MANAGER James Beattie and defender Tom Aldred say Accrington Stanley must simply pick themselves up and go again after their winless start to the season continued.

Stanley are still searching for their first victory of the campaign after they went down 3-1 at home to fellow League Two strugglers Carlisle United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Tuesday.

But with Tranmere Rovers visiting the Store First Stadium on Saturday, Beattie and Aldred insist this is not the time for anyone to feel sorry for themselves.

“Everybody is disappointed in the dressing room but they’ve got to learn to process that disappointment and move on very quickly,” said Reds boss Beattie.

“Football has a habit of coming around very quickly and Saturday is a massive game for us.”

Aldred backed up his manager’s comments after Stanley’s run without a win stretched to seven games with the disappointing but controversial loss to managerless Carlisle.

He said: “I’m not worried.

“We’ve had a tough run of fixtures and the cookie has not really crumbled in terms of results but I think the performances have been there and the potential in the squad is there.

“We have to move on and we’ve got to pick ourselves up and go again.

“It’s all about the league for us and three points would kick start our season.”

The Reds, watched by Tranmere boss Rob Edwards, took the lead on Tuesday through Marcus Carver’s first goal of the season.

But Carlisle hit back to go in front and they sealed their passage into the second round with a highly contentious goal from Billy Paynter who, having picked himself up from injury, headed the ball into the empty net from what appeared an offside position.

Beattie said: “I need to see the video before I make any substantial comment on it.

“But I think the players were having a word with Billy as he left the pitch and he said he only put it in the net as he thought he was offside and that he was trying to stop us taking a quick free kick as we were chasing the game at that point.

“I think the linesman said that the number nine was keeping him onside but we didn’t have a number nine on the pitch! So as I say, I’ll have to have a look at the video.

“But apart from that we would have lost the game 2-1.

“The start was very good and we managed to get ourselves in front but we allowed them to get back in the game and allowed their confidence to grow.

“They wanted it a bit more in the second half and that was disappointing.”