Stanley take on Wrexham at The Racecourse tomorrow knowing they have secured their Football League status for another year.

Currently six points above the relegation zone, Stanley are safe by virtue of the fact that Mansfield Town and Dagenham and Redbridge play each other on the final day of the season.

Even though they were beaten 2-0 at home by Barnet at the weekend, The Daggers' defeat at Rotherham ensured survival for Stanley who go into tomorrow's match in 18th position, two places higher than where they finished in their first season back in the league.

Last term they finished with 50 points, two more than their current total, and with Stanley still to host Bury after their outing at The Racecourse, aiming to get the three points needed to surpass that total.

But manager John Coleman, who has been in charge for nearly nine years, is concerned by the number of lacklustre performances from his players this season and admits changes need to be made in the summer to turn Stanley into a promotion-chasing side.

"We've got quality, but not enough quality," said Coleman. "If we're going to improve we need better players. But our objective right now is to improve on last season.

"We've got a self-destruct button and until you get better players in who are more consistent you're always going to have the same problems."

Despite having secured their place in League Two next term, Coleman is understandably concerned that Stanley will once again finish among the division's strugglers after last year's brush with relegation.

And some of the Stanley statistics make bad reading:

Stanley have lost 26 games – the most in League Two – and have conceded a league high of 80 goals.

Coleman's side have the worst goal difference in the division, with tomorrow's opponents Wrexham only marginally better.

Home form has also been poor.

The inconsistent Stanley have lost 14 of their 22 matches at The Fraser Eagle Stadium, the most in League Two, although by winning seven and drawing one it means they don't have the division's worst home points total.

Although Wrexham are the lowest scorers, Stanley have not found the back of the net on many more occasions and Coleman has been unhappy with his side at both ends of the pitch.

"Over the season, forget the fact we have got a bad defensive record, I know we have been struggling defensively, but we usually counter this by being good going forward," said Coleman.

"But we have been nowhere near good enough going forward."

Stanley, who have picked up just 16 points out of the last 63 on offer – will be happy that they accrued so many points earlier in the season
They had hoped to challenge for a play-off spot at the turn of the year but go into tomorrow's match at The Racecourse in a bad run of from, having won just one of their last seven matches – against fellow strugglers Dagenham and Redbridge on April 8 – losing the other six games.

It is little wonder that Coleman is expecting big improvements next season, a sentiment echoed by striker Paul Mullin.

The 34-year-old signed a new contract in January – turning down a £75,000 move to Shrewsbury Town – hoping the Reds could launch a battle for a play-off.

That failed to materialise and Mullin, the club's record appearance holder, anticipates changes in the summer to enable Stanley to be challenging at the other end of the League Two table.

"This season has just petered out really which is a huge disappointment," said Mullin. "We expected to be in a much better position than where we are.

"We just haven't been consistent enough this season and we haven't put a run together.

"Everyone is feeling it now as all of us can't wait for next season to start just so we can wipe the slate clean and give a good account of ourselves.

"There will be changes, whether they are wholesale or not, I don't know.

"It doesn't take a genius to work out though that we need to strengthen if we are to push on.

"We don't want to stand still. Some people might say that it is a success staying up for Accrington Stanley but we have set our sights a lot higher at this club."

Having secured their Football League status, Coleman might give some of his younger players a chance in the starting line-up.

Kenny Arthur should continue in goal with Peter Cavanagh, Sean Webb, Phil Edwards and Lean Richardson lining up in defence.

Teenager Bobby Grant has been included in midfield in recent weeks and could be joined by Peter Murphy, another youngster to have come through the ranks, while Andrew Procter, Jay Harris and Ian Craney all started Saturday's defeat against Barnet.

Another youngster, Andrew Smith could take over from Shaun Whalley in attack alongside leading scorer Mullin who has 13 goals this season but has only scored twice in the last 16 matches.


The one to watch: Bobby Grant

LEFT-SIDED midfielder Bobby Grant has only made a handful of appearances for Accrington Stanley but he is already capturing the attention of other clubs.

The second year scholar is the second youngest player to appear in the Football League for Stanley, and the youngest since February 1959.

During Stanley's first season back in the Football League, the 17-year-old played mostly with the youth team, though in the second half of the campaign he began to play regularly with the reserve side.

He made his first team debut in the last game of last season at Milton Keynes Dons and has impressed in his six recent league games this term.