ACCRINGTON Stanley face what John Coleman has billed a ‘massive’ clash tonight - and they hope the fans will come and support them in their 90 minutes of need.

Fellow strugglers Dagenham and Redbridge are the visitors to the FES - lying just three points and four places below the Reds with both still in with a possibility of relegation.

There are five games left of the season and Coleman knows they need to chalk up an elusive win - which should make them safe - as soon as possible.

"It is a massive game and if we lose we are in a relegation dogfight," said the Reds boss, with four defeats in their last four games and Stanley seven points off the drop zone.

"If we can get back to playing like I know we can and put them under pressure, then hopefully we can get that win.

"I think we need one win and if we don’t get it tonight it puts extra pressure to get it in the next game and makes everything more stressful with five games to go.

"Dagenham had a really good spell but fell away but they will know that one or two wins and they will be safe too so they will go all -out for a win too.

"It should make it an exciting game and I hope for a good crowd.

"You can’t knock the ones who have come - they have been an inspiration to me this season. They are magnificent but we do need more if we are going to compete with other clubs in our league."

Chairman Eric Whalley is hoping the new season ticket prices - revealed last week in the Observer with an adult season ticket costing just £207 before May - and a good end to the season will help boost the crowds in what they hope will be next year’s League Two campaign.

"We need around 800 more fans a game and that would make a huge difference," said the chairman.

"That money could pay the bills and we wouldn’t have a problem.

"The 1200 who come week in week out deserve a medal as they haven’t watched the best over the last 12 months and deserve better.

"But, for the people in charge of the football, their hands are tied with the money.

"We lost two players because of a couple of hundred pounds. We missed out on both Glenn Murray and Andy Bishop and they have gone on to become proven goalscorers. But we can’t pay those extra hundreds a week.

"I didn’t want to go down the line of appealing for fans again but we do need them through the gate if we are to progress as a league club.

"And we need the businesses of Accrington to support us. So far, we have people sponsoring the game from places like Switzerland, Ireland and Norway coming over who are mad about the club but local businesses are too involved with higher prestige clubs and that is disappointing."

He added: "People talk about the manager and coaches getting sent off but it is the stress of the job. They are working under restraints financially and it makes an otherwise tough job even harder.

"That’s why we need fans to come through the gates tonight and raise the volume and get behind the team and support us."

Stanley have taken on a new vice chairman in Peter Marsden, 48, who has invested some money in the club - but the chairman is always on the look out for more.

"Peter has put a few quid in, he knows what he is talking about, and I would listen to anyone who wants to put money into the club."

A win tonight would make a League Two club a more attractive proposition and Coleman will have to shuffle his pack.

Left-sided player Aswad Thomas will miss the next three games after getting sent off in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Macclesfield.

It means, after extending his loan contract from Charlton by another month last week, it will virtually be up by the time he can play for the Reds again.

"These things happen," said Coleman. "It was a stupid sending off and he is young so hopefully it is a lesson learned."

But it might give teenage winger Bobby Grant a chance - he came on against Macclesfield after coming through the ranks at the FES.

"When he came on, he did well so hopefully he can recreate that form between now and the end of the season," said Coleman.

Meanwhile ex-Scotland ace Asa Hartford has joined Stanley as a reserve team coach and will work with Phil Hackney at the Reds’ Centre of Excellence..

The former Blackburn Rovers coach’s last job was assistant to Ian Brightwell at Macclesfield until earlier this season.

"He is a friend of our physio Ronnie Evans," said Coleman, of the former Manchester City and Nottingham Forest star.

"We heard he was out of work and available and we are pleased to have him on board."