HAVING had a couple of tastes of what a big cup tie can bring Stanley skipper Seamus Conneely is ready for more this season.

The Reds took on three Premier League sides in cup clashes last term, beating Burnley in the EFL Cup at the Wham Stadium before a cruel, stoppage time defeat to West Ham in the capital.

Stanley followed that with a run to the FA Cup fourth round when they again performed admirably at Middlesbrough in a 1-0 defeat.

Conneely featured in all of those cup ties in 2016/17 and he's now got the buzz for more, but to achieve that John Coleman's side will have to see off National League strugglers Guiseley tonight in a first round replay, with a trip to Mansfield the reward.

"If anyone plays in those games you really enjoy them, and we were competitive in both games," Conneely said of the games at the London Stadium and the Riverside.

"West Ham went to injury time and it was a great free-kick from (Dimitri) Payet and in the Middlesbrough game it was a 30-yard strike from Stewart Downing that was the difference.

"We acquitted ourselves really well in both those games. I really enjoy playing in big stadiums with 30,000 or 40,000 there, and we want to experience those games again this season."

Stanley sit second in League Two this season and promotion looks within their reach, but last term it was the cup results that provided the highlight for Coleman's squad.

"That was a real boost, that was the highlight of the year with the two cup runs," Conneely said.

"It’s big for a club like Accrington. It’s revenue, you get the prize money but you get bigger gates as well and if you can get a big tie in the third or fourth round it could be on TV as well.

"The players are aware of the importance of these games."

Stanley were forced back to the Wham Stadium against the Lions after a goalless draw at Nethermoor Park just over a week ago.

Both sides had chances in Yorkshire, but Conneely is hopeful the Reds can take control of the tie back on home territory.

"It’s more of a mindset, we can’t take any game lightly," the 29-year-old said when asked what Stanley had learned from the first match.

"I’m not saying we did, but we were off the back of a good win against Barnet and the confidence was high and then it was a very different game against Guiseley.

"They were at home and they could make it into a game that suited them more than us.

"We need to put our own stamp on it. We have our own style, it’s no secret we like to play out from the back, play through the lines and get the ball forward. "Guiseley are more direct, so if we can make it into our type of game we have a greater chance of winning."