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The first half was a strange one really. There weren't really a glut of clear cut chances but five of the game's nine goals were scored in the opening 45 minutes. The game was around 5 minutes old when we took the lead. Neat interplay between King and Ross Wilson ended with a deep cross to the far post, onto which James Taylor ghosted, giving the keeper no chance.
For the next 20 minutes nothing much happened and the game was very much mired in the midfield. Out of nothing Accrington equalised as a low long range drive deceived the keeper and crept inside the post. 10 minutes later the visitors had taken the lead. Steve Edwards conceded a free kick around 5 yards outside the box, picking up a yellow card for his troubles. The direct effort burst through a fragmenting wall and powered past Paulett-Brigg.
It looked as though we would go into the interval behind but from nothing we drew level. Taylor was looking to jink through the middle of the defence, but he crossed the path of King, who took control and guided the ball through the defence and past the keeper. We even had time to take the lead as Taylor was fouled on the edge of the box. McKee and King stood over the ball and it was the Scot who dinked the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the net.
The second half began and was merely minutes old when Stanley got back on terms. A long ball up field from the Stanley back line was overhit and looked to be going tamely through to the Clarets keeper. The Stanley forward added a little pressure and Paulett-Brigg was forced to attempt a volley to clear his lines. He could only manage an air kick though and the forward scooted through and rolled the ball home. It's never good to see these things happen to a young lad and he was clearly distraught at the error. However, he isn't the first to do this and will not be the last.
The mistake affected him to the point where Pash decided it would be best to replace him. Danny McDonald came on in his stead, while Steve Edwards was also replaced by Tom Anderson.
We had altered the composition of our line up during the break and this had seen Taylor move up top, with Newman to the left and Wilson to the right. It seemed to work better and we began to create chances. Taylor was caught just offside a number of times and we probed for an opening. It wasn't Taylor who bagged though when the goal finally came. Wilson was released down the wing and his byline cross was straight onto the head of McKee, unmarked and within the 6 yard box.
Taylor was then clattered by the keeper when challenging for the ball. It looked like he could have done some damage as his face impacted with the keeper's hip, but after treatment was fit to continue.
Newman then stepped up and got himself a goal. It was building for the Welshman as he had three successive chances which each had got increasingly closer. The first flashed wide, the 2nd was tipped wide but the 3rd made the net bulge.
Taylor was proving himself to be a real menace in and around the box and in the final minute managed to win a penalty. He was first to a through ball and knocked it over the keeper before again being clattered. It wasn't malicious in any way but the ref saw fit to book the keeper. The ball was taken by McKee who hammered home to chalk up his 1st Clarets hat-trick.
Team:- Christian Paulat-Brigg (Danny McDonald), Ed Williams, Jake McEneaney, Curtis Woods, Steve Edwards (Tom Anderson), Ross Wilson, Michael King, Joe McKee, Dave Lynch, James Taylor, Liam Newman.
Subs not used:- Dom Knowles, Joe Jackson