ACCRINGTON Stanley may have exited the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night but Sean McConville produced a moment to remember with an incredible strike.

McConville put the Reds back in front at Lincoln with a dipping volley from the centre circle which went in off the bar and Imps goalkeeper Paul Farman.

Despite McConville's heroics it wasn't to be for John Coleman's side, who suffered a 3-2 defeat.

But the winger's goal will live long in the memory, even if may cruelly go down as a Farman own goal.

Coleman said: "It was a fantastic strike and we know Sean's got that in his locker."

After seeing his side exit the competition Coleman felt conditions favoured the hosts' direct and physical approach.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose, we had a poor 15 minute spell in the second half were they got a lot of balls in our box and won a lot of headers and we didn’t defend particularly well,” Coleman said.

“They got a lot of cheap fouls and it helps when you’ve got a big crowd roaring for everything and complaining every time we get a foul. It made it difficult for the referee, he was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.

“They set out a game plan and they fouled us a lot in the first half. As a referee you get a bit frustrated when you keep giving fouls to the one team, so it was difficult for him.

“They play a certain way and it’s been successful for them, not every week because of where they are in the league, but on the balance of the game I felt we made the better chances.”

Stanley also struggled to impose their own style of play on the game thanks to the quality of the pitch at Sincil Bank, with Coleman adding: “It was a difficult pitch, very bobbly and lively and it suits them, they play a very direct game and pick up the second balls. We try to play a passing game but it was very difficult to pass the ball on that pitch.

“To our credit we had some good passing moves and created some good chances, but at the start of the season we were taking a high proportion of our chances and we’ve missed some really good ones tonight. They’ve got to start going in if we want to be successful.”

Coleman urged his side to take the positives from the game, with Kayden Jackson spurning the chance to win a penalty late on as well.

“Kayden is fouled and he doesn’t go over, it’s a penalty and sending off. But fair play top him he stood up and tried to score,” he said.

“We’re disappointed with the one he missed at the far post after Sean has hit the underside of the bar but then you just have a feeling it’s not going to be your night.

“We have to take the positives from the way we’ve played, particularly in the first half, and the last 15 minutes and we have to take into Saturday. We we play like that we’ll win more games than we don’t.

The Reds are back in Lincolnshire for a League Two clash a week on Saturday, but Coleman insists he learnt nothing he didn’t already know from the Trophy fixture.

“I know exactly the way they play so there were no surprises and there’ll be no surprises in 10 days time,” he said.