JOHN Coleman has revealed promotion this year would mean more to him because of the disappointment he has experienced in the past.

However, the Accrington Stanley boss does not agree with chairman Andy Holt that missing out in 2016 has been a “blessing in disguise”.

Coleman acknowledges that the club as a whole is better prepared for life in League One now than it was two years ago, when they agonisingly missed out by a goal on the final day of the season.

But, he says, he would have preferred to avoid the wait.

“The fact that we missed out and we have the chance to do it again this time, I think it would (mean more),” said the Reds chief.

“I’ve had a good few chats with Andy Holt and he thinks possibly it might be a blessing in disguise that we didn’t go up two years ago because we weren’t really prepared.

“I don’t know about that, we’d find a way I think to prepare. I would still have done it two years ago myself.

“But the club is in a far more stable position, so I can see where he’s coming from.

“We are 100 per cent better equipped (as a whole package) and are better equipped in the players who are here and on longer contracts.

“The size and structure of our club means that we are always going to be seen as minnows.

“If we can get ourselves on a stable footing, we have a nice ground, get the other stand built, get a training ground built, we can then start to be proud of developing a proper club in this town instead of a club that’s sort of ever shifting, ever changing, trying to just get by.

“We want to be a self sustainable club that can compete in the Football League.”

Stanley are in touching distance of promotion, but while Coleman is reluctant to count his chickens he is not shying away from the prize they are playing for.

“I can’t stand this ‘don’t mention the P word’ and all that,” he said. “If that’s your aim and your objective you should be speaking about that every single day, and we do.

“I’m incredibly proud of how well our players have played - not just played but how hard they’ve worked all season - and whatever happens in the next six games that won’t change.”