ACCRINGTON Stanley continue to climb the Unibond league ladder and their point against Altrincham again reinforced their steady improvement.

In midweek they hammered Worksop to make up ground on a side who had been in sixth place and against Altrincham, fourth in the table, they showed just as much resolve.

However, with rain lashing and the wind blowing straight down the Crown Ground pitch it was never going to be a classic -- sadly as Stanley were looking to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of reforming in 1968.

Keeping possession became a real chore and with the midfield skirmishing failing to resolve itself, at times play was scrappy and both sets of strikers had to make do with what little came their way.

There was a distinct contrast with Alty's leader of the line Carl Furlong robust and ready to ruffle as many feathers as possible, while Stanley's Lutel James pace was posing problems for a visiting defence that did not lack experience -- Mark 'Carlo Sertori alone has long spells in the League at Lincoln, Halifax and York to draw on -- but did struggle to find an answer to the Accrington striker's pace.

However, whenever chances fell there always seemed to be a red shirt or a white one in the way.

All the same Stanley boss John Coleman was disappointed not to get more than a point and said: "On balance I think we maybe just shaded it but both sides had good chances but didn't take them.

"Playing with the wind was no advantage to either side, but I thought we did well in the first half and then faded a little bit in the second.

"But having played against two sides higher in the table than us this week, the pleasing factor has been that we did not concede a goal.

"We know we can score goals, Burton lead the way with 31 and we've got 30 so that has not been a problem.

"But our big job was to tighten up at the back and we've started to do that."

Stanley controlled early possession but the few chances that broke fell Alty's way with Rod Thornley, part of the England physiotherapy staff and watched by his friend Manchester United star Gary Neville, turned the best half chance of the bunch wide of the target.

Accrington keeper Jamie Speare had an escape when he hit Furlong with a poor clearance but fortunately for him the ricochet rolled off target.

But the best chance of the half went Stanley's way when, on 29 minutes, full-back Paul Howarth played a precision 40 yard pass to send James clean through but from the inside right channel the striker pulled his shot a foot wide of Alty keeper Stuart Coburn's right-hand post.

The half ended with James clashing with defender Chris Adams as the players left the field, but referee Tony Dean deemed a lecture sufficient.

Stanley opened the second period brightly and when Coburn failed to collect a corner on 49 minutes, James set up strike partner Paul Mullion but he snatched at his shot and failed to hit the target.

Coburn was having the occasional problem from set pieces and another Stave Flatiron corner on 69 minutes swap the keeper punch only for the ball to drop to Dave Robinson whose shot was just a foot too high.

Stanley tried to force the issue with Russell Payne going forward to create a 4-3-3 formation and in the final flurry both sides could and should have had a goal.

Centre back Jay Flannery couldn't find a tight enough angle for a backpost header when Coburn left Flitcroft's curling corner on 80 minutes, and then in the space of three minutes Stanley keeper Speare made excellent saves to deny shots from impressive midfielder Steve Hawes and Thornley. In the final minutes Stanley's Jonathan Smith put a header wide from another set piece and then at the death a Simon Carden shot was blocked for a corner by Adams.

Perhaps honours even might have been the fairest outcome but in front of their best crowd of the season, 919 packing into the Crown Ground, Stanley would have liked to have sent their supporters home with a victory to savour. ACCRINGTON: Speare; Howarth, Smith, Flannery, Cavanagh; Payne, Flitcroft, Robinson, Carden; James, Mullin. Subs (not used): Brennan, Coleman, Hollis.

ALTRINCHAM: Coburn; Scott, Maddox, Sertori, Adams; Hawes, Hulme, Craney, Locke; Furlong (Gallagher 86 mins), Thornley. Subs (not used): Pillingworth, Murphy.

RESULT: ACCRINGTON...0 ALTRINCHAM...0