ACCRINGTON Stanley assistant manager Jimmy Bell hit a hat-trick against NWCL Division Two bottom side Castleton Gabriels in the first round of the Marsden Challenge Trophy - and he was only on the pitch for 25 minutes!
Bell came on to replace Paul Mullin who had just scored Stanley's fourth on 65 minutes but collided with Castleton keeper Darren Ford and hurt his ankle.
And four minutes after, Bell's first touch saw Ford picking the ball out of the net for the fifth time after the assistant volleyed the ball over him into the roof of the net from 12 yards out.
He scored his second on 85 minutes when Steve Flitcroft found Simon Carden who set up the unmarked Bell in the area.
And he completed his hat-trick and made it seven when he won the ball 35 yards out and raced into the area to hit a powerful shot past Ford at the death.
It was a good 25 minutes for Bell but another notable performance was the first half showing of striker Mark Shirley who has returned to the first team following a year out with a knee injury.
Shirley made a big impact scoring the first after playing a one-two with Mullin and firing the ball past Ford from 12 yards out on 14 minutes. It was two on 28 minutes when a three man move involving Shirley, Mullin and Carden saw Carden finish with a 20 yard drive.
And it was 3-0 at the interval when Gareth Strange's cross was side-footed home by defender Paul Howarth. Mullin made it four from 16 yards out before Bell's entrance.
The home side were reduced to ten men on 76 minutes when Steve McCann was sent off and keeper Jamie Speare made sure they kept a clean sheet when he saved his second penalty in four days eight minutes from time.
CASTLETON GABRIELS...0 ACCRINGTON STANLEY...7 14 mins: Mark Shirley played a one-two with Paul Mullin beating two defenders and shot from 12 yards to put the ball past Castleton goalkeeper Darren Ford.
28 mins: A three man move involving Shirley, Mullin and Simon Carden saw Carden finish with a 20 yard drive that gave Ford no chance of saving.
42 mins: Gareth Strange cut in from the right and his cross from inside the box was side-footed into the net by Stanley central defender Paul Howarth from three yards.
The second half began with Steve Flitcroft replacing Paul Howarth on 64 minutes Russell Payne replaced Mark Shirley,
69 mins: Bell's first touch saw Ford picking the ball out of the net for the fifth time after the assistant volleyed the ball over him into the roof of the net from 12 yards. On 76 minutes Castleton's Steve McCann was harshly sent off after sending Bell tumbling just outside the area.
On 82 minutes Jamie Speare dived to his right to make his second penalty save in four days after the Stanley goalkeeper had pushed penalty taker Carl Taylor aside as he went to clear the ball.
85 minutes: Flitcroft played the ball wide right to Carden his cross finding the unmarked Bell who fired home past Ford for his second.
90 minutes: Bell again wins the ball 35 yards out on the right and raced into the area hitting a powerful shot past Ford for his third and Stanley's seventh from eight yards out.
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