Accrington hit four in Marine stroll

MARINE.........................0 ACCRINGTON ..............4 SHELDAN KEAY

ACCRINGTON Stanley continued their pre-season preparations with a dominant 4-0 victory over Northern Premier League side Marine.

Two goals from Adam Morgan along with late strikes from Seamus Conneely and Billy Kee helped the Reds run out comfortable winners.

Stanley were the better team from the offset, with Liam Goulding forcing a smart save from the opposition goalkeeper.

Academy product Kealan Steenson then tried his luck with a free-kick 20 yards from goal but his effort cannoned off the post.

Just before the interval, Gerardo Bruna almost scored a speculative effort after shooting directly from a corner, but the Marine goalkeeper recovered well to tip the Argentine’s effort onto the crossbar.

John Coleman changed all 11 of his players at the break, and it didn’t take long for the substitutes made an impact.

Morgan scored within a minute of the second-half restarting, finishing from closerange to earn the 21-year-old his first goal in an Accrington shirt.

The striker had his second a couple of minutes later, getting on the end of a pass from Matt Crooks before curling an effort into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Crooks then threatened himself, and he thought he had his fourth goal in as many games when he had the ball in the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Morgan then came agonisingly close to a hat-trick after being set through on goal by Crooks once again, but his attempt was off target.

Stanley eventually extended their lead when Sean McConville’s low cross was met by Conneely, who coolly side-footed the ball into the bottom corner.

In the dying seconds, Stanley then wrapped up the win and made it 4-0 as Kee got in on the act with a goal of his own.