ACCRINGTON Stanley chief executive Rob Heys has urged fans to keep the faith in the club’s promotion bid and pack the Crown Ground for Friday’s play-off semi final second leg.

Stanley were beaten 2-0 in the first leg at Stevenage on Sunday but the club launched a campaign earlier this season entitled simply ‘Believe’, and they are calling on that motto as they bid to overturn the deficit on Friday.

Stanley yesterday had 800 tickets remaining for the second leg, with all areas of the ground sold out with the exception of the Coppice Terrace, which has been made available for home fans for this match.

Heys is still hoping for a sell-out and has stressed the importance of supporters arriving at the Crown Ground believing Stanley can still reach the play-off final at Old Trafford on May 28.

“We saw the effect on Sunday of a big crowd, because Stevenage was quite an intimidating place to go, and we want to create the same atmosphere here on Friday,” he said.

“We still believe. We were 2-0 down against Stevenage with 10 minutes to go in February and drew, and this time there are 90 minutes to go.

“In John Coleman’s first season here we were 2-0 down at Radcliffe with 15 minutes to go late on in the season and we wouldn’t have got promotion that year if we hadn’t come back and won.

“Tickets sales have been very good. We’ve got about 800 tickets left in the Coppice Terrace and hopefully people who come will be loud and vocal.

"Anyone who doesn’t believe should give their ticket to someone who does.

“The ticket office will be open late today and tomorrow and we’d like to think that maybe fans from Blackburn and Burnley will come and lend their support to their East Lancashire neighbours.”

The match will be shown live by Sky, who have chosen Stanley’s game ahead of the other semi-final between Shrewsbury and Torquay, which takes place at the same time but will be shown on the red button.

And Stanley boss John Coleman has no doubt that the club’s supporters will back the side all the way on Friday, as they bid to break down League Two’s best defence.

“Our fans were terrific on Sunday and they are the least of my worries because I know I can rely on them,” he said.

“We’ve got 90 minutes to salvage our season.

“Of the last 11 teams who have come to Accrington, I think 10 have had three put past them.

“I said to the players at half time on Sunday if we keep a clean sheet in the second half we’ll go to Old Trafford and I still subscribe to that.

"Stevenage conceded three against Bury last week so they’re not that defensively good.

"I have seen them concede about eight or nine goals in the last three weeks.”