A HARD-earned point away from home ensured Stanley kept their noses well in front in the race for the Conference.

However, having taken their points tally to 50 for the season with their midweek win over Ashton, the Reds never looked like completing their second half ton of the week by bagging the two goals needed to reach that target in goals scored in the league.

Both sides defended strongly and there were few scoring chances to warm up a freezing afternoon in West Yorkshire.

However, Stanley boss John Coleman was not too concerned and felt that if they could keep winning at home and drawing away they should be able to maintain their lead in the UniBond Premier Division, which currently stands at nine points from Stalybridge Celtic who head the chasing pack.

"We have drawn away from home and in some ways you have to be happy with that, we just have to concentrate on winning our next home game," said Coleman, whose side face third-placed Bradford Park Avenue at the Crown Ground next Saturday.

"Winning at home and taking points away is championship winning form, we just have to make sure that we don't let anything slip at home.

"It was a little frustrating to only come away with a draw, but we were sterile in the first half and we were lucky they didn't take a couple of good chances.

"We were a lot better in the second half, maybe we should have had a penalty, but we are going to get plenty of games like this through to the end of the season.

"We are on top and teams are going to try and frustrate us. They will raise their game against us and we just have to have the right attitude to overcome that."

Stanley were indeed a little flat in the first half and the promptings of on-loan Andy Gouck and midfield partner Michael Knowles failed to prise open an Emley defence in which Paul David was outstanding.

Emley were the sharper side going forward with Rob Tonks breaking well from midfield and they could have gained the lead as early as the sixth minute when Tonks blazed his shot over the bar after Stanley failed to clear following a corner.

When Accrington did settle Lutel James provided the major threat but his best two openings ended with Wakefield keeper Paul Cuss racing out to clear the first and the with second James pulled his shot wide from 20 yards.

On the half hour Emley found that even if they beat Jamie Speare in the Accrington goal they still could not score as Pete Cavanagh raced back to clear Lee Ryan's shot after the midfielder had rounded Speare.

But Speare refused to be beaten as Emley upped the tempo in the dying minute of the first half as he first blocked from Ryan, Danny Day fired the rebound wide, and then tipped a fizzing strike from Wakefield front-runner Simeon Bambrook on to the crossbar.

In the second half Stanley looked more comfortable and on 59 minutes went close when Jonathan Smith's header from Cavanagh's corner was blocked by Cuss but Steve Halford failed to put his shot from the rebound on target.

On 75 minutes a James run forced a clumsy challenge from David but referee Alan Clyde waved away appeals for a penalty.

A patchy contest, the game was also littered with fouls and bookings and in the final minute Emley were reduced to ten men when striker Andy Gomersal, who had been cautioned on 54 minutes for a foul on Halford, was shown a second yellow card after disputing a free-kick award.

WAKEFIELD AND EMLEY...0 ACCRINGTON STANLEY...0