ACCRINGTON Stanley tightened their grip on the Nationwide Conference with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Canvey Island.

For the second successive season the reds impressed in patches at Park Lane, and showed a cutting edge that the home side lacked.

Boss John Coleman was forced to make one change for the game as winger Steve Jagielka was sidelined with a knee injury. This meant a return for skipper Peter Cavanagh, who started his first league game since October on the right side of midfield.

The first 30 minutes brought few chances, with Ian Craney firing straight at Gulls keeper Danny Potter and a disappointing free kick from Canvey's Dwain Clarke the only notable efforts on goal.

But with two-thirds of the half gone the game opened up, with Clarke intercepting an unfortunate ricochet in the Stanley area before driving a left foot shot wide from the right hand channel. The scare catalysed the reds into action, with Gary Roberts' first touch letting him down when presented with a chance.

Roberts atoned for that error on 39 minutes when he received the ball on the left flank and ran at right back Ben Chenery. His floated ball into the box looked to be going wide of the right hand post, but Cavanagh ghosted in behind a crowd of players to scramble the ball past Potter for his fourth goal of the season.

The scoreline at the break was harsh on Canvey, and didn't fully reflect an even first half. The second period was different altogether as Stanley came out with all guns blazing. Roberts had two chances to double the lead in the first five minutes, firing one into the side netting after good work by Boco before a great save by Potter denied him a minute later.

With 54 minutes played Potter was again Canvey's hero. Cavanagh's deep cross from the right found the impressive Roberts, who's left footed volley was well parried by the Canvey stopper, only for he rebound to fall to Mullin. But the keeper recovered well, palming the rebound wide for a corner.

Canvey were reduced to half chances, with Noto firing a free kick straight at Elliot and Keeling ballooning an effort high and wide.

The Reds landed the decisive blow 24 minutes from time. Boco picked out Roberts who delivered a superb cross for Mullin from the left which left the defence split, and the Premiership clubs tracking the winger impressed. All that remained was for the Mullin to finish the move, and he hammered the ball past Potter to double the lead.

It might have been three on 76 minutes when Mullin met substitute David Brown's low cross, but somehow guided the ball over from just eight yards. And just three minutes later, Canvey almost set up a grandstand finish as Chenery's near post header forced Elliot into a flying save.

The result keeps Stanley three points clear of second placed Exeter and maintains their record of nine league games without defeat.

But Coleman was just pleased to get back to winning ways. He said: "It was important that we got a win on the back of two draws.

"If we drew or lost today, we'd only have picked up three points out of nine in the last three games. That's not Championship form. You need to win games and it takes us a step nearer."