A RED card shown to Lutel James was a bitterly disappointing end to an otherwise great game of football between Rossendale United and Accrington Stanley at Dark Lane last night.

Stanley boss John Coleman characteristically remonstrated with the referee as the players came off the field after the UniBond League Cup Group Four game.

Chairman Eric Whalley was visibly furious but former Bury pro James can have little argument after raising his hands to Danny Heys after a foul by the Dale substitute on the Reds striker.

Stanley will argue that, with only seconds to go in the game, the ref should have shown some common sense but it will be to no avail and the player will now miss three games.

The two UniBond sides - Stanley the Premier big boys and Dale the First Division newcomers - had before then put on a great show for the 344 spectators, many of whom had travelled from Accrington.

Dale took a while to get going and fell behind after just 11 minutes, Simon Carden getting his fifth goal in two games by coolly lobbing Billy Carrington from just yards out.

Stanley looked in control for much of the first half but the home side refused to lie down and threw everything they had at their local rivals.

Their equaliser had an element of luck to it but it was fully deserved. A poor back pass from Paul Howarth fell nicely for Dale striker Steve Cunningham whose shot hit the advancing Stanley keeper Jamie Speare and ricocheted to the right of goal.

Cunningham ran on to the ball and crossed to the far post for Jerome Fitzgerald to scramble home. Before that Dale had been restricted to long range efforts from Darren Bowman, Cunningham, Craig Sargeson, and former Red Paul Lynch.

But Stanley had added to the entertainment with Mark Brennan trying an overhead kick and Simon Carden picking up a pass from James only to see his effort thwarted by the tackle of the impressive Bowman.

After the break, Cunningham had an early chance but he hit a first-time shot straight at Speare and Sargeson did well to lose Stanley's Steve Hollis on the edge of the area only to see his shot saved by the keeper.

Russell Payne replaced Mark Shirley on the hour and Stanley began to stamp their authority on the game.

Just minutes later Dale keeper Carrington had to be at his best to save at the foot of his right hand post after a fantastic solo run by James.

And from the resulting corner big Stanley defender Jonathan Smith sent a trademark header goalwards from a Steve Flitcroft corner to put the visitors in front.

Just six minutes later Carden should have had his second and Stanley's third when Payne did the hard work, bringing the keeper out of the equation, but midfield man Carden - relishing his new role up front in the absence of the injured Paul Mullin - stumbled over the ball with virtually an open goal ahead of him.

Dale pushed forward looking for an equaliser and as Chris Brooks tried to get past three defenders in the Stanley penalty area the Reds' Paul Howarth tumbled to the ground and was then stretchered off with a suspected broken leg.

And just seconds before the final whistle the game was marred by the sending off of James for retaliation after a needlessly cynical challenge by Heys on the edge of the Dale area.

ROSSENDALE UNITED... 1 ACCRINGTON STANLEY...2

BACUP BOROUGH'S NWCL Second Division clash at home to Norton was postponed last night due to a waterlogged pitch.