By Mikael McKenzie
Accrington Stanley's youth team have secured a second-round tie with Ilkeston after beating Carlisle in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night.
Dalian Barker, Max Hazeldine and Connor Mahoney were on target for the Reds, who came back from 1-0 down to win 3-1 at the Store First Stadium.
After starting brightly, the Reds went 1-0 down from the penalty spot when Dieter Downey was adjudged to have fouled Patrick Brough in the 21st minute and Danny Hodgson tucked the resulting spot-kick past Kieran Wolland.
Hodgson went close moments later with a long-range effort that had Wolland scrambling across his line, but landed inches past the post, while Connor Hammell stung the palms of Wolland from distance.
But the equaliser came in the 32nd minute when Hazeldine flicked on a cross from the left and Barker was on hand at the back post for a tap-in.
Stanley then had a penalty appeal turned down when Hazeldine looked to have been brought down following Downey's through-ball, however referee Jane Simms waved away the protests.
Hazeldine put that decision behind him and headed his side into the lead, rising highest to meet Mahoney’s corner on 41 minutes.
Hammell failed to keep his 25-yard shot down as Carlisle were the quickest out of the blocks in the second half.
Brough then crashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar as the visitors continued to press.
Carlisle were presented with a glorious opportunity when Brough’s cross found Hodgson, but he fired over from point-blank range.
Barker led the Stanley charges forward, stinging the hands of the visiting keeper from 20 yards. Hazeldine then found himself one-on-one after beating the offside trap but his curling effort went wide.
The Reds finally had a two-goal cushion on 86 minutes when Mahoney, who has earned his first-team debut this season, arrived at exactly the right time to convert Hazeldine’s cross.
Carlisle had all hands to the pumps late on as Hammell hit the post with a phenomenal effort directly from the restart and Brough struck the woodwork a minute later.
Stanley managed to hold on to secure a well-deserved victory, though, to progress to the second round.
