YOU'D have got long odds on Accrington Stanley and Walsall both suffering just one defeat in their first nine League One games of the season.

The Saddlers and Stanley have been the surprise packages of the third tier this term, with Walsall sitting in fifth after five wins, while the Reds are in ninth with five draws.

John Coleman's side rediscovered the winning feeling last weekend after a string of stalemates, beating AFC Wimbledon 2-1, and victory at the Bescot Stadium would see them close to within a point of the hosts.

While neutral observers wouldn't have expected to see either Dean Keates' or Coleman's teams in these positions at this stage of the campaign, the latter believes it shows that expectations can be defied at this level.

"They’ve done well, they’ve got good players, we know how they play, they probably know how we play," Coleman said of the threat posed by Walsall. "They’ve had some really good results and they’re ahead of us in the table for a reason.

"Nobody expected us to be in and around the top half, nobody expected Shrewsbury to be up there last year. You can’t go off people’s expectations, you have to go on the pitch, we’ll keep working hard to try and improve."

Stanley were tipped for a season of struggle in their first campaign at this level, but so far they have defied the doubters, stringing together an eight-game unbeaten run since the opening day of the season, when they suffered stage fright against Gillingham.

But that run of results hasn't changed Coleman's expectations, with the Wham Stadium chief insists he always had faith his team could compete in League One, with the message to aim for more than just survival.

"My expectations from day one were that we could compete in this league because we’ve played against a lot of teams in this league," he said.

"It held no fears from me, I said to the lads our mission this season shouldn’t be about survival, if you do that what’s the point in being here?

"I don’t think there’s ever been an issue with confidence for us. We’ve got good lads in there, the atmosphere around the place is fantastic and it’s a pleasure coming in every day."

While Stanley are renewing recent acquaintances with many of the teams in the division, they haven't faced the Saddlers in the league since the 2006/07 campaign, the Reds first back in the Football League.

It was Walsall who did the double in their meeting that season and Coleman is keen to right a few wrongs this weekend.

His side were beaten 3-2 at the Bescot Stadium in March 2007, with Keates netting an equaliser for Walsall.

"We’ve not played them for a while, it must have been the first year we came in, we didn’t cover ourselves in glory the last time we went there so hopefully we’ll have better luck," said Coleman.