Stanley boss John Coleman is calling on his players to hold firm with 10 games to go of the League Two season.
The 10th placed Reds are four points outside the play-offs with two games in hand on some of the sides above them.
This time last year, Stanley were in a similar position with 12 games to go but blew it, picking up just seven points from the last 36.
However Coleman is hoping his charges are stronger this time around with a clash at the League Two form team Aldershot tomorrow followed by Hereford coming to the Crown Ground on Wednesday as the Reds look to make it six home wins on the trot.
"We have got to try and hold our nerve now. We were at a similar stage this time last season and it was the Rochdale game which kicked off a bad run but this time we are four points better off and hopefully we can build on this," said Coleman.
"It is a big time for us and, having taken a point at Crewe on Tuesday, that will look a really good point if we win tomorrow.
"There will be a lot of twists and turns before the end of the season as not every team above us is going to lose and all we can do is try and win tomorrow and then try and win on Wednesday.
"We are having a good run at home at the moment and hopefully we can keep it going."
He continued: "Away, we have only won three times but have drawn 10.
"The frustrating thing is that if you split that up to win five and lost five we would have been five points better off and there were games that we should have won.
"Our performances have merited more points and that’s a shame.
"But hopefully we can get another win tomorrow."
Captain Andy Procter, with the Reds currently on 53 points, admitted the poor run last year hurt him.
He said: "I think last year some complacency set in as, like this season, we had games in hand and I think we just assumed we would win them and get into the play-offs and obviously we didn’t.
"This time we are guarding against such complacency and we are not counting our chickens.
"It is getting to the crucial part of the season now and there are still 30 points to play for.
"We have a target of 68 which should be enough for the play-offs but we just have to keep plugging away."
It was feared Coleman would have to cope without the influential 10-goal Terry Gornell after the striker was stretchered off during the goalless draw with Crewe on Tuesday.
But, despite having six stitches on a gash below his knee, Gornell is confident he will be on the pitch at the Recreation Ground.
"I have spoke to Terry and he should be okay," said Coleman with Gornell himself determined to play. "We do have Rory Boulding and Craig Lindfield standing by so there are options."
Meanwhile, Coleman is once again the subject of managerial rumours.
He is said to be on the Port Vale short-list, a team who the Reds beat on Saturday amid unsavoury scenes aimed at then-boss Jim Gannon.
The compensation frightened Bradford off last month and, with Coleman signed up to the Crown Ground until 2015, it’s unsure if a similar reason will put Vale off.
"You hear these things but any manager of any team doing well, especially when they consider the budget, will be linked to vacancies," said Coleman.
Ronnie Moore also parted company with Rotherham this week and Coleman, who has been at the Crown Ground for 11 years, admitted: "I was surprised at Ronnie going. It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction at the moment – who would be a chairman? I am just waiting for Inter Milan!"
The Reds chief wasn’t expecting any movement in or out in the loan market with the deadline last night at 5pm, after the Observer went to press.
"I am not expecting anything – at least no one has been in contact and we wouldn’t really be looking for anyone else."
Meanwhile the Reds boss was planning to take in three games over the weekend to make sure he is thorough for the Stanley run-in.
"I am going to Northampton on¿Friday night, then our game Saturday and then I will be watching Hereford on Sunday.
"Hereford, who we play on Wednesday, are one of those teams which you can’t underestimate.
"By all accounts they should have beaten Port Vale midweek when they drew and, although they lost 4-0 to Southend, by some reports they were the better team for large parts of the game.
"We have a good run at home though and we want to keep it going."
The Reds have 10 wins at the Crown Ground – one of the best records in League Two. They have now also kept 13 clean sheets in the league this season – five in the last 10 games.
