think what you have to do is keep yourself in the game. Every game, at every level of football, levels out after 25 minutes after the hurly-burly of the start, and you have to be in that game.

"Last season that was our big key - we didn't concede within the first 15 mintues of any game until about the third to last game of the season and I think that gave us a platform to go on.

"Most of the time, as the game settled down, we responded with a goal and that's how we won so many games last year.

"This year, when we've been put under pressure we haven't really stood firm and we've conceded and given ourselves a mountain to climb, so that's something that we have to iron out.

"Once we start hitting top form we'll be a match for anybody."