Stanley's Youth side came from a goal down to beat Morecambe on a wet and windy Saturday morning. A brace from Dalian Barker and another goal for top scorer Max Hazeldine settled the game as Alex Newby's opener for Morecambe became only a consolation.
Morecambe were the quicker out of the blocks and after creating a couple of early chances they took the lead on seven minutes. Tom Woods worked his way down the right hand side of the pitch, reaching the byline before delivering the ball on a plate for an unmarked Newby to tap in at the back post.
It was a wakeup call for Stanley who were soon creating chances of their own at the other end of the field. A bursting run down the left from Hennigan found him in the area, but the Shrimps keeper Kitchen was out well to parry the ball away for a corner. The resulting cross found Downey on the edge of the area who fired a defected shot into the hands of Kitchen in the Morecambe goal.
Soon after Stanley got a deserved equaliser following a good spell of pressure on the Morecambe defence. It was last week's double goalscorer Barker who picked up the mantle again, turning Hudson's low cross past the helpless Morecambe keeper from six yards out.
An end to end game saw chances at both ends, Kieran Wolland bravely thwarted a Morecambe attack at the strikers feet before Barker fired an audacious long range volley just a matter of inches over the home sides crossbar.
Stanley found a second goal on the half hour mark after a string of attacking chances. A James Wolfenden cross from deep found Hazeldine in the box, who brought the ball down cleverly before despatching his shot past the once again helpless Kitchen in the Shrimps goal.
Immediately after, Morecambe were back on the offensive and a dangerous ball across the box from Newby was cleared smartly over the bar by Stanley centre back Greaves from on the goal line.
The second half was very much a showcase of Stanley's quality as they controlled the game and limited Morecambe to set pieces and speculative shots from range.
Morecambe had a few early half chances but it was Stanley who carved the first real chance after the break. Hazeldine won a free kick in a dangerous position on the left hand side and the resulting cross from Mahoney fell to skipper Liam Goulding in the box and he was unfortunate not to hit the target with his volleyed effort.
With 25 minutes to go in the game Morecambe gifted Stanley a third goal to settle the game. A poor back pass resulted in a heavy first touch from the keeper and Barker was quick on the scene to roll the ball left footed into the unguarded goal.
Morecambe's most clear cut chance of the second half was a clever through ball over the top by Dunleavy but a smart Wolland was quick off the mark to race out and clear the danger.
Late in the game Stanley saw Hazeldine hobble off the pitch with an injury but it didn't seem to stop Stanley creating chances. A Connor Mahoney corner was flicked into the path of Goulding but his shot was saved well by the feet of Kitchen in the Shrimps goal.
Stanley finished the game on top as they searched for more goals. Mahoney had a penalty appeal waved away and substitute Steenson fired over the bar, one on one with the keeper after pouncing on a defensive mistake from Morecambe.
Report by Shane Hudson