THERE were always going to be goals in a game featuring the Unibond Premier League's two leading goalscoring sides.

1,347 supporters turned up to see a game of fast flowing football the outcome of which wasn't decided until the dying minutes.

Steve Evans and Dale Anderson combined on the right for Alan Bailey to cross from the by line but Stanley left back Steve Hollis headed out for a corner that was cleared by Reds captain Peter Cavanagh.

Russell Payne picked up the clearance running at the Albion defence before shooting over from 20 yards. Stanley won a corner as they pushed Albion back, Steve Flitcroft curling the ball in but Simon Carden mis-hit his shot and goalkeeper Matt Duke made a comfortable save.

The Albion side looked slick and broke from defence quickly, Anderson and Evans combining well down the right, Cavanagh breaking up the move and sending an excellent pass up the line for Lutel James.

The Stanley striker cut inside across the 18 yard line and worked in a shot that Duke had to dive to his left to save. Albion left back Aaron Webster was involved in everything his cross winning a corner and having a shot cleared by Jonathan Smith.

Stanley attacked and Paul Mullin's header found James who volleyed the ball wide of the right post. Albion won a free kick 35 yards out and Webster drove a powerful shot inches wide of the post.

Centre half Colin Hoyle fed Evans the ball through the middle and his pass to Moore was well intercepted by Paul Haworth. Evans had a snap shot that was well caught as the fast flowing football went from end to end. Payne broke down the right and played a one-two with James before over-hitting his shot the ball sailing over the bar.

Albion were quick on the break out of defence and on 25 minutes left back Webster played a long angled pass from the middle of the pitch finding Christian Moore who broke into the six-yard box from the left and fired a low drive into the right hand corner of the net giving Speare no chance of saving putting the home side in front.

Stanley hit back from the kick off James teeing up David Robinson for a 25 yard drive that wasn't far wide of the post. Anderson was getting too much room on the right and Haworth had to cut out a dangerous cross meant for Evans. Stanley won a free kick on the right and Haworth's effort was flicked on by Mullin, Duke just beating Smith to the ball.

Anderson again cut in from the right in another Albion attack, Smith making an excellent tackle to stop the right winger in full flow, Evans forcing Speare to make an excellent save from the rebound. Stanley won a free kick on the left as James continually troubled the Albion defence, Smith directing Cavanagh's kick wide of the post in the last action of the first half.

Stanley replaced the injured Russell Payne with Paul Burns at half time and immediately from the kick off James broke down the right his cross just evading an inrushing Mullin. The Reds put the Albion defence under more pressure, James attempting a lob that Duke did well to catch. Mullin made a run into the area Duke coming out quickly to beat him to a Robinson cross.

Robinson shot wide from an Haworth diagonal cross from the right, the big midfielder then played an excellent diagonal cross that Carden was inches away from connecting. At the other end Speare made a full length diving save to his left to tip the ball round the post to deny Neil Glasser a goal.

Then a Mullin shot was charged down by Darren Stride, Stanley pushed forward again Smith findin Carden in midfield, he in turn played the ball to James with his back to goal to strike a turn and fired a shot into the right hand corner of the net to level the scores on 65 minutes.

Albion pushed forward, Smith heading a Webster long diagonal cross out of defence for Carden to find Burns wide on the right, the Stanley man fired a low cross into the six-yard box that Duke did well to cut out. Carden found Mullin but Hoyle closed the striker down and his attempted pass to James was headed to Darren Wassell by Webster.

Mark Brennan who had come on for Flitcroft in the 59th minute, cleared the ball upfield as Albion attacked again. In the 77th minute Evans hammered a cross in from wide on the right for Alan Bailey to power a header into the net from close range to give Albion the lead 2-1.

Stanley broke forward from the restart, a Burns cross being cleared by Wassell. Speare caught the ball well from another Evans cross, Robinson hit a volley from 20 yards that was well held by Duke. With Albion forcing Stanley back again Cavanagh gave a free kick away on the edge of the penalty area in the 87th minute. Wesbster's free kick rebounded off the ball and Anderson shot to the right Speare diving to stop the effort and letting the ball slip over the line for Albion's third goal, the final score 3-1 to Burton Albion.

RESULT: BURTON ALBION... 3 ACCRINGTON STANLEY... 1