LEE Bell has targeted maximum points from Crewe's next two games to keep their League Two play-off hopes alive.

The Railwaymen face Accrington Stanley in a re-arranged clash at Gresty Road tonight (7.45pm) before hosting AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Bell, main picture, who could earn a recall to the starting 11 tonight just a month after undergoing double hernia surgery, believes Crewe can bounce back from their weekend defeat at leaders Southend United.

"It's a big week for us with two games at home," he said.

"Six points would be brilliant, although I am sure we are going to pick up points people don't expect us to and also drop points they'd think we'd get.

"It's a case of getting some consistency and winning more games than we draw over the next 16 games."

The experienced campaigner has made a speedy recovery after going under the knife on January 24.

And after coming through just one reserve outing Bell was ready to bolster the midfield in the closing minutes at Southend, which has left Steve Davis mulling over whether to use him or Danny Shelley from the start tonight.

"I've come back pretty quickly, but hernias are not as bad as they used to be and I've been looked after really well by the medical staff here," added Bell.

"I thought a draw would have been a fair result at the weekend. Southend got a scrappy goal in the end, but I don't think the free-kick from which they scored should have been given anyway.

"We're disappointed, but we'll move on. And we've got a lot of games coming up to make good, starting with Accrington.

"They're a good team. They have a new manager in Paul Cook and, reading between the lines, it looks like he is going to try to play more football."

Stanley were not averse to the game's finer arts under long-serving boss John Coleman, but a new chapter has dawned at the Crown Ground with the departure of the Merseysider to Rochdale after 13 years at the helm.

Former Burnley and Stanley midfielder Cook beat off the challenge of Leam Richardson for the vacancy after a stint managing Irish side Sligo Rovers.

And he got off to an inauspicious start with a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of lowly Plymouth on Saturday.

When Coleman arrived at the Crown Ground back in 1999, Stanley were making little impression on the lower reaches of the Northern Premier League.

By 2006, and three promotions later, they had secured a coveted Football League place – 44 years after the original Stanley dropped into non-league before being wound up.

Despite losing assets such as Andy Proctor, Jimmy Ryan, Bobby Grant and Michael Symes in recent seasons, Coleman was able to rebuild highly competitive teams on a meagre budget.

He left a useful leaving present when signing Charlton youngster Michael Smith, with the loan striker hitting a hat-trick in a 4-3 win over Gillingham under Richardson's caretaker-ship.

Cook wasted no time acquiring another frontman on loan with Hull's Jamie Devitt proving to be one of the few bright spots of the heavy weekend loss. And the new manager could soon be getting some extra help from a high-profile supporter after it emerged this week cricket pundit David Lloyd was joining the Stanley board.