John Coleman's Football League newcomers were stronger in every department, giving Vics a glimpse of what they may have to contend with in the coming months.

And they cruelly exposed goalkeeper Phil Senior's lack of height, which may cause Steve Burr some concern.

Senior was lobbed for Stanley's first two goals, marring an otherwise promising performance from Kristian Rogers' replacement.

He was the first keeper called into action, parrying Sean Doherty's stinging left foot drive after he had combined with Benin international Rommy Boco on 11 minutes.

Vics hit back soon after when Michael Byrne's volley was carefully watched by Senior's opposite number Ian Dunbavin.

Stanley got their noses in front when Boco scooped a deft finish over Senior from Brown's smart cross after 26 minutes.

A half bereft of shooting opportunities still served up two talking points.

First Kevin Townson squared up to Gary Roberts after the pair tangled on the touchline, before Roberts theatrically fell to the floor following a push by the Liverpool-born striker.

Later there was a further moment of farce when Stanley back marker Michael Welch tried to explain a tactical switch to his Ivorian defensive partner Julian N'da, with his French-speaking teammate clearly at pains to understand Welch's frantic explanation despite his deployment of animated hand gestures.

Doherty fizzed a volley inches past Senior's post following Boco's fine run and cross after half an hour before Vics enjoyed their best moment of the match.

Richard Battersby's sliderule pass beat the Accrington offside trap to release Townson.

The Vics marksman rounded Dunbavin only to squeeze his shot against the outside of the post from an impossible angle.

Vics much-changed line up was slow at the start of the second half as Doherty found space on the edge of the box to guide a measured chip over Senior to double his side's advantage within a minute of the restart.

Jonny Allan, pushed into his a familiar forward role, was inches away from converting Danny Mayman's cross five minutes later, but Burr's men could not cope with Stanley's incisive attacking at the other end.

Welch powered home a back post header from Roberts' corner on the hour to end the match as a contest.

Senior tipped over Ian Craney's drive a minute later as the Lancashire side threatened to run riot.

Vics claimed a consolation when Allan converted a spot-kick after he was hauled down by Peter Cavanagh, but still Stanley powered forward led by the excellent Boco.

His strike partner David Brown got his name on the scoresheet after 70 minutes, slamming in a right foot shot from another Roberts corner to seal Vics' fate.

Vics' fans, who had entertained themselves with barracking poor Roberts since his scuffle with Townson, were delighted to see the winger spoon a simple chance out of the ground after Boco again had exposed the lack of pace in the home team's backline.

Burr deployed three triallists, defender Neil Brisco and central midfield duo Alex Morris and Scott Warner, but only Morris made any impact as Vics struggled to craft any clear cut chances in the second half.

STAR MAN: Steve Payne - Vics' former captain proved why he has positioned himself ahead of Peter Handyside in Steve Burr's defensive set up.

Coped well with the blistering pace of Boco and showed adept anticipation and concentration when his side threatened to fall apart in the second period.

VICS (first half): Senior, Battersby, Gallimore, Payne, Elliott, Charnock, Byrne, Townson, Allan, Sale and Williams.

VICS (second half): Senior, McCarthy, Brisco, Payne, Handyside, Mayman, Warner, Morris, Allan (Rutter 70), Brayson and Roca.