MATT Crooks celebrated his winner against Yeovil Town and told the fans: ‘I owed you one’.

Crooks fired Accrington Stanley up to fourth in League Two as his fourth goal of the season secured a fourth straight win and stretched the Reds’ unbeaten run to eight games.

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And after missing a sitter in Stanley’s last meeting with the Glovers in December to miss out on a dream FA Cup third round tie with Manchester United, he admitted he felt like he had to make amends.

The 2-1 win, which included an opener for top scorer Josh Windass, ensured the club’s best start to a Football League season since 1956/57.

And while Crooks admits his Huish Park howler will never leave him, he hopes Tuesday night’s terrific strike goes some way to making up for it – especially if it puts them on the path to a top-seven finish.

“I hope so. It would be nice to see what happens,” beamed the midfielder, who said scoring brought a mixture of joy and relief.

“It was bit of both really. I always picture things before games. I didn’t picture it going like that but I pictured scoring, and it happened.

“My dad said I had to do something and try my best, and I think I just about did it.

“It sounds really clichéd but it was the fans and the club in general. It’s a team game but I felt like I owed them a lot myself, especially against Yeovil, so it was nice to do that.

“It just fell perfectly for me to hit it.

“I knew it was going in.

“I had a quick look but I pretty much knew straight away.”

John Coleman had encouraged his side to feel and act like winners, and Crooks admitted the manager’s message is sinking in.

“Everyone’s just buzzing at the minute,” he said.

“Everyone seems more bubbly and together this year and it’s created what we’ve got now which is goals and wins.

“We’re eight unbeaten now, four wins on the bounce. We all believe we’re going to win every time we go out to play.”

Ahead of Saturday’s visit of sixth-placed Oxford, Crooks added: “We’ve just got to keep winning and getting as many points as we can.