BRYAN Hughes admits that an untimely dip in temperatures has become a real source of frustration for the Accrington Stanley squad as they bid to help Leam Richardson secure the manager’s job on a permanent basis.

Stanley are set to hold a pitch inspection at 11.30am today to determine whether tomorrow’s home game against Oxford United has any change of going ahead, with the Reds knowing they may have to make a decision before the visitors start their journey north.

Accrington started life after John Coleman with an impressive 4-3 win over Gillingham two weeks ago, Richardson’s first game as caretaker boss, but since then they have seen a trip to Crewe called off because of a frozen pitch.

A Lancashire Senior Cup game at home to Wigan on Tuesday, which would have been used to give a number of players valuable play-ing time, also had to be postponed and Tuesday’s trip to Rotherham is already in doubt.

The Stanley squad remain determined to help Richardson earn a full-time role as manager, with the 32-year-old still favourite for the job despite the Reds’ ongoing interest in Sligo’s Paul Cook, but the club are unable to make any decisions until they can assess results on the pitch.

The experienced Hughes is currently working as an assistant to Richardson, together with Stanley’s head of youth Phil Hackney, and is eager to build on that victory against Gillingham.

“Because of the way we played against Gillingham, as well after everything that happened with Jimmy and John, we want to try to take that forward into our next game,” said the former Bir-mingham City and Charlton midfielder, who remains a mainstay of the Stanley team.

“We seem to be waiting around because of the weather situation.

“Obviously we wanted that Crewe game to happen.

“To have it called off was a bit of a nightmare.

“We don’t want to go too many weeks without games.

“This management team has been put in place and the players have responded in a really positive manner.

“We’ve just tried to take everything on board and listen to them, which is important I think, obviously being a player as well.

“But we’ve been missing games because of the weather.

“The sooner they come, the better for us.”

Richardson was told last week that the manager’s job would be his if he was able to continue the club’s good run of results, with the Reds board keen to keep things as stable as possible, and Hughes has not been informed that anything has changed.

“No, I don’t think it has, although you probably know as much as we do at the moment,” he said.

“We’re taking each day as it comes, trying to prepare the boys and if anything changes in the future I’m sure we’ll be told.

“We’re still preparing each day as if the games are going to be on.

“That’s all we can do.”