ALTHOUGH the Champagne is still on ice, Accrington Stanley are so close to the Football League now they can almost taste the celebratory bubbly.

The win over Exeter put Stanley 11 points ahead of the Grecians, with a game in hand and you would think only a calamity the size of that which did for most of Amelie Mauresmo's Australian open opponents could stop Stanley now.

But Stanley didn't have it all their own way at St James' Park last night. For long spells the Grecians bombarded the Stanley backline from all angles.

But it was in the other box that Stanley showed why they are the "Daddies" of the Conference this season.

Their attacking play, if somewhat sporadic on the night, was inventive and their finishing clinical and if you score three away from home you don't expect to lose.

The victory typified Stanley this season - physical, attacking and the ability to do the right things at the right time.

Stanley boss John Coleman likes his teams to get about the opposition from the first whistle and that's exactly what they did with Anthony Barry making the first foul of the game after TWO seconds.

Michael Welsh became the first name in Mr East's notebook after just three minutes but it wasn't long before he was marking down Gary Roberts' name in his book after a superb set piece.

With 12 minutes on the clock, Peter Cavanagh was fouled 25 yards out from the Grecians goal and Roberts made them pay with a fabulous curling free kick that left Paul Jones for dead.

It was just the start they wanted but the luck that every side needs was certainly with Stanley just minutes later when skipper Cavanagh put in an horrific challenge on his opposite number Chris Todd as the pair went for a 50/50 ball inside the Grecians box.

It looked for all the world a straight red but Mr East gave the Stanley skipper the benefit of the doubt and just a yellow card.

Todd never recovered and was replaced 10 minutes later by Brazilian Santos Gaia.

Although Stanley had the lead, it was the Grecians who were applying the pressure increasingly as the half wore on.

Rob Elliot had to be smart to save from Lee Phillips twice before pulling off a fabulous close-range reflex stop, again from Phillips, six minutes before the break after a spot of penalty box pinball.

Stanley got their second lucky break of the half when Roberts clearly handed in the penalty but Lady Luck again smiled on the visitors as the referee dubiously gave the free kick Stanley's way for an alleged handball moments earlier by Matt Gill.

At half time you thought that the next goal would probably decide it and it went the way of the leaders.

After soaking up more Exeter pressure, Romuald Boco doubled Stanley's lead on 53 minutes.

A poor corner from Ian Craney, was cleared back to the Stanley man who stood the ball up at the back stick for Roberts to head back into the danger zone and it was left to the boy from Benin to lash the ball home from eight yards through three pairs of legs.

Billy Jones' volley from distance caused a few hearts to flutter but Stanley's third in the 68th minute put the game to bed.

Boco fed the ball across to Craney, who delayed his past just long enough for Roberts to run into a huge gap and the former Welshpool man smashed the ball home first time with the outside of his left foot.

But just as they had in the first half, Exeter piled the pressure on the Stanley rearguard and this time they started to creak.

Exeter grabbed a lifeline with six minutes left when Williams mis-judged a long punt down field and Jake Edwards stole in to lob the ball over the advancing Elliot.

But despite a late Exeter flurry the final whistle went and the three points belonged to Stanley.

And they will have floated along the long journey back from the West Country like Bisto kids with the smell of impending promotion in their nostrils.