PAUL Cook has had an eye for the spectacular goal in pre-season - and Stanley boss John Coleman will require a few more of them when the real work starts from August 14.

The player-coach superbly chipped the ball over the head of backtracking Wolves keeper Matt Murray from 30 yards out on 86 minutes - repeating the goal he scored against Burnley in Stanley's opening friendly.

Cook enjoyed both strikes against his former clubs - but the goals in the Conference games will mean much more to the Stanley management team.

"It was a great goal - I knew he meant it straight away. You could tell by his celebration," said the boss. "It was a fantastic goal and we know he is capable of doing that as he has tried it a couple of times."

While Coleman was full of praise for Cook's goal, he was downbeat about the clash.

"We didn't play well. If we can take any positives out of it is that we can't drop our guard. We dropped it against Wolves and we got punished by a decent side and we couldn't get going.

"All the lads are disappointed but that is good. We are a lot better passing team than that and our movement is better than that.

"We finished strongly which was important but it was a bad day at the office. We have set outselves high standards and we shouldn't compromise by accepting anything less."

Goalkeeper Danny Alcock - who was offered a Stanley contract after the game - did well to deny Leon Clarke early on with a double block but it was the Reds who then came close. Midfielder Ian Craney turned and fired over on five minutes while Lee McEvilly headed wide from a Paul Howarth cross.

But it was the Coca Cola Championship side - fielding a mixture of first teamers and reserves - who got off the mark on 12 minutes when Joleon Lescott was left unmarked from a corner and his thumping header found the back of the net.

It was soon two when Gary Mulligan charged into the area ahead of Stuart Howson and he fired low beyond the diving Alcock.

Tempers did flare early on and McEvilly was asked to come off the pitch on 36 minutes as the referee tried to stop the action boiling over.

Sammy Clingan fired inches over for Wolves but Stanley almost got one back when a Steve Jagielka corner was headed against the woodwork by defender Steve Halford on 40 minutes.

After the break, Stanley appealed for handball when a Craney shot did seem to bounce against the arm of Michael Townsend but nothing was given.

Striker McEvilly then returned to the action but it was Wolves who soon made it 3-0 when Halford and Clarke chased a long ball forward, Clarke got there and chipped the outcoming Alcock on 54 minutes.

Two minutes later and Alcock dived down low to deny Mulligan a second before Cook and Gambian international Baboucarr Njie entered the fray on the hour.

But there was more worries for Stanley when Andy Procter was stretchered off on 66 minutes with an ankle injury.

"It is not as bad as we first feared," said the Stanley boss. "He has damaged his medial ligaments but we thought he had torn them. We don't know how long he will be out - how long is a piece of string? It could be a couple of weeks."

McEvilly forced a one handed save out of Murray but it was Clarke who almost got a second on 80 minutes as he raced through but Turkish keeper Nejbet Hussein managed to forced him wide and he fired over.

There was still time for Cook's wonder goal four minutes from time to give the Stanley fans something to smile about as they count the days down to the big kick off.

STANLEY: Alcock, Howarth, Howson, Williams, Halford, Jagielka, Brannan, Craney, James, Mullin, McEvilly, Subs: Cook, Procter, Carvill. Smith, Hindle, Flitcroft, Hussein, Njie.

WOLVES: Murray, Edwards, Rafferty, O'Connor, Lescott, Townsend, Cornes, Clingan, Clarke, Mulligan, Jones: Subs: Lowe, Ikeme, Flynn, Riley, Musson, Stewart, Davies

  • A MIXED Stanley side lost 3-1 at Prescot Cables on Monday night with Damien Hindle scoring Stanley's goal from the penalty spot.