IAN Craney wants more than the label of "Super Sub" - but he is fast earning his reputation as one.
The midfielder was only on the pitch three minutes against Barnet on Saturday when he smashed the ball home for Stanley's fourth.
He needed a bit longer on Tuesday night - 28 minutes - but it was worth the wait as his cheeky back-heel in the last minute was a more vital goal, denying play-off rivals Halifax all three points as the promotion chase continues to hot up.
"Ian was delighted with his goal - but the whole team was," said relieved manager John Coleman. "It doesn't matter though how they go in or who puts them in - we were desperate for a goal at that stage."
The manager had strived against his side suffering a hangover after their stunning Saturday show when they thrashed the league leaders. But, while they didn't perform to their best on Tuesday, Halifax put in their performance of the season and Coleman was glad to get a point out of a game they came so close to losing.
"It is important when you are not at your best not to lose to one of your rivals," he continued. "But there is a lot of character in the dressing room and we kept going and, in the last 20 minutes, I think we deserved to get a goal. We had tried to guard against a hangover from Saturday but maybe we basked in our glory for too long."
Town manager Chris Wilder, like Coleman, is confident his side can clinch a top five spot. "It was disappointing to get done late on, but it was one of our best performances of the season. The management of Accrington Stanley will possibly say how poorly they played but I would like to look on how well we played. If we keep that level up between now and the end of the season we stand an excellent chance."
Coleman stuck with the same 16 who beat Barnet on Saturday hoping his side could make it six wins on the trot. But their Yorkshire rivals were up for this one and the Reds couldn't get into their stride. Their best first half chance fell to in-form striker Lee McEvilly who raced into the Town area on 14 minutes but keeper Ian Dunbavin turned his effort round the post.
Halifax, meanwhile, posed a couple of problems from free kicks with Craig Midgley the main threat while striker Lewis Killeen dispossessed Ged Brannan but his final effort was weak. Defender Adam Quinn had Town's best chance of the half as he was unmarked from Dean Howell's free kick but he headed well wide.
Stanley could have grabbed one on the stroke of half-time when Steve Flitcroft put in a fierce drive which went across the face of goal but Rory Prendergast couldn't get on the end of it at the far post.
Halifax came out stronger after the break and tested the Stanley back line.
Midgley made time and space on the edge of the area and fired low but his strike was inches wide, Robbie Williams blocked a Killeen strike and Town had a goal disallowed. The Reds did threaten on the break when Prendergast charged down the left wing but, although his cross found McEvilly at the far post, it was easy for Dunbavin.
Halifax forced a succession of corners as Stanley soaked up the pressure but they found a way through on the hour. Chris Butler failed to clear a ball on the right wing, Martin Foster found Killeen and he and Ryan Sugden worked a one-two into the area with Sugden blasting home from 15 yards.
There were then plenty of time-wasting tactics from Town - but in the end it came back to haunt them.
There were half chances for each side before Stanley went three up front with Jonathan Smith and forced a corner in the 89th minute.
Prendergast's ball in found the head of Smith but sub Jason Blunt scrambled it off the line. However, the winger put the ball back in and Craney finished with his heel for his 10th goal of the season. And the Reds could have won it in a grandstand finish but time ran out.
"You can't lose these games, that's the key thing. The relief was not at getting a point, it was from taking two off Halifax," added Coleman.
