Accrington Stanley 4 Trafford 3

TWO goals each for strikers Mark Ceraolo and Paddi Wilson gave the Reds a winning start to their UniBond League Challenge Cup campaign against First Division Trafford.

Ceraolo gave the Reds an 11th minute lead when he latched on to a long ball out of defence from Wayne Maddock and he coolly slotted the ball beyond the Trafford player-manager, the goalkeeper Mark Molyneaux.

Three minutes later from a Brett Baxter corner, Wilson got in a powerful goalbound header that was cleared off the Trafford goal line by Shaun Whitehead.

It was Whitehead who levelled the score after 17 minutes, when in acres of space he struck a 40-yard thunderbolt that gave Jamie Speare no chance.

Trafford could have been reduced to 10 men on 34 minutes, when in an off-the-ball incident Alan Pannett seemed to strike Steve Caswell but he escaped with just a caution.

Trafford shocked the Reds by taking the lead three minutes after the break when Darren Emmett sent a header looping over the stranded Speare.

Stanley equalised four minutes later as Wilson was pulled back by Darrell Bates and Ceraolo made no mistake from the penalty kick, netting his 10th goal of the season.

On 55 minutes Russell Payne sent over a pinpoint cross which Wilson met for number three from six yards out.

Then, on the hour mark, Trafford keeper Molyneaux was also lucky to escape with a red card when he handled the ball outside the penalty area but again as only shown a yellow one by the referee. From the free kick left by Steve Hollis narrowly curled the ball over the crossbar.

Wilson's second goal and Stanley's fourth came on 84 minutes and was a magnificent solo effort, scoring from fully 30 yards out with a power drive shot.

Trafford did pull a goal back in stoppage time after Speare had made a brilliant reflex save from Emmett and substitute Cameron Hunt headed in the rebound.