ACCRINGTON Stanley legend Paul Mullin still has bad memories of his only experience of the League Two play-offs, but he is confident the Reds will not suffer a similar fate in their challenge for promotion.

Mullin will be at the Crown Ground for next week’s semi final second leg, just hoping his old club give themselves a better chance on home soil than Morecambe did a year ago.

The 37-year-old, who was recently forced to retire from full-time football because of a back injury, joined Stanley’s Lancashire rivals two years ago because of the Reds’ financial problems and was optimistic of realising his own dream to play in League One when Morecambe made a late run to finish fourth in League Two last season.

Like Stanley this time around, they were the form side going into the play-offs but their hopes came crashing down in the first leg at Dagenham and Redbridge.

They lost 6-0 and the second leg, supposed to be a rousing send-off to their old ground Christie Park, was effectively rendered meaningless.

“We were quite similar to Accrington in that we were the form team going into the play-offs and feeling really confident, but we just ran out of steam,” said Mullin.

“We lost our captain Jim Bentley on the morning of the first leg so we had to change the team compared to what we had prepared with.

“Then everything they hit went in. In the second half we were just shell-shocked.

“Everything that could have gone wrong on the day did go wrong and it was the worst time for something like that to happen.

“But I’m sure that won’t happen to Accrington. You don’t really see that sort of result in the play-offs, it was a freak game.

“They just need to stay in contention in the first leg, or even grab a win, and I’d really back them to get the result at home.”

Mullin is due to soon resume his career as a financial advisor, joining up with ex-Wigan defender Gareth Griffiths at Pro Sport Management.

Stanley’s record goalscorer did much to help the club to where they are today, particularly in their Conference winning season in 2006, and believes the club are finally starting to earn respect.

“I think when we came into the league people didn’t expect us to stay up and we were the butt of a lot of people’s jokes because of the facilities and the ground,” he said.

“But now people have had to take the club seriously because of the performances week in, week out.

“I’m going to be away if they get to Old Trafford unfortunately but I think my son, my dad and my father-in-law will go.

“After all the stick John and Jimmy have given Man United over the years that would be interesting going there.

“There will be a lot of Liverpool fans in the team and I just hope they leave Old Trafford as they find it!”