JOHN Coleman believes there are enough players remaining in the Accrington Stanley squad that experienced heartache in their last meeting with AFC Wimbledon to be ready to exact revenge this weekend.

The Reds were beaten play-offs semi finalists against a Dons side who went on to win promotion to League One at Wembley in May 2016.

Over two years later they are reunited, after Stanley joined them higher up the league ladder as League Two champions.

Back in 2016, Coleman’s men had gone from the brink of automatic promotion to being beaten 3-2 on aggregate after extra time.

After that, the team broke up, Rommy Boco required surgery for a facial injury suffered when he was caught by the arm of Dons captain Barry Fuller, and Coleman got ready to rebuild.

The memories of that Wednesday night at the Wham Stadium still smart, although in hindsight the Stanley boss feels his squad is better off, and better prepared for a higher level, for the two-year wait, and silverware to boot.

“I think that team were ready to go up. For large parts of that season I think we were the best team in the league and to miss out on the last day by a goal in the 93rd minute was disappointing,” said Coleman, whose lowest point that season had come before their play-off exit, having been pipped to automatic promotion on the final day of the season on goal difference after Bristol Rovers scored an injury time winner to pinch third place.

“The big difference was I don’t think they would have been ready for League One because of the amount of players that were going to leave. We lost seven or eight at the back end of that. I don’t think we would have coped with that.

“(From that team) we’ve still got Scotty (Brown), Mark (Hughes), Sean (McConville), Billy (Kee), Piero (Mingoia), Seamus (Conneely).

“I think if those players are taking part in the game this weekend they’ll have sore memories.

“It was quite a bizarre game here. We had the floodlight failure, we also had the horrific challenge on Rommy (Boco) that I can’t really say too much about because legal things are still going on with that.

“That put a sour note on the game to be honest.”

But Coleman would rather look ahead, than look back.

“A lot of water has gone under the bridge, two totally different sides and I’m looking forward to the game,” said the Reds chief.

“I’m looking forward to trying to get this elusive home win.

“I’m looking forward to our players playing and watching them to be honest, because we’ve played really well the last few weeks.

“If we keep playing like that eventually our luck will turn and we’ll score goals.”

Coleman added: “We’ve got to get better at putting the ball in the net, simple as that, and that’s probably the difference between us this year and us last year.

“We always do look likely to score, we’re just maybe not scoring as many as we should.

“It’s practice. We’ll try to get ourselves into situations in training and replicate the situations they’re going to be in. And practice makes permanent, not perfect.

“But I’m pleased with the way we’re playing. I know we can get better and we’re always analysing ourselves and the coaching staff are always thinking of things that we can do better and improve on. Every day should be a learning day. You’re always trying to get better and better at what you do.”

Coleman feels his side must get back to basics, look to earn their first clean sheet of the season and take it from there.

“I think so,” he said. “Connor (Ripley) has done really well since he came in and he’s frustrated that he hasn’t had a clean sheet, and for the way the defence is playing I’m amazed we haven’t yet.”