A BIZARRE own goal put Accrington Stanley on the way to a friendly victory at Southport tonight.

Stanley took the lead early on as Steve Dickinson parried Rory Boulding's shot and, with little danger, Southport defender Earl Davis inexplicably put his clearance into the net from the edge of the six-yard box.

Boulding had to go off injured midway through the half after pulling up but Stanley added a second before the interval as Sean McConville was fouled in the box and Phil Edwards converted the penalty.

Southport pulled a goal back with 12 minutes left as Chris Lever headed home after Reds substitute keeper Ian Dunbavin had been caught out of position.

Stanley new boy Andy Parkinson then saw a shot saved late on after a fine run into the box, although the match ended with an ugly scuffle involving several players following a late tackle by Peter Murphy.

John Coleman strode on to the pitch to protest the reaction of the Southport players, before deciding to take Murphy off.

The Reds fielded trialist Charlie Barnett, a 21-year-old formerly of Tranmere and Liverpool, in a holding midfield role, while two young trialists came on for the closing stages.

Robbie Williams, banned from football for breaching FA betting rules during his time at Stanley and now playing for Southport, was not involved in the match.

Stanley: Cisak (Dunbavin 46); Bateson (Riley 66), Edwards, Hessey, Winnard (Jordan 66); Ryan (Read 66), Procter (Hall 61), Barnett (Murphy 54), Putterill (Joyce 54), McConville (Turner 54); Boulding (Parkinson 27).

Southport: Dickinson, Barratt, McGinn, Flynn, Davis, Marsh-Evans, Winn, Moogan, McNeil, Gray, Powell. Subs: Lever, Gray, Henry, Daly, Lloyd-McGoldrick.