ACCRINGTON Stanley are putting opposition defences in a trance -- after recruiting their own hypnotist to help boost confidence.

And the move saw the club soar to the top of the Conference.

Stanley enlisted the help of hypnotist Lesley Graves, of Sabden, who has been training the lads to think positively and keep their eye on the goal.

And the team is on course for the Football League after topping the table for 24-hours last Friday after beating Forest Green Rovers.

Lesley, 38, started working for the Reds at the beginning of the season and, despite some initial scepticism from some of the team, has won them over.

Lesley, a qualified hypnopsychotherapist, offered her services to Stanley after she helped soccer-mad son Ryan, 14, who hopes to be a professional player.

Ryan kept passing the ball to his team mates instead of shooting at the goal because he was frightened of missing. Lesley hypnotised him and his confidence grew. To his mum's amazement, he began scoring.

She then rang the Accrington Stanley chairman Eric Whalley to convince him she could enhance his players' performance and give them a positive mental attitude.

Lesley began by working with assistant Stanley manager Jimmy Bell.

He said: "I think she has benefited a few of the lads, and she's definitely made me calmer.

"I was getting anxious during games and it was getting to me. I used to shout and bawl. But she puts a calming situation into your head which you have to try to think of during a match and I do try to stand back a little bit more now."

Manager John Coleman is also Lesley fan. However, he suffered a setback when he was sent to the stands for what the referee described as "very irresponsible behaviour" at Grays Athletic earlier this month.

But after working with Andy Mangan, who was also sent off in that game just a few minutes after his introduction from the substitutes' bench, Lesley is confident that there won't be a repeat.

"I told him if a player starts irritating him, that will take his focus off the match so he has got to put that to one side."

"They need to channel their energies, enthusiasm, drive and determination into the game."

Lesley has so far hypnotised about nine of the players.

She continued: "They say they definitely feel a difference in their performance. With some of the lads it is almost as if something has happened but they don't know what."