SIMON Carden put the boot into his old club as he helped Accrington Stanley into the second round of the FA Umbro Trophy.

The midfielder scored twice against UniBond First Division pacesetters Radcliffe - the club he left to join Premier Division Stanley last season - to seal a home tie against Altrincham in the next stage.

Boro, managed by one-time Burnley player Kevin Glendon, will be ruing missed chances in thegoalless encounter at Stainton Park on Saturday - especially a saved penalty.

But for Carden it was a night to remember - and he showed his elation by celebrating with the Stanley bench.

"He had to score the second when he got the ball or he would have had to do ten press-ups," laughed Reds boss John Coleman.

"It was fantastic for him to get both the goals. In the last four or five games he has been unlucky with his finishing but he always kept his head.

"He had a lot of work to do with both of them and they were great finishes.

"Especially the second one where he lobbed the keeper - I'd have strangled him if he hadn't scored that!"

Carden scored the opener on 28 minutes. He charged down a ball back to highly rated keeper Danny Hurst on the edge of the area. Hurst kicked it, it bounced off Carden and he reacted first to slot the ball home from about 12 yards out.

Earlier the Reds had had chances with striker Paul Mullin - who missed Saturday's game with a rib injury - looking lively against the club he left for £15,000 near the start of last season.

Jamie Speare, the hero of the first game with a penalty save, didn't really have much to do except stop a long range effort from former Rossendale frontman Jody Banim, who has scored 18 goals to take Radcliffe to the top of the table this season.

In the second half, Radcliffe looked livelier with Scott Wilson putting in a testing cross which whipped across the face of goal and Banim having a couple of efforts at the far post saved by Speare.

Russell Payne, who seems to have shook off an injury which had kept him sidelined last week, sent Mullin through on 60 minutes but the Stanley striker could not make a proper impact and the ball rolled to Hurst.

Banim had a 25 yard cracker tipped over the bar by Speare on 69 minutes but then Carden put some daylight between Stanley and his former club.

Steve Flitcroft played a great ball from the right wing which split the Boro defence and found Payne in the area on 70 minutes.

He was tackled by Richard Battersby and the ball came out to Carden on the edge of the area and he lobbed Hurst to make Stanley safe at two - and take his own tally to five for the season.

"I thought all the players did great," continued Coleman. "We put them under a lot of pressure in the first half and kept them about 40 yards away from our goal.

"I think Jamie only had about two catches to make. We expected them to come out more in the second half which they did and we had to defend.

"But I thought we handled them a lot better and went on the counter attack - and it worked!"