ACCRINGTON Stanley begin their FA Cup quest with manager John Coleman knowing a win is vital - to boost the coffers and the fans.

Things have not being going Stanley's way with just five league points out of a possible 21.

And the 4-0 thumping by Scarborough last week was a massive disappointment especially in the build-up to Saturday's huge FA Cup fourth qualifying round at home to Conference strugglers Leigh RMI.

Coleman has read the riot act to his players and says there will be new faces at the club who he thinks will help the Reds get back on track for a play-off place.

But this won't happen before this weekend and all his energy is being put into trying to get Stanley through the Leigh game - and then try and replicate the FA Cup run from last season which saw the Reds defeat two league sides and earn thousands of pounds for the club.

Coleman knows it is a pressure game - and he isn't helped by the fact defenders Peter Cavanagh and Robbie Williams are doubtful, Lee McEvilly is suspended and Lutel James is on the transfer list and looks set to be elsewhere. On loan Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme also won't play as he would be cup-tied so Danny Alcock will start.

But Coleman still hopes the fans will turn out in their numbers with the buzz the FA Cup brings.

"There's not many games which we play at home, where the fans go home disappointed," said the Reds boss, although the average gate has gone down to 1,513 compared to 1,797 last year.

"It is a lovely pitch which hasn't been played on for a while and we are capable of producing some great football. If we think about how we did last year - how enjoyable it was, it would be a folly not to do it again. It's nice for the fans, if we go on a cup run, to be there at the start.

"We know Leigh are not going to roll over and die. They didn't in the league this year and when they lost to us in the FA Cup last year. We will approach it as out biggest game of the season.

"It is our chance to get in with the big boys and maybe get ourselves on TV, where they money is as regards the club. It doesn't matter whether it is an FA Cup or any cup match, though, our personal pride should want us to win any game."

Coleman insists the mood isn't downbeat in the camp despite the recent results.

"It is not doom and gloom. We have raised expectations and it is hard to lower them. We got to second in the league and raised the expectations of everyone but I am no different. I have high hopes and, at the moment, we are underachieving. We are still confident and that is with no disrespect to Leigh. I have a set of good players here, am planning to add to this and if I get the players I want, we have no one to fear in the league.

"A lot of the results which have gone against us in the past month, the next time around when we play these teams, they will see a different side and we will be up for them even more. We have to get ourselves into the play-offs places and keep ourselves in there."

And Coleman says it is back to basics for his side as he strives to get them moving again in the right direction. But he won't change the 4-5-1 system he feels has served them well.

"Some people see 4-5-1 as a negative policy especially at home but we can change it to 4-3-3. And you only have to look at the number of goals we have scored with it.

"And I think Paul Mullin is the best target man in the business. If I put him on the transfer list tomorrow we would have 21 phone calls from Conference sides. What we have got to be is a little bit more alert defensively and that's as a whole team - we have to never think we are comfortable.

"It is a case of getting back to basics - to stop conceding the goals. A lot of things happen in games and it can be down to doing something which doesn't seem significant at the time but leads to a goal - that means not bringing down someone 70 yards from goal and conceding a free kick or it means taking up the wrong position from a throw in which we did on Saturday.

"I think if we keep a clean sheet, we will win a high percentage of the games. Clean sheets are the way forward."

And he is hoping the fans wil continue to trust him. "I only ever do the best for Accrington Stanley - that's always been the case and if they don't realise that then I don't know where they have been for the last six years!"