By Pete Oliver

The pace of modern-day football might be getting quicker, but it appears there is still room for old legs and wise heads in the Nationwide Conference.

Shrewsbury Town boss Jimmy Quinn is leading the way by continuing to pull on his shooting boots at the age of 43.

Coleman (left) is set to put his boots on again for Accrington

And he could soon be joined by Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman, who has just registered to play in the Conference at the age of 40.

Coleman insists the move is just a precautionary one.

But old habits die hard and for goalscorers like Coleman and Quinn the desire to hit the back of the net must still burn deeply.

"It's just to give us a bit of cover, especially for the long away trips, when we don't take as many players," said Coleman, who has also got his 37-year-old assistant Jimmy Bell to sign up just in case.

"But I wouldn't mind having a go, when you look at some of the defences.

"Sometimes when there are five or 10 minutes left you might get a chance and take it.

"Some of our players are maybe just snatching a bit."

Coleman has plundered hundreds of goals in North-West non-league football and previously played in the Conference for Morecambe.

Jimmy Quinn has 304 career goals to his name

Bell was also a regular goalscorer before knee problems curtailed his penalty area prowess.

"I'm not saying I'm the answer, although I would have been 20 years ago," Coleman added.

Quinn scored twice from occasional outings in the Conference for Northwich Victoria last season before taking over at Gay Meadow in the summer.

On Saturday he came off the bench to try and grab an equaliser against Barnet.

The former Northern Ireland international, with 304 career goals to his name, does not plan to make a habit of leading by example on the pitch, but he still feels he can do a job when required.

"I still love playing. We've had a couple of injuries and illness in the past few weeks so I've come on a couple of times," said Quinn.

"I can do 20 minutes or half-an-hour or whatever it takes. I'm still fit enough."