ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1 HALIFAX 1

A LATE penalty from substitute Peter Cavanagh rescued a point for Stanley for the second game running against their Yorkshire rivals.

A 89th minute free kick from Gary Roberts salvaged a point on Boxing Day against Halifax and it was Roberts who was tripped for the 80th minute spot kick which skipper Cavanagh coolly converted.

A point was good enough to extend Accrington's lead at the top of the table to three points as nearest rivals Exeter and Grays both lost.

Town, who had played at the weekend when Stanley's clash at Southport was postponed,  started the brighter side but slowly the Reds - in front of their biggest crowd of the season of 3014 - clawed their way back into the game.

Paul Mullin was one on one with the Town keeper but Adam Legzdins managed to deny him while the goalie kept out an Ian Craney effort and Roberts ballooned the follow up high and wide. The home side also had two penalty appeals turned down for a foul on Mullin and a Roberts trip.

And it was fifth placed Town who finally made the breakthrough  in the 59th minute when Danny Forrest curled a slow shot into the bottom corner of Rob Elliot's goal.

It looked like they would hold on and Stanley would lose their record of scoring in every game so far this season until Roberts fell under a challenge from Steve Haslam and Cavanagh scored.

And Stanley could then have gone on to win it with Michael Welch header being cleared off the line in the dying minutes.

"I always knew we would score," said Stanley manager John Coleman. "We have played two games against Halifax and every game between now and the end of the season will be tough. I was always sure Cav would score - mind you saying that he missed a penalty in training yesterday - but I was pleased for him."