AS games go, they don't come much bigger for Accrington Stanley than tomorrow's trip to rock-bottom Macclesfield.

On a personal level for Michael Welch, this one is monumental, not least because he is desperate to stop the rot and turn the Reds' season around.

Welch returns to his former stomping ground, where he spent the first five years of his professional football career before being shunned by ex-Silkmen boss Brian Horton, and subsequently joining the Reds in August 2005.

Their loss was Stanley's gain, and the 6ft 3ins defender is determined to raise Stanley head and shoulders above his former side tomorrow.

But he knows the task ahead is a tricky one as Stanley head to Moss Rose bottom of the League Two form table and top of the foul play list after a total of five red cards - the last one for Robbie Williams, which rules the defender out tomorrow.

The Reds have picked up only one point in seven league games following their 2-0 win at Torquay, slipping 12 places from eighth since that last success in mid-October.

Conceding 15 goals in five games has prompted the finger to be pointed at the defence.

But Welch believes that, just as they won the Conference title as a team last season, they take the blame together for their dip in form and seek to turn it around as a unit.

"The criticism has hurt," said the 24-year-old. "It's difficult for a defender when you concede as many goals as we have.

"But defenders and midfielders pop up with goals so the strikers have to help us out as well.

"It's difficult sometimes to defend from the front, but you've got to do that, and we've got to hold on to the ball a bit better than we have done.

"Every team has a so-called bad patch through the season. We've only picked up one point in seven games. In some of those, for half a game we've outclassed teams.

"In the first-half against Peterborough we were miles ahead of them, we were a better side than Shrewsbury on the day but only drew, against Doncaster with 10 men we were the better side as well, and there was nothing in it against MK Dons at all last Saturday, but a couple of iffy decisions and mistakes have cost us."

Welch, who was suspended last weekend after accumulating five bookings, added: "From the sidelines, when we went 2-1 up against MK Dons we looked comfortable and in charge, but a mistake by Ian Dunbavin - who was the first to hold his hands up for it - changes things and deflates a few of the players. It makes it doubly difficult when that happens. But we win as a team and lose as a team.

"There have been games this season where Bavo has been magnificent and kept us in there.

"When we went down to 10 men last week, the way we approached the game was good and gave us encouragement.

"The commitment of the lads has been commendable.

"We've obviously got the ability so hopefully our luck will change.

"We've got to get positive and get on the front foot and turn this around as a team."

Squaring up to Paul Ince, the man charged with getting Macclesfield away from the foot of the table following Horton's sacking in early October, will no doubt add extra spice to this basement battle.

For the former Manchester United legend, nicknamed The Guv'nor' during his playing days, might have been in the Stanley camp earlier this season.

"There were rumours he was coming here, then he went to Swindon, then he left because of the travelling.

"If he had stayed there he would have probably got the manager's job," said Welch, who is expecting to be cheered on by at least 30 family and friends tomorrow.

"But he's come up to this area, gone to Macclesfield and done a good job. He's turned them around and made the club a lot more professional.

"He epitomises the way he played in his management style."