FANS flocking to the Crown Ground tomorrow should keep their eyes on entertainer Russell Payne.

With both Burnley and Blackburn playing on Sunday, a bigger crowd is expected at Stanley especially with their current run of form which has seen them charge towards the top of the UniBond Premier Division.

And boss John Coleman says the performance of playmaker Payne will be the one worth seeing.

"Watching Russell is worth the entrance fee alone," enthused the Reds boss. "He is a fantastic player and he just glides past the opposition!"

Entertainment is usually one of the things guaranteed at the Crown Ground with Stanley scoring 43 goals this season - the second top scorers in the league - and conceding 31, the worst record in the top six.

Luckily Stanley have shut up shop at the back and it is the frontmen that are making an impact.

They have just won the club of the month for November and are in a rich vein of form and will hope to carry it on when sixth from bottom Bradford Park Avenue visit tomorrow.

"We are certainly entertaining," said Coleman, with the club on a high after picking up £200,000 from the £1.75m sale of former striker Brett Ormerod from Blackpool to Premier side Southampton.

"Anyone who comes to watch us will get value for money. The players will give 100 per cent, we play some great passing football and we score a lot of goals.

"It would be good to get good support as we go into the second half of the season. The lads should respond to the fans getting behind them.

"They are already determined and have shown a lot of character this season. They are worth seeing."

Their character will be tested tomorrow as they need to bounce back following FA Umbro Trophy heartbreak.

Stanley had fancied their chances of a good run in the competition but lost on penalties in the second round replay 3-1 at Altrincham.

It was made worse by the fact Peter Cavanagh missed a last minute spot kick in normal time for the Reds and it looked like goalkeeper Jamie Speare could turn out to be the penalty hero in the shoot-out.

He saved the first and scored Stanley's first and then saved Altrincham's second but the ref ordered the penalty to be retaken, they scored and got the upper hand.

"That decision was harsh," said Coleman. "He said Jamie came off his line but he could have said that for all the penalties.

"To be honest I was close to tears in the end. I felt really frustrated by the way we went out.

"Peter's miss in normal time was one of those things. He has been waiting for that since he came as our last penalty was on the first day of the season.

"He had the confidence to take it but the keeper guessed right. It could have gone in on another day but we have got to put it behind us."

It is easier said than done as five of his players are fighting to be fit.

Defender Paul Howarth, midfielder Dave Robinson and Steve Flitcroft all missed the Tuesday night replay while defender Jonathan Smith - who has just signed a one-year extension to his contract - and striker Mark Shirley were forced to be subbed.

"To be fair Paul Burns came in on Tuesday and he put up with being shifted from midfield to the right to centre back and did well," said Coleman.

"And Mark Brennan also did well as he was still suffering from the effects of flu as was Simon Carden.

"Mark Shirley's is a calf injury which is something of a relief as it's not the knee injury which kept him out for a year and we knew he would have a couple of niggles on his comeback.

"And Jonathan has a neck injury but he should be okay."

Meanwhile Coleman is hoping to get his man after Stanley put a £10,000 bid in for Burscough's 19-year-old hitman Lee McEvilly.

"He is one we identified earlier on in the season. He is only a young lad and is one for the future," he said.

"We haven't brought him in because of injuries but we are a bit thin on the ground at the moment as we only have Paul Mullin and Lutel James fit. So if we get him, he will boost the squad."