FORMER Blackburn Rovers forward Kevin Gallacher has turned down the chance to join non-League high-flyers Accrington Stanley.

Gallacher played 144 games for Rovers over an eight-year period, scoring 46 goals.

He moved to Newcastle during the 1999/2000 season but was released by them two years later.

After stints at Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town the Clydebank-born 35-year-old is now without a club.

But Reds manager John Coleman has failed in a bid to tempt him to the Crown Ground.

"We have spoken to Kevin Gallacher but he wants to stay in the League," said Coleman, whose side are four points clear of second-placed Bradford with two games in hand.

"That's where he sees his future lying at the moment.

"He was interested but like all players in his position he has had an excellent career and he wants to prolong it as long as possible.

"He still thinks he can go a great job in the Football League and I agree with him. I hope he gets his wish."

It is hardly as if Stanley need the firepower up front - they have scored 39 goals in 19 games this season and have failed to score in just one match, the FA Cup tie against Harrogate.

They travel to Barrow tomorrow for a league match and Coleman is looking for the right response from his players after their first league defeat of the season, against Frickley last Saturday.

"We are going there on the back of not the best result but everybody is confident.

"We had a good a good work out on Wednesday night when we played Radcliffe in a friendly so we are ready."

Peter Cavanagh and Russell Payne scored the goals in Wednesday's practice game.

"We go to Barrow tomorrow and they are doing well, they had a great result in midweek in the FA Cup against Nuneaton.

"They are just a bit off the pace but they are in the top six or seven and they will be hoping to keep up there.

"When a team gets such a good result as they did in midweek it can work both ways on the Saturday after in terms of the effect it has on the players.

"I think it lifts the fans more.

"But we will just concentrate on ourselves because we are in the position everyone else wants to be in.

"They always get decent crowds up at Barrow and we will take a few so it will be a good game."