ACCRINGTON skipper Stuart Crabtree has stepped down from his position as captain at the club after being hit by a six-game ban.

Graeme Sneddon will captain the side when they host Bacup tomorrow in the Lancashire League, with Crabtree set for a playing return once his ban ends.

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Accrington chairman Rod Kenyon confirmed Crabtree had been banned for an “on-field incident” although Kenyon wasn’t prepared to go into any more detail.

“He’s had a disciplinary and is banned for six games,” said Kenyon.

“Stuart felt that it would be in the best interests of the team if he stepped down as captain.

“Graeme is now the captain but Stuart will return as a player for us. He is too important to us not to feature, he is one of the best batsmen at the club.”

Accrington will be looking to make it back-to-back wins when they face Bacup tomorrow having beaten Rishton last time out.

And Kenyon is hopeful his side are now starting to look up rather than down having won just one of their first six games of the summer.

He said: “We do feel we are heading in the right direction now. We almost couldn’t get any worse.”

A victory over Bacup would hand Accrington some breathing space over the bottom two in a congested early-season table.

But Kenyon is refusing to take a home victory, against a side currently second bottom, for granted.

He said: “You cannot underestimate any side in this league. Everyone is beating everyone else.

“I know it is a cliche but you have to just take one game at a time and that is what we will be doing.”

Accrington will hand a senior debut to Alfie Taylor in place of Ali Hasham, while Bacup make two changes. The visitors bring in Peter Killelea and Henry Butcher in place of Andy Knights and Luke Bradford.

Elsewhere, leaders Burnley will be keen to bounce back from their first defeat of the season last time out when they visit Rishton. Lowerhouse will hope to take advantage of any slip-up by Burnley when they take on Todmorden while Colne host Ramsbottom.

In the day’s other fixtures, East Lancashire visit Church, Haslingden host Nelson and Rawtenstall entertain Enfield.