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John Coleman reckons Accrington have no choice but to come to Bolton Wanderers on the front foot.
Needing points to climb out of the bottom four and avoid a return to League Two, the Stanley boss knows his team arrive at the UniBol as heavy underdogs.
Coleman’s side have run Bolton close on two occasions already this season and he is confident that after two narrow defeats, a much-needed win is achievable.
“We won’t be going for the draw, it’s not in our nature,” he told Stanley’s website. “If we go for the draw, we will get battered so we have to compete and nick a goal and then I think the game is there to be won and we have to believe we can win.
“We have surprised lots of people in the past so if we win tomorrow it won’t be a surprise for me. I know if we get it right we are capable of beating anyone in this league. We just haven’t had it right anywhere near enough the amount of times we have wanted to this season.
“It's got to be all hands to the pump and hopefully we will get there. Hopefully we will have the best 10 days of our career here and stay in League One, we will fight all the way.”
Liam Coyle is suspended and Stanley’s top-scorer Tommy Leigh damaged his shoulder in defeat against Portsmouth on Saturday, and will miss the remainder of the campaign. Seamus Conneely could return after nine games out.
Only Forest Green (31) have scored fewer than Accrington’s 36 this season, and finding a way to test Bolton’s famously stern defence is Coleman’s chief concern.
“The first time we played Bolton, we were 2-0 up and then we capitulated in half an hour and fair play to them they played really well in the second half,” he said.
“I don’t think we deserved to lose the cup game, playing so long with ten men, so we know we can compete with them, we have to find a way to trouble them going forward.
“What has plagued us this season is our defending as a team – and we as coaches take responsibility for that as we set them up – we have conceded too many goals but the brutal truth is our goals for column has killed us.”
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