JOHN Coleman expects Grimsby to make life tough for his Stanley side when they aim to end their woeful run of form at Blundell Park this afternoon (3pm).

Today’s clash pits two sides against each other that finished last season near the top of their respective tables.

But while the Reds were cruelly robbed of automatic promotion to League One, and then fell in the semi-finals of the play-offs, the Mariners came through a Wembley shootout to make the jump up from the National League.

That a meant a return to the Football League for the first time in six years, but they have found the going tough so far and sit 15th in the table going into today’s encounter.

That’s still five ponts above Stanley, who have found life after the near-miss a struggle.

Both sides are in poor runs of form – Grimsby not winning in their last four while Stanley’s streak stretches back to mid-October.

So it’s all to play for in Cleethorpes, and Coleman is prepared for a ‘trappy’ affair.

“They’ll be just an anxious to win as we will, so it’s going to be a difficult game,” he said.

“Maybe we have got a bit obsessed with our lack of scoring and maybe we’ve got to take that focus away because that may be having an adverse effect.

“You can make the home crowd nervous, but that depends on how well you play.

“We’ve got no divine right to be able to play well but we’ve got to do our best to try and do that. They will be doing their best to stop us.

“I know it’s going to be a trappy game but I also know we’re capable of putting a run together, and it’s got to start somewhere. We’ve just got to hope it starts against Grimsby.”

Coleman is ambitious as ever and hasn’t ruled out a string of results that will lift his side up the table.

“You’ve only got to look at the start Rochdale had and look where they are now,” he added.

“Football in general is tightening up and I think we can do what Wycombe did, not comfortably, but it’s easier to envisage it given the way we’ve been playing.

“The players have got to believe that as well.”