1-1 after extra time. Worksop won 4-2 on penalties.

"IF we win at Worksop, we'll have done it the hard way" was the statement Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman made after his side came back from a goal down to earn last night's replay.

Instead, the Conference leaders lost it the hard way - going down 4-2 on penalties against their Conference North opponents, after Ian Craney's second half equaliser gave them a fighting chance.

This is the second competition Stanley have gone out of via a penalty shoot-out this season - the first being the LDV Vans Trophy at Rotherham after a memorable 3-3 draw early in the campaign.

But the circumstances surrounding those defeats are very different.

Coleman was furious after their exit at Rotherham because he felt his youthful side had done enough to secure a win in extra time.

Nevertheless, it was a competition they were never expected to win and any wounds would perhaps ease with little difficulty.

The FA Trophy, on the other hand, was something that Stanley were expected to be in for the long haul.

To win it, even, leaving Coleman on course to emulate Martin O'Neill - the last manager to do the Conference and Trophy double with Wycombe Wanderers in 1993.

But after Saturday's stalemate, added to 120 disappointing minutes last night, with two poor penalties to boot, that dream was shattered.

And now the Stanley boss knows he has just a few days to rally his troops to avoid a hangover spilling over into the weekend when their Conference campaign resumes with the visit of Dagenham and Redbridge.

Promotion to the Football League is the all-important mission after all.

But Stanley will have to improve after serving up arguably their most below par display of the season.

They had a difficult task in the first half as they were made to kick into a fiercely swirling wind, but still managed to make the more positive start.

But it was early in the second half, with the Reds enjoying their best spell of pressure, that Worksop took the lead.

Former Stanley trialist Blake Norton got in front of full back Danny Ventre to meet Richard Carrington's right wing cross and slide it underneath Elliot.

Dempsey almost added a second two minutes later but the ball somehow stuck to Rob Elliot's hands for another impressive save, which proved to be crucial as he set Stanley away on the break.

David Brown had a shot charged down but Craney was quick to react to the rebound and poked the ball beyond Sollitt, with the referee ignoring Worksop appeals for handball.

But Stanley couldn't come up with the winner before the referee's whistle prompted extra time, which produced no further score.

Craney missed Stanley's first penalty of the shoot-out when his effort was blocked by Adam Sollitt's legs.

Worksop had already converted their first and substitute Mark Wilson put the home side two up before Brown matched him with a good strike down the centre to make it 2-1.

Dempsey added a third, but Ventre gave Stanley a mountain to climb as Sollitt's legs saved the day for Worksop again.

Rob Elliot gave Stanley hope by saving from Norton, and Boco made it 3-2, but Crane converted the last penalty.