ACCRINGTON Stanley returned from Brunton Park with something to show for their efforts for the first time since 1957 after a battling 1-1 draw with Carlisle United.

After a nervy start the Reds grew into the game against the unbeaten Cumbrians and led through Billy Kee only for Nicky Adams to give Keith Curle’s side a share of the spoils.

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Without the suspended Mark Hughes, Stanley’s backline had an inexperienced look about it and they were put under early pressure by both their opponents and a hostile 5000-strong crowd.

Defender Michael Raynes was the first to threaten, with a header deflected behind for a corner and a shot from Tom Miller’s knockdown wide of the target.

The Reds were struggling to get out of their own half and might have been behind inside quarter of an hour when a corner found Danny Grainger on the edge of the box and his powerful shot beat Aaron Chapman and clattered back off the crossbar.

Slowly Stanley began to settle and created two decent openings from corners with Seamus Conneely and Matty Pearson heading wide and over respectively.

But Carlisle continued to carry the most threat with Janoi Donacien outmuscled by Jabo Ibehre but spared by the striker’s poor finish and Chapman saving superbly from Raynes got to Jamie Devitt’s left wing cross first inside the area.

If John Coleman’s team were fortunate to be level at the break they set about changing the balance of the game in the second period and were on the front foot from the off.

Far more of the game was played in Carlisle’s half and an early tame Kee strike was Stanley’s first shot on target.

With a 57 minutes gone the deadlock was broken in style.

After excellent work from Sean McConville and John O’Sullivan, Rommy Boco crossed for Kee to head home from inside the six-yard box to make it 1-0.

It was a little bit of history, with the striker becoming the first Stanley player to score at Brunton Park since Jackie Swindells in 1960.

The joy didn’t last long though, as Carlisle levelled just seven minutes later.

Sub Charlie Wyke held up the ball and laid it off to Nicky Adams and the wideman cut inside and picked his spot in the right corner of the net from outside the box to make it 1-1.

The game was suddenly open and Boco produced another good cross for Kee to flick at the near post only for no Stanley player to be arriving.

McConville then bent a free-kick wide of the post as Stanley sought to restore their advantage.

But in the end it was Chapman who proved crucial, restored to the starting line up and making two crucial late saves from Reggie Lambe.

Lambe met the ball from Adams’ cross, forcing one point-blank stop from Chapman before hitting the rebound and seeing it blocked by the legs of the former Chesterfield goalkeeper.

Late shots from debutant Zak Vyner and sub Jordan Clark brought no joy for Stanley who instead had to settle for ending a run of six successive defeats from trips to Cumbria.