STANLEY'S first visit to Bradford's Horsfall Stadium produced their fifth defeat of the season and kept them in the bottom half of the table.

A goal just before half-time was enough to give the home side the points and place them among the early-season promotion-chasers.

John Coleman's side were under pressure early on as Martin Pemberton was denied by Jamie Speare in the Stanley goal as he turned the striker's fierce shot round the post.

Five minutes later former Burnley winger John Francis got on the end of Pemberton's through-ball but his shot was again well saved by Speare. Accrington hit back with Gary Williams having a left foot shot from long range just wide and after 17 minutes Mark Shirley crossed to Williams, whose looping header was caught under his crossbar by Avenue's former Bristol Rovers and Scarborough keeper Gavin Kelly. Williams posed Stanley's major threat and went close to giving the visitors the lead when his well-struck shot from 15 yards beat Kelly but came back off the underside of the bar.

But Bradford, having gone close through former Stanley player Martin James and Paul Marquis, grabbed the decisive goal just before the break.

Recent signing Phil Denney, unmarked, was put clear and slotted the ball under Speare to claim the winner.

Rain and a gusting wind took its toll in the second half as both sides struggled to master the conditions. Stanley created few scoring chances as they rarely looked like getting back into the game and it was Bradford who went closest to adding a second, when Denney's effort was ruled out for handball.

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