ACCRINGTON Stanley boss James Beattie believes one more win could see his Reds side secure their Football League status for another season, as it was revealed that the squad were not paid prior to last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Northampton Town.

Beattie admits the survival task has not been aided by salary issues.

“Saturday would have been a great opportunity for us to retain our league status,” Beattie said.

“We didn’t manage that for one reason or another, I suppose it doesn’t help when your players don’t get paid before the biggest game of the season.

“That’s something that I’ve had to speak to the lads about this week and they know that we need to do a job between now and the end of the season.

“They’re all in good spirits even though they’re not seeing all their money. It’s always a learning curve as a manager, your education never stops.

“Things that go on at the club, it certainly keeps me busy.

“But I’ve just got to concentrate on the lads and everything is about them and getting results.”

It is far from the first time that Stanley have seen wages paid late in recent years, such has been the hand-to-mouth existence that the club often have.

Players have now received some of their salaries ahead of tomorrow’s game at York.

Stanley sit six points clear of the League Two relegation zone with only five games left to play, having been adrift at the foot of the table early in the season.

Beattie thinks one more win could be enough to confirm survival for the 16th-placed Reds, although he will be setting his sights higher than that.

“If we get one more win and results go our way we will still stay in the league,” he said.

“But we’ll just be trying to win as many games as we can between now and the end of the season.”

Peter Murphy’s injury-time equaliser rescued a draw in a nail-biting six-pointer when Stanley travelled to fellow relegation candidates York last April.

This time around a York side managed by former Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington go into the game in the play-off places and as one of the division’s form teams.

“Nigel Worthington has done a great job there,” Beattie said.

“He’s a very nice guy, he’s obviously more experienced than I am and he’s always been very receptive to me and I respect him as a manager.

“But there’s huge potential in our dressing room and I believe 100 per cent in my players to go and get a result.”