TWO stunning saves from Jamie Speare earned Stanley three points from this Roses derby.

First half goals from Steve Flitcroft and Andy Procter had put Accrington on their way, but it took the excellence of Speare's shot stopping to halt the green tide after half-time.

Stanley, who had Lee Buggie and Simon Carden leading their attack with 21-goal Lutel James and 26-goal Paul Mullin on the bench, took their chances well in the opening 45 minutes but whatever was said by Park Avenue boss Trevor Storton after he had slammed the dressing room door at the interval changed the contest.

"We have to be happy with the result, but we can't be happy with our second half display," admitted keeper Speare, who modestly dismissed his super saves as just being in the line of duty.

The UniBond Challenge Cup final will see the pair clash once again, possibly at Bury's Gigg Lane or Halifax Town's Shay home on an as yet undecided date, and Stanley know that their main job will be to shut down Bradford's flank genius Dean Calcutt.

Calcutt was an absolute menace when he switched to the right in the second half.

Fortunately by the time he got to work Stanley had a two-goal cushion.

They gained the lead on 18 minutes when Wayne Benn failed to clear and as Park Avenue panicked midfielder Flitcroft got just enough on his shot to beat Rob Montgomery.

Stanley grabbed a second when Flitcroft whipped in a perfect free kick and Procter's header found the net.

But before half-time the pattern was changing and twice crosses from Calcutt somehow eluded Park Avenue strikers Andy Hayward and Jason Maxwell.

Again in the second half the Bradford front pairing failed to make the most of crosses from Calcutt.

Then came Speare's moments to prove a match-winner.

On 64 minutes Maxwell freed Calcutt and his cross was met by a Benn header but Speare somehow twisted and turned the ball over the crossbar.

From the corner a scramble ended with Paul Burns clearing off the line, but Calcutt swung the ball in from another corner seconds later and former Halifax Town centre back James Stansfield thundered in a volley and Speare again managed to fling himself to tip away.

However, Park Avenue did score on 71 minutes when Maxwell found Hayward and the former Rotherham United man forced the ball home at the second attempt.

Sensing the balance was tipping Stanley boss John Coleman threw on Mullin and five minutes later James and Mark Brennan.

Accrington managed to stem the tide but were fortunate late on when Calcutt made one of his few errors when, clean through on goal, he tried to lob Speare but only succeeded in lifting his shot way over the cross bar, the adjacent running track and found the Park Avenue car park.

Completing the league double cheered boss Coleman and he admitted his selection had been governed by the forthcoming cup final. "Jamie made a couple of great saves, but that's what he's there for," said Coleman.

"But to be honest having Lutel and Paul on the bench, and Russell Payne wasn't even in the squad, was a little bit of not showing our hand too soon before the final."

BRADFORD PA...1 ACCRINGTON STANLEY...2