IN a week when the financial cloud hanging over Accrington Stanley appears closer to being lifted, optimism abounds at the Crown Ground after back to back victories that have gone some way to restoring the Reds’ promotion hopes.

The last two years have not been the easiest for Stanley after cash problems and an ownership struggle.

But, while key figures at the club are now hopeful of an imminent resolution to the Reds’ off-the-field woes, John Coleman’s side gave fans more reasons to be optimistic last night as Sean McConville came off the bench to net a deserved win against Crewe. Even the troublesome pitch was much improved.

Stanley – still 14th in League Two and eight points behind the play-off places, albeit with games in hand – still have some work to do to catch up the top seven.

But Coleman last week asked for 10 wins from their final 19 games, and so far they have produced two from two.

The match was given the go-ahead after intensive work on the Crown Ground playing surface since the home game against Southend 10 days ago was postponed 90 minutes before kick-off because of a waterlogged pitch.

Temporary drains have been installed and, while the pitch may not have looked like a work of art with huge lines of sand across the centre of the field, it at least made football more possible than in the mudbath of recent times.

Stanley named the same side that won at high-flying Wycombe on Saturday but fellow play-off hopefuls Crewe were ahead after eight minutes.

The Reds defence failed to deal with a long ball and it dropped to Byron Moore, who swivelled and found the bottom corner from 15 yards.

But Crewe’s lead lasted only four minutes as Ian Craney carried the ball across the face of the area and found Charlie Barnett, who curled into the far corner.

The hosts began to gain the ascendancy, with Craney’s run ending with a deflected shot that forced a good save out of Rhys Taylor before Terry Gornell headed narrowly wide from a free kick.

Stanley perhaps should have been ahead at half time on the balance of play but they needed only two minutes of the second period to take the lead thanks to a goal of the season contender from Craney.

Gornell chested the ball into Craney’s path and the 28-year-old produced a stunning first goal since his return to Stanley, rifling in a shot from 25 yards that gave Taylor no chance.

The Reds pushed for a third as Barnett’s precise 20-yard shot was superbly turned wide by Taylor.

Stanley were playing some impressive football on a more conducive pitch but Crewe renewed their efforts midway through the half and a surprise equaliser came when the ball broke to centre back Dave Artell on the end of the box and the former Morecambe man volleyed low into the corner.

The home side immediately threw on McConville, though, and the substitute restored Stanley’s lead within three minutes of his arrival – notching his eighth of the season after collecting Barnett’s pass finding the net.

With Dario Gradi in charge of Crewe once more, this was a match between two school teachers turned managers.

It was Coleman’s side who handed out the footballing lesson on this occasion.