Stanley manager James Beattie has told his players they are not assured of Football League survival just yet.
The Reds took a big step towards securing their League 2 status for another season as they won 1-0 at relegation rivals Exeter last Saturday.
That victory put Stanley three points off the 52-point target set by Beattie last month. It also opened up a nine-point cushion between themselves and the bottom two with six games to play.
But second-bottom Northampton can cut that gap as they visit the Store First Stadium this Saturday and with an Easter double-header on the horizon, Beattie insists the Reds have to be wary of being reeled back in during the run-in.
“We need to manage our energy going forward,” said the Stanley boss. “Through the period of games we’ve just had, I think we’ve managed it really well.
“We’ve played games with high energy and dynamism, but at Exeter I think it was just one of those games. Both teams were a bit leggy and it was played at a slow tempo.
“I think the lads were just tired and glad to get off the pitch with the three points.”
Beattie said after Saturday’s win at Exeter that the Reds deserve to climb the League 2 table. Well, they have the perfect opportunity against Northampton.
Beattie remains cautious as defeat would leave the Reds back within six points of the drop zone. A victory will put them 12 points clear with just five games left though. Not only would Accy be on the brink of survival but they could go from 15th to 11th.
However, the Reds have lost their last three against the Cobblers, who’ve lost just two out of their last 10.
Michael Liddle may replace Adam Buxton (ribs) while Tom Aldred is on a high after being nominated for League Two’s player-of-the-month award.
The centre-half scored the first two goals of his career in March and helped the Reds to three clean sheets. Although young Rochdale midfielder Jamie Allen was ultimately named the March winner, captain Luke Joyce felt it was about time Stanley players got noticed.
"It’s nice to see one of the lads getting some recognition," he said. "He’s been great all season.
"You’d like to think we’re safe now," Joyce added. "It’d be disastrous if we didn’t manage to stay clear. But we want to keep the run going against Northampton, to beat last season’s points total and see where we can finish, so we won’t switch off."
