Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman fires warning ahead of Sheffield Wednesday clash

Stanley are one of League One’s smallest clubs with the division’s lowest average attendance and a minuscule playing budget compared to the likes of their next opponents.

Yet they continue to punch above their weight in the third tier and head into Tuesday’s clash against Sheffield Wednesday off the back of a 2-1 win over another former top-flight side, Charlton Athletic.

Accrington competed in the Northern Premier League Division One – the eighth tier of English football – during the 1999/2000 season when the Owls last played in the Premier League.

Coleman said: “If someone would have told you you were going to be playing Sheffield Wednesday and be doing the double over Charlton [...] Lowey – Steve Lowe (BBC Radio Lancashire presenter) – has just pulled me before and said ‘This is the stuff dreams are made of’.

"He pointed to his lad and said ‘When I was his age it was Bamber Bridge, Matlock, Chorley – doing the double over them was a feat.’”

Stanley were promoted to the Football League under Coleman in 2006 and are now into their fourth season as a League One club.

They are comfortably mid-table with 10 games left of the campaign and take on an Owls side flying high after thrashing Cambridge United 6-0 in front of a jubilant home crowd on Saturday.

The result, which was Wednesday’s biggest win since they beat Leeds United by the same scoreline in January 2014, was also the team’s fifth win in their last six matches at Hillsborough.

"We won’t be going there just being made up to go there,” added Coleman, now in his second spell in charge of the club.

"I think we still need one more win [to secure safety], maybe two. The lads are full of beans, they want to score goals.”

Korede Adedoyin could lead the line for Accrington against his former side.

The 21-year-old forward left S6 in January in pursuit of regular first-team football and has since made seven appearances for his new employers - including five starts - scoring one goal.

He managed one goal in three EFL Trophy games for the Owls.