IF Accrington Stanley are to win the Nationwide Conference this season, manager John Coleman believes the perfect way to do it would be to lift the FA Trophy as well.

But he and his side had their work cut out to make sure they kept that dream alive on Saturday.

Conference North side Worksop Town provided a stern test for the Reds, who were buoyant on the back of their 3-1 win at promotion rivals Exeter City earlier in the week.

And it took a 62nd minute equaliser from substitute David Brown, just three minutes after his introduction, to keep Stanley's scoring record and unbeaten run intact, as well as their Trophy hopes. Although they only have a few hours to wait to discover their fate in the non-league competition with the replay booked in for tomorrow night.

It's a game Stanley could well do without given the rate at which the rest of their season will intensify with every passing week between now and the end of April.

Nevertheless, it's a game Coleman will embrace to keep him in with a chance of emulating Martin O'Neill's achievements of 1993.

The former Celtic manager was in charge of Wycombe Wanderers at the time - the last team to do the Trophy and Conference double. And Coleman has made it his aim to follow suit.

But his troops will have to go up a gear from Saturday's performance if they are to earn their place in the next round.

Stanley soaked up spells of pressure in a slow and frustrating first half, without creating too many chances of their own.

Conference North side Worksop made the brighter opening, and former Stanley trialist Blake Norton was proving to be a handful in his side's attack-minded 4-5-1 formation.

Thankfully for Rob Elliot he had recovered enough from the back strain which he battled with against Exeter to make a superb finertip save to deny Ben Saunders' looping header from close range and flick it over the bar.

Stanley created a good opening as Ian Craney and Gary Roberts linked on the right flank but the chance went begging.

Roberts went on to test goalkeeper Adam Sollitt with a low free kick which the ex-Morecambe stopper claimed comfortably.

Debutant Andrew Todd then thumped a downwards header towards goal after rising to meet Roberts' delivery, but again Sollitt dealt with it well.

Todd remained lively in attack and felt he should have had a corner as his left-foot shot appeared to be deflected. But it wasn't given, and Worksop got forward again on the break and won a free kick right on the edge of the box when Michael Welch tripped Ian Robinson. But Tony Crane blazed high and wide.

Stanley had their best spell just before the break and Mullin nodded a downwards header just wide from Cavanagh's delivery from wide on the left before deflecting in Roberts' shot, but it was from an offside position and the goal was ruled out.

However, that momentum didn't spill over into the second half as Stanley were on the back foot virtually from the start when Welch fouled former Doncaster Rovers front man Saunders in the area, conceding a penalty and picking up a yellow card.

Elliot dived the right way, but Crane's spot kick was too powerful to be kept out.

Coleman brought on Brown for Cavanagh 10 minutes later and Stanley switched from a 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 formation in an effort to conjure up a recovery. And the move paid dividends as Brown had an immediate impact.

When a Worksop attack broke down after Phil Edwards did enough to put off Norton in the area, and Ian Robinson's follow up was blocked, the Reds broke quickly. Brown received the ball in the area and coolly slipped it underneath Sollitt to get back on level terms.

Stanley had their chances to win it after that, and Brown was unlucky not to grab a second 14 minutes from time when he was judged offside.

Had Romuald Boco opted to shoot instead of pass after dancing around three defenders he might have got the winner but maybe it will be stored in the locker for tomorrow night.