ACCRINGTON Stanley were left counting the cost of the postponement of their home game against Burton Albion, with the match called off less than an hour before the scheduled kick-off.

Areas of the pitch left referee Mark Brown with concerns about player safety and following a lengthy inspection the Yorkshire official decided that the game could not go ahead, though Stanley’s players then played a training game on the pitch for around an hour afterwards.

The postponement was announced soon after promotion-chasing Burton had arrived at the Store First Stadium. Brown spoke to both managers, John Coleman and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, before eventually signalling the game could not go ahead.

It was a call that Reds manager Coleman had to grudgingly accept, but it leaves worries about the club’s finances in the short-term.

“He (the referee) thought the pitch was 95 per cent playable and five per cent where he didn’t think it was right,” explained Coleman.

“The pitch has got to be 100 per cent playable to play and he feared for player safety. It’s his call not my call and I have to accept it.

“I, though, wouldn’t be playing a practice game now if I thought the players were in danger so draw your own conclusions from that.

“I feel frustrated for the people who have to pay the wages at the end of the month and lose an influx of money which they haven’t budgeted for so that’s going to be difficult for them.

“If you think about the amount of Burton fans who would have come today as opposed to the amount of Burton fans who will come on a Tuesday night, you are probably looking at loss of revenue of about five or six grand.

“A club of our stature can’t afford to lose five or six thousand pounds. In terms of a cash flow point of view it makes it very difficult.”

The postponement denied the Reds the chance to put behind them the 1-0 Boxing Day defeat at York City, which left them without a win in three matches.

It was not all bad news for Coleman and co yesterday, however, as full back Adam Buxton stepped up his comeback from injury by playing in the 11-a-side practice match.

The missed game also gives on-loan goalkeeper Jack Rose extra time to recover from the hip injury which has ruled him out of the last two games, although it is unlikely he will be available for the trip to Exeter on January 3.

OHN Coleman admitted the postponement of this afternoon’s clash with Burton could hit Stanley hard in the pocket.

Referee Mark Brown inspected the pitch for more than 30 minutes before eventually deeming two parts of the pitch unplayable and dangerous and therefore called the game off.

Coleman’s players did take to the pitch – playing a practise 11-a-side match as they now prepare for their next game at Exeter on Saturday.

The Stanley boss said: “He (the referee) thought the pitch was 95 per cent playable and five per cent where he didn’t think it was right.

“The pitch has got to be 100 per cent playable to play and he feared for player safety. It’s his call not my call and I have to accept it.

“I, though, wouldn’t be playing a practise game now if I thought the players were in danger so draw your own conclusions from that.”

While his players could take their frustrations out in training, the club would be hit financially by the postponement of a home clash against one of the automatic promotion favourites.

Coleman said: “I feel frustrated for the people who have to pay the wages at the end of the month and lose an influx of money that they haven’t budgeted for so that’s going to be difficult for them.

“If you think about the amount of Burton fans who would have come today as opposed to the amount of Burton fans who will come on a Tuesday night, you are probably looking at loss of revenue of about five or six grand.

“A club of our stature can’t afford to lose five or six thousand pounds. In terms of a cash flow point of view it makes it very difficult.”