SHARP-SHOOTER Paul Mullin helped fire Accrington Stanley to their first win of the season and declared: "I hope this is the start of something special!"

Mullin and last season's leading scorer Lutel James formed a lethal partnership in the UniBond championship winning campaign - netting 57 league goals between them.

And after both got off the mark in last night's 4-1 win, Mullin was hoping for more of the same.

"It's a relief to get off the mark - it always is - and in the second game I'll settle for that," he said.

"It was good for myself and Lutel to get on the scoresheet because we've both set targets for 20 goals this season.

"And if we do that it's no mean feat because this is a hard league."

It turned out to be a goalfest that few expected from the opening exchanges.

Leigh had started brightly while Stanley had an initial struggle to break them down. But once John Coleman's men had got the measure of the visitors' 3-5-2 formation, there was no looking back.

The Reds' first chance fell to Mullin on 10 minutes but, after being put through by James, was denied by goalkeeper Stuart Coburn.

Gordon Armstrong then bent the ball wide to Dean Calcutt with the outside of his left boot.

Calcutt made an angled run to the edge of the box from the right wing, twisted past Andy Heald, who appeared to handle Calcutt's cross inside the area, but no action was taken by the referee.

Another penalty appeal was not acknowledged by the man in black after Jonathan Smith was brought down by opposite number Martyn Lancaster, before Mullin again went close, this time with a header from Paul Cook's in-swinging corner.

But Stanley didn't need the aid of set pieces or spot kicks to create chances because, with a much calmer approach than what they had displayed in their opening game on Sunday, they were able to do that with free-flowing football, keeping possession and looking up for their best options.

Cook's experience and quality on the ball was highlighted on the half-hour as his crossfield delivery from midway inside his own half fell delightfully for Calcutt to burst onto down the right.

The winger's centre, searching for Mullin and James, was equally easy on the eye, but Gerry Harrison made a brave interception with his head to thump the ball behind for a corner. In doing so, however, the former Burnley player sustained a dislocated shoulder and suspected fractured collar bone and was stretchered off.

The game was held up for around four minutes but, when play resumed, Armstrong headed over from Cook's corner.

The saying 'what goes around comes around' was never more apt than when Stanley eventually took the lead on 42 minutes.

After the calamitous events which led to Jamie Speare being sent off after handling a headed back pass outside the area on Sunday, and Aldershot scoring from the resultant free kick, it was the Reds' turn to benefit from another's misfortune.

Coburn charged off his line to clear the ball from the edge of his box but central defender Neil Durkin headed it beyond him. James showed lightning reactions to be first to the ball and headed it into an empty net from 12 yards.

And Stanley's hotshot used the additional time wisely to double the lead before the break. After going for power rather than precision from around six yards and blazing over, the former Bury centre forward needed less than a minute to find the target once more.

James got the deftest of touches to Peter Cavanagh's long range free kick into the box, the ball rebounded off the post and the 31-year-old bounced back to his feet to slide it across the keeper and into the bottom left-hand corner.

Calcutt and Mullin combined within a minute of the second half starting to hand Stanley a vital three-goal cushion. Calcutt, having his best game for the Reds for some time, fired in a fearsome delivery from Cook's knock-down on the right, and Mullin sneaked in to ram the ball underneath Coburn.

Andy Gouck and Rory Prendergast, replacing Armstrong and Cook respectively, provided fresh legs to keep the momentum going and Leigh were often chasing shadows after the break.

Prendergast took up his usual position on the left flank and, working in tandem with Calcutt, deliveries into the box were second to none.

But it was Mullin and James who set up Stanley's fourth - Mullin releasing his strike partner down the right, James struck the base of the post to be denied a hat-trick but Prendergast was on hand for a clinical finish.

Coleman was disappointed to see his side concede a sloppy goal at the death as David McNiven made the most of a defensive error to plant the ball into an empty net.

But Stanley, unbeaten at home in the league throughout last season and getting off to another winning start at the Interlink Express Stadium, have set a good benchmark for the rest of their campaign.

ACCRINGTON 4 James 42, 45; Mullin 46; Prendergast 70

LEIGH RMI 1 McNiven 88

Interlink Express Stadium Att: 2,003