JOHN Coleman experienced ‘one of the saddest days’ he has had in football when he learned that Kal Naismith’s girlfriend had died.

Naismith has returned home to Scotland after the death of his girlfriend, 22-year-old Ashley Dickson, in Glasgow last Thursday.

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Stanley have told the former Rangers winger to take as much as time off as he needs, and they have been in touch with the Professional Footballers Association to see if they can offer Naismith counselling, should he want it.

Coleman admits that the moment when Naismith informed him of the news was one of his toughest experiences in the sport.

“I think all the lads feel for him, I certainly do,” said Coleman.

“It was one of the saddest days I’ve had in football when he told me the news and he had to go home. When you go on your Pro Licences and your various badges, they don’t teach you how to deal with things like that.

“The first thing we said is that he needs to take as much time as he needs himself.

“He’s a smashing lad, he’s very popular around the place and very popular with the fans as well.

“I’ve had a chat with the PFA and hopefully they can give him some counselling as well.

“This will be one that you just have to wait and see what time does and how he responds to time.

“He is a lovely lad and the lads have got a lot of respect for him, I’ve got a lot of time for him.

“He needs to be able to go through this himself and let grief take its natural course.

“For some people that can be a day or two and for other people it can be two years, but we can’t rush him.”

Stanley return to the football tomorrow, with a trip to Wales to face Newport County, which comes on the back of Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Hartlepool.

That ended a run of two defeats in a row and the Reds face play-off rivals Newport and Morecambe in the next week.

It is a sequence that could be crucial to their aspirations this season.

“You don’t want to be losing to the teams just above you because all of a sudden the bit of daylight becomes a chasm,” said Coleman.

“What I’ve said to the players is that we’re going to go out and try and win every game, that’s a given.”

Since Coleman and his assistant Jimmy Bell returned to the club Stanley have taken 12 points from six games, and the boss is happy with the way things have gone so far, in what is a notoriously inconsistent league.

“Our little run of three was up there with what anyone has down this season,” he said.

“If you can get little mini banks of them it will help you to get to the promised land, which is probably the play-offs.

“Since I’ve been back we’ve had six performances, 12 points.

“If someone gives you 12 points from six games you’d bite their hand off every day.

“I’d love that for the next banks of six. Out of that I think we’ve had four decent performances, one mediocre against Plymouth and one abject against Stevenage, so percentage wise on our performances alone it’s improving, and you’ve just got to try and pick up points when you can.

“They are like gold dust, they are hard to come by, especially away from home.”

Nicky Hunt missed Tuesday’s game after complaining of chest pains, but tests have given him the all clear and he is back in contention for tomorrow.

Shay McCartan took his place in the team, with Lee Molyneux dropping to left back.

McCartan took his opportunity with two goals, giving Coleman a selection headache for the trip to south Wales.