Manager Leam Richardson has told his Stanley players they have nothing to fear in the battle to beat the drop.

While the Reds’ boss admits there is still a long way to go in the scrap for survival, their hopes are back in their own hands after back-to-back wins lifted them out of the relegation zone.

Stanley have seven games left to keep their Football League status, beginning with tomorrow’s trip to leaders Gillingham.

The Gills are five points clear but have fared far worse at home than they have away, losing to the likes of Barnet, Rochdale and Wycombe.

They may also have to make as many as five changes following Tuesday’s game at Rochdale due to injuries picked up in the 1-1 draw.

Stanley, meanwhile, relieved the pressure by beating relegation rivals AFC Wimbledon 4-0.

“I think for a full 90-plus minutes, I’d have to say it was the best we’ve played this season,” said Richardson.

“We came up against a good Wimbledon side and from the first minute till the last we were outstanding to a man.

“I said to the lads before the game, ‘the onus is on yourselves to see if you can go and back that up from Saturday’s result’. And they did that from the first minute. Some of the football we played was excellent.

“Wimbledon came off a good run but for me, the lads and the staff, we thought that result had been coming for a while.

“That result came off a few performances and a few results of late.”

The Stanley boss added: “Over the last month or so I’ve told the lads ‘don’t fear playing football, you’re professional for a reason.

“People pay to watch you so give them something to watch. Don’t play with anxiety because that breeds bad decisions’.

“I give them that licence to go out and express themselves and enjoy themselves, in a criteria within the team – not just to play football as a kid. You’ve got a certain job to do but do it well.

“When they do that you’ve seen how good we are as a team.

“When people rotate, get on the ball in good areas, break the lines well and we’re solid on the back of that, I think we’re a very good team.”

After crucial wins over Wimbledon and Barnet, Stanley are two points clear of the bottom two but level with three other teams on 43 points.

“We just need to keep our heads down and keep winning games,” said Richardson.

“We can’t get carried away with a couple of results. We find ourselves in a false position for whatever reason – on and off the pitch, transition through the year.

“We just need to keep our heads down with the group we’ve got, the staff we’ve got, and work really hard because it’s far from over.

“We’ve got a lot of football to play and, if we can get the wins in early, then I’ll be happy.”