LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard was a surprise guest at the Fraser Eagle stadium as Accrington Stanley routed Wrexham.

And Stanley captain Peter Cavanagh admitted performing in front of the inspirational England international was an added incentive as his side kept their first clean sheet of the season.

Gerrard spent time alongside Cavanagh as a youngster at the Liverpool Academy before his meteoric rise into the Anfield first team.

After returning from a disappointing Champions League draw in Holland, the midfielder had an evening off and made the short journey across to East Lancashire to cheer on his friend, and Reds goalkeeper, Ian Dunbavin.

Cavanagh said: "He's good mates with Ian and it was great to see him there. He tries to watch him as often as he can.

"I remember Stevie in my early days at the Academy. He was a couple of years older than me but it was obvious he had all the qualities to become a star.

"I don't know if it was because he was there or not that we managed such a good win, it probably didn't do us any harm though. I think it was a combination of things, us doing the right things at the right time."

And Cavanagh was certainly in the right place at the right time at the start of the second half, when he unleashed a cracking free kick, that nestled in the back of the net.

But, he revealed he had to use all his powers to claim the set piece in the first place.

He said: "To be fair I've been trying to take them for a while now but Gary Roberts has a monopoly on them. I saw the goalkeeper lined up at the other side and I told Gary that, if he got out the way I could hit it in the other corner. He duly obliged and, fortunately for me, the keeper didn't see it."

Cavanagh and his fellow defenders have come under fire so far this season for conceding sloppy goals in the first quarter of matches - in all but two league games they have gone behind early on.

And he confessed to having a few nerves as the first half minutes ticked away.

He said: "The main thing for us when we went two and three up was to keep that clean sheet and you could see how much we wanted that with everyone chasing back near the end.

"Early on I think there were some nerves. They pinned us back and I think we gave them a bit too much respect. We were all very anxious to get past the 25-minute-mark and then on to half time without conceding."

The orders will be more of the same for tomorrow's game against Boston United who have added former Ewood Park favourite Colin Hendry to their coaching staff.

United are coming off the back of a win over Stockport and a draw against Barnet.

And Cavanagh is expecting a tough match.

He said: "We can't get carried away with the Wrexham result.

"Boston will be a very difficult test. I think they'll be a bit more direct and we'll have to be at our best again defensively if we're going to stop them."