FRIDAY was good in more ways than one for Accrington Stanley as John Coleman’s team continued their push for promotion from League Two.

Another important three points against Leyton Orient, a second consecutive clean sheet and a biggest home crowd of the season mean the home contingent could head into the rest of the Easter weekend with smiles on their faces.

The visitors started the brightest, with a number of early half chances as they looked to make the breakthrough.

Sammy Moore smashed a shot over the top before striker Armand Gnanduillet brought the ball down, wriggled past a challenge and got a shot away that flew high and wide.

Shay McCartan was looking to continue a run of good goalscoring form but could only hammer a volley off target as he looked to find the target before the Reds forced their former goalkeeper Alex Cisak into his first meaningful save.

Sean McConville cut in from the left and got a strike away to the near post, with Cisak pushing the ball away and his defence clearing.

Piero Mingoia was similarly close moments later, with a last minute deflection taking his far post volley off target.

As might be expected in a clash between two sides vying for promotion clear openings were at a premium, though Stanley did find the net through Billy Kee only for the offside flag to curtail his celebrations. J

ust before half-time pulses were raised for the home supporters when Tom Davies flicked a McConville free kick towards Matty Pearson, but the full back was unable to make contact with the ball.

Things changed quickly after the restart and it was the Reds who broke the deadlock. McCartan held the ball up on the edge of the box and knocked it back to McConville whose cross was knocked down by Kee.

Scott Brown was in the right place to half volley his second Stanley goal from just inside the box and make it 1-0. Seconds later it could have been two with McConville racing through one on one and getting a low shot away that Cisak kept out with his legs.

The goal inevitably brought an improvement in the entertainment, with League Two’s top scorer Jay Simpson firing wide for the O’s and Cisak claiming a McConville cross with Kee lurking. McConville could have extended the advantage but for the improvisation of Cisak.

The wideman intercepted a poor Shaun Brisley header and rounded the keeper only for Cisak to scramble back and push the ball out for a corner. From the resulting flag kick McCartan tumbled in the box but ref Ross Joyce was unmoved and play went on.

Defensively the Reds looked excellent, with centre backs Davies and Mark Hughes keeping Simpson pleasingly quiet. More pleasing still was a crowd of 2,783, with all but 500 supporting the home team and revelling in their display.

Four minutes stoppage time brought no real alarms as Ross Etheridge remained largely untested in the Stanley goal and the full time whistle was greeted by elation from the bumper crowd.

Coleman made attacking reinforcements ahead of Thursday’s loan deadline, with Reading winger Tariqe Fosu named on the bench, while Stanley welcomed Josh Windass and Terry Gornell back to the squad after injury.

But none were needed as the Reds boss kept faith with the starting XI throughout the 90 minutes, and it proved to be a winning formula, on a day when all of the top seven won bar second placed Oxford.