EIGHT wins from 14 games - that's the equation which Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman reckons will fulfill his side's Conference dream.
Stanley stretched their lead to a massive 11 points by winning away to Runcorn FC Halton last Saturday and they can further discourage the dwindling band of chasers if they keep up their splendid home record in tomorrow's Roses battle at home to Harrogate.
Eight more wins and a smattering of draws would give Stanley a points tally in the 90's and there would be little margin for error for anyone wanting to match that!
Coleman said: "I think eight wins may be enough and while it doesn't look unlikely at first glance, we have eight away games and need to win a couple away from home.
"We have won our last two away from home because we have cut out the mistakes at the back and pressed up a bit more. As long as you don't concede, with the firepower we have you are always likely to create chances and score goals. The games we have lost, a lot of the time it's been down to absolute howlers but we have cut that out.
"Last Saturday at Runcorn we played extremely well first half and perhaps stepped off the gas after the interval. That was almost an image of the previous match at Burscough when we were the same. But we are going to have to learn to keep going for the full 90 because somewhere along the way we are going to let the odd goal in."
Stanley have an LFA Marsden Trophy Semi-Final at home to Kendal Town a week on Wednesday (19 February) but are otherwise free of cup obligations, and having not suffered as much as many from posponements, look to have a less intensive run-in, than say, Vauxhall Motors, with a big mathematical advantage already in the bag.
Coleman added: "It's disheartening for the others when we win, particularly when they aren't playing as was the case last Saturday. But it doesn'y always happen, we lost at Gateshead on a day like that, remember, and if you do hit a slump it can all change round very quickly.
"We are in a healthy lead but you can lose ground over a couple of weeks if you don't keep up your standards. There is no way we will become complacent, we need to concentrate on keeping our own standards up and we needn't worry about anyone else."
Other than suspended duo Peter Cavanagh and Robbie Williams, Coleman has a full hand to choose from for tomorrow's game. And the depth of quality to his squad is evident in the fact that he has been able to call upon the likes of Russell Payne, Andy Gouck and Michael Knowles from the bench in recent weeks.
Coleman said: "Mike Marsh is one player benefiting from the fact that we only have one match a week for the moment. And while we have a cup semi-final coming up we have a good enough squad to be able to shuffle the pack for some games."
Tomorrow's match is Stanley's fourth clash of the season with Harrogate and after beating them 3-0 at Wetherby Road in the league, they perhaps owe the Yorkshiremen one after being knocked out of the FA Cup by them after a replay.
