John Coleman was confident of signing a defender ahead of tomorrow’s clash at struggling Torquay.

Blackburn loan centre-half Johnny Flynn is on Northern Ireland international duty in San Marino as is Leicester loan striker Billy Kee so the Reds boss was keen to have cover and was hoping to snap up a Premiership teenager who has been doing well in the reserves for his club.

"We need to bring someone in and he will be challenging for a first team place," said the Reds boss, who had been limited to just 20 players before this month due to a transfer embargo.

"We hope to have him signed up in time for tomorrow’s match. He has been training with us and will be a good addition.

"We are also looking at a non-defender as I think we need a couple of new faces to give us more strength in depth."

This is especially as Stanley have 17 games left to play before May 8 - that’s 10 weeks - and so will be playing on most Tuesdays and Saturdays until the end of the season.

The Reds are just two points off the play-offs with games in hand on all of the teams above them except Notts County, who have just appointed ex-Burnley boss Steve Cotterill as their new manager.

Coleman said: "It is going to be a hard slog but I am looking forward to the challenge.

"Anyone who puts a run together now will find themselves up there. The margins are so small between each other that every point is important.

"Torquay will be hard because they are fighting for their lives but I think they are playing better than their league position suggests. But for us, I just want us to get back to the form we showed over Christmas where we were keen and bright.

"The lads are still like that in training and want to work hard and want to win games and that’s why it was important we bounced back on Saturday."

That was a huge win to see off Bradford as the Reds needed to get their play-off push back on track after securing just one point out of their previous nine.

The only disappointment was that Tuesday’s clash with fellow play-off hopefuls Burton was postponed again due to the weather.

Massive

"Saturday was massive result," continued Coleman. "The longer you go without winning the more it can play on your mind so it was important we got a win under our belts sooner rather than later.

"We knew we were getting better with our performances and thankfully we have turned a decent performance into three points.

"It makes up for last Tuesday’s loss at Lincoln a little bit but we can’t pass up many more opportunities.

"I thought it was a professional performance, we worked hard, and there was good passing movement.

"We wanted to play on Tuesday but it is just one of those things we are getting used to at the moment. The problem is we keep falling further behind in games but you just have to get on with it."

And Coleman is hoping for more of these positive performances – not like in the previous three games where they didn’t fashion enough chances or take what was created.

Coleman continued: "Against Bradford, were on the front foot, we wanted to take the game to them even at the end and the lads deserve all the praise as they have worked their socks off to get the three points.

"I thought we passed the ball well. We have got hunger, we played at a high tempo and kept at it.

"We know we need, at home, to be on the front foot, press teams and make chances.

"It was pleasing for the players, especially for the defence to keep a clean sheet and Bavs (Ian Dunbavin) because he has come in and, in three games, he’s done well."

Coleman admitted that perhaps he had been harsh on his side after the last-minute loss to struggling Lincoln, where he said the players had let themselves, the fans and him down.

"We have got a cracking team spirit and I was disappointed after Lincoln but, when you reflect on it, I have said the players let me down but they haven’t let me down but let themselves down.

"They are so disappointed that we haven’t won and that’s a good spirit to have in the team at the moment. The players are upset when they don’t perform to the top of their ability,

"I hope we can go on a run and get some momentum again and we can capiltalise on our home form.

"In the main, our away form has also been good so hopefully we can continue that too."

And Coleman hasn’t changed his tip for the top despite Rochdale losing to Bradford on Tuesday night.

"Rochdale will win the league. They are the best side in the league and they are the most consistent," he added.