STANLEY striker Marcus Carver was the FA Cup hero as the Reds saw off League One high-flyers Notts County and boosted their coffers by £18,000.

Accrington-born Carver looped the ball home on 49 minutes in the first round replay to pull off a cup shock and secure a home tie at home to Yeovil in the second round.

It was a massive win for the Reds with the finances vital for John Coleman’s side as they look to press for promotion from League Two this season.

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Stanley needed a good performance and they made four changes from Saturday’s defeat at Carlisle with Blackburn’s John O’Sullivan and West Ham’s Sean Maguire cup-tied.

Right back Nicky Hunt came off in Cumbria with an injury and was on the bench against the Magpies while Kal Naismith was also a substitute with winger Piero Mingoia getting a rare start and Great Harwood-born Marcus Carver given the nod up front.

The Reds started off confidently against their League One opponents, who they secured a goalless draw against at Meadow Lane, with Coleman promising they would come out ‘all guns blazing’.

The first real chance though fell to the visitors 10 minutes after County broke quickly and Canadian winger Michael Petrasso charged forward but could only blast well over the bar much to the relief of the Stanley contingent.

However County made the most of the next chance on 12 minutes after former Morecambe striker Garry Thompson found Ronan Murray who rifled home the opener giving keeper Jack Rose no chance.

Stanley could have replied immediately when Lee Molyneux’s free kick found the head of defender Rob Atkinson who was only inches wide of the far post.

The Reds were enjoying a spell of pressure and came close again when Mingoia found Andy Procter who got the ball ahead of his marker but could only slide it wide.

Atkinson again came close but saw his blast saved by Northern Ireland international keeper Roy Carroll, playing his third game in five days after turning out for his country in Romania on Friday and then keeping a clean sheet as his side won 1-0 at Coventry on Saturday.

The home pressure continued but, when a goal looked likely, Shay McCartan blasted well over from six yards out on the half hour mark – a gaping miss by the former Burnley trainee who held his head in his hands.

But the Reds got the goal they deserved on the stroke of half-time when McCartan made amends by crossing into the area where captain Luke Joyce dived low to equalise in front of the Clayton End fans.

Stanley continued to press after the break with a Procter goalbound effort deflected wide and then Carver popped up with what proved to be the winner.

The ball bounced about the County area from a corner and the young home-grown striker was there to loop the ball over Carroll and into the net on 49 minutes.

Stanley knew they would then have to weather a storm and County boss Shaun Derry introduced substitute Jake Cassidy on 57 minutes. The striker was clean through within seconds of his introduction but, with Rose beaten, his effort hit the crossbar and bounced out, to the relief of the Stanley fans behind the goal.

Goal hero Carver got a standing ovation 12 minutes from time when he made way for James Gray and Stanley’s defence were superb as they held their ground for a huge victory in terms of morale and finances.

Stanley: Rose 7, Liddle 8*, Atkinson 8, Aldred 8, Winnard 8; Procter 8, Joyce 8; Molyneux 7, McCartan 7, Mingoia 7, Carver (Gray 78) 8 Subs: Simpson, Windass, Hatfield, Roddan, Hunt, Naismith Notts County: Carroll, Thompson , Hollis, McKenzie , Cranston ; Petrasso , Traore, Adams (Cassidy 57), Wroe (Noble 64); Thompson, Murray (Harrad 72) Subs: Jones, McGowan, Spiess, Whitehouse