LEIGHTON McGivern hopes there will be plenty more knee sliding celebrations to come from him for Accrington.

The 23-year-old striker had a surprise recall to the starting line-up against Conference champions Dagenham on Sunday and repaid John Coleman's faith in him by setting the ball rolling with the opening goal.

And he has set his sights on scoring a few more to win a new Stanley contract as his six month deal runs out in December.

"I have just got to hope I have done enough to earn a place in the team against Macclesfield tonight and I know I have to keep playing well if I am to get a new contract," said the former Everton schoolboy.

"It was a dream to score on Sunday - I was made up to start and the aim was to get a goal as well.

"And I can't believe I scored with a header - I didn't want to head the ball as I have never scored with my head in my life!

"Then it was just madness when it went into the net. I did my usual and slid on my knees - I probably went a bit over the top."

All Stanley's goals were headers as the Reds chalked up their third away win of the season - the same as they got in all of their 46 league games last season.

McGivern got the Reds off the mark, new goal hero Andy Procter provided the second with Paul Mullin heading home the third to make Coleman's birthday weekend - he was 45 last Friday - special for him.

But it was also an important occasion for Stanley captain Peter Cavanagh, who turned 26 on Sunday.

He enjoyed his day by setting up McGivern and Procter for the first two goals.

But also had a black mark against his name as he raced to the goalline to block Danny Foster's strike but ended up firing it into the roof of the net for what proved a short-lived equaliser.

"I have told Cav that's the best own goal you will ever see - own goal of the season," joked former Rochdale striker McGivern.

"We gave him some stick about it and also about his cross for my goal - I don't think he meant to cross it like he did.

"No, it was a great cross but he hasn't stopped going on about it!"

But McGivern won't mind if the skipper provides a few more for him in what has been a stop-start year-long Stanley career.

He signed for the Reds in November and made his first start and scored his first Stanley goal in December against tonight's opponents Macclesfield.

But, in the same game, he broke his ankle and that sidelined him until April.

He got fit during the summer and did well in pre-season and was challenging for a starting place.

But then he got sent off in an early reserve game for reacting to a foul which meant he missed a number of games and he has had to be patient and force his way back into the reckoning.

"I learnt my lesson by getting sent off and I had to learn it the hard way," he said. "I was absolutely gutted but there was nothing I could do and I had to get on with it.

"You do wonder if you will get in the team again as there are so many strikers here but I was made up when I was told I was going to start on Saturday morning against Dagenham. That's two goals in two starts for me!"

And he enjoyed his Daggers day - despite the un-seasonly hot weather in London - alongside goal heroes Procter and Mullin, who he rates.

"Procky had had a great season - he is doing well and scoring goals and he works hard for the team. He gets some stick but he takes it," he said.

"And Mullers is the grandad of the team. If I have a problem, I go to Mullers but he has a great record for the club and you can always rely on him to come up with a goal."

And there could be little complaints from the Stanley travellers who had braved the early hours of Sunday morning to make the trip down the M6 and around the M25 for the 1pm kick off.

Coleman had demanded a reaction to the lack-lustre show against Wrexham last Friday and he made three changes.

Jay Harris returned to the starting line-up after his suspension in place of Paul Carden; Graham Branch came into the three man central defence to step in for Sean Webb, who was on international duty with Northern Ireland while McGivern got the nod for Roscoe Dsane, who was trying to shake off a shoulder injury.

The pressure was on as the Reds have a 100 per cent record at Victoria Park - they had won their last three visits there in non league football - and they wanted to make sure it continued to be a happy hunting ground.

And they started off like men with a mission, testing Daggers keeper Tony Roberts in the early stages before they found a way past him.

Leam Richardson made, what one Dagenham reporter said, was the best ball he has seen at Victoria Road, as he accurately fired it over from the left flank to send Cavanagh racing free down the right. The skipper hit it first time into the area and McGivern was there to head home.

"That's one of the candidates, certainly for Accrington, for goal of the season," said Coleman. "It is pleasing to get a goal of that quality."

The Reds seemed in control but, 10 minutes later, Glen Southam caused problems on the right and set up Foster whose shot seemed to be going wide - until Cavanagh provided the finishing touch.

However, the captain made amends in the next move as, within seconds of the restart, the wing back was charging down the right and had provided the perfect cross for Procter to leap above the static Daggers defence and head the Reds back into the lead.

The home side switched their formation to counter Accrington's 5-3-2, bringing on ex- Rochdale defender Jon Boardman.

And whether it was that, or the fact the Reds sat back after the break, but the Daggers did then start to enjoy a spell of possession - although keeper Ian Dunbavin wasn't really tested.

They created chances but the combination of poor finishing and a solid defence meant that, even after the introduction of last season's goal machine Paul Benson, they couldn't find a way through.

And, as the Daggers went hunting for another equaliser, it left them wide open at the back especially when pacey Dsane came on.

And he had a big say in the third as his shot from the right hit the crossbar and bounced down for Mullin, two yards out, to head into the empty net 12 minutes from time.

That was game over and then there could have been more with Dsane poking a shot just wide, the striker having a free header but only finding the Accrington fans behind the goal and Procter trying to come up with one of his 25-yard curlers which was only centimetres off target.

"I am delighted with the win," said Coleman as Stanley chalked up back-to-back away victories for the first time since March 2006.

"I was pleased for Leighton to get his goal. He is an infectious character and loves his football and has got his reward. And Roscoe was really bubbly when he came on and worked hard to seal the game for us. It is nice when substitutions work.

"What I have got at my disposal is a squad and I am comfortable of playing any of them at any given time as I have strength in depth."