ANDY Procter will go down in history as being the first player to score for Accrington Stanley in the Nationwide Conference.
In front of almost 4,000 supporters at Aldershot's Recreation Ground and thousands more watching the game live on Sky Sports in pubs and houses in Accrington and beyond, the 20-year-old marked his Conference debut with a wonder goal worthy of winning any match.
But while the midfielder, who Stanley manager John Coleman signed from North West Counties Division Two side Great Harwood in Febraury last year, was delighted to get on the scoresheet, he admitted his goal meant nothing without the three points.
"It was brilliant to score," he said.
"All my mates at home had got it on a big screen in the Knowles Arms at Brownhill, which is our local, so I'd got about 12 text messages when I switched my phone on after the game.
"But, at the end of the day it means nothing without the result."
The game itself, however, did fulfil his expectations.
"Despite the result, I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to taking on Leigh RMI tomorrow night now, he said."
"I had butterflies 10 minutes before the game but once we got out onto the pitch you just do what you know.
"I was getting cramp with 10 minutes to go. They just had to keep throwing the water on for us, but we had to deal with it because it was the same for both sides.
"Considering it was our first game, though, time flew because of all the adrenaline."
Despite losing their first match of the new campaign against fellow Conference newcomers Aldershot, who were promoted after winning the Ryman League championship, Procter was pleased with Stanley's overall performance.
"I think we gave a good account of ourselves, especially in the second half," he said.
"It was just frustrating the way we went down because it was a poor goal to concede.
"We defended well and in the second half we had a free kick in exactly the same spot as the one they scored from. Ours didn't go in, but that's football.
"Maybe with 11 men we would have pushed on but we'll never know now."
He added: "In the first half when we got it down and passed it we did well and I would have fancied us in the second half.
"Even with 10 men, once we'd settled down and got into it again I thought we did okay, but it was always going to be hard in that heat."
The dismissal of goalkeeper Jamie Speare, for handling the ball outside the box towards the end of the first half, was undoubtedly the turning point in the game, especially as the Shots fired the winner from the subsequent free kick.
But Procter said Stanley were still able to take positives out of the situation.
"Jamie was absolutely distraught in the changing rooms," he said. "But then again I thought our new goalkeeper Jon Kennedy did really well and made some good saves when we needed him.
"What a way to start his debut though, picking the ball out of the net. But he couldn't really do anything about it."
Stanley are back in action tomorrow night when they make they play their first home game in the Nationwide Conference against Leigh RMI (kick-off 7.45pm).
Jonathan Smith is expected to undergo a fitness test after sustaining a knock to his knee on Sunday.
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