BARRIE HART went in goals for the first time in his career at Bradford Park Avenue on Wednesday - and it is not an experience he wants to repeat!

The 23-year-old full-back deputised for red carded keeper Jamie Speare but then was himself sent off for a professional foul.

Hart is now 'gutted' that he will be suspended for the Lancashire FA Marsden Cup final against Barrow at Morecambe on April 24.

"Jamie got sent off and no one else seemed to fancy going in goals so I went in even though I had never played in nets before!" said Hart.

"I wasn't exactly feeling confident but it is just part of being a team. Someone had to do it. Me and Peter (Cavanagh) were stood there looking at each other and he said 'do you want to do it?' and I was saying 'do you want to do it?'.

"But he got his chance eventually!"

Hart was in a collision with Bradford's Jason Maxwell just outside the area late in the first half - Speare had been sent off after just 12 minutes - and he had several minutes treatment on a gashed leg before being shown the red card.

Cavanagh then became the third Stanley player of the night to put on the keeper's gloves.

"I don't think it was a sending off. I don't think anyone thought it was, not even the referee. It was the linesman that flagged," said Hart, who is now nursing a sore thigh but says he will be fit to face Emley in the UniBond Premier League clash at the Crown Ground tomorrow.

"I have a scar from my knee to my groin, I don't think the guy even touched the ball but I'll be alright for Saturday," he said.

"I am a bit gutted though that I will miss the other final against Barrow."

Stanley came out of the UniBond League Challenge Cup Final first leg clash 1-0 down after a late Martin James goal gave the home side the edge.

The second leg at the Crown Ground is set to be played on Tuesday April 30.

"I think anyone who saw the first leg would say that even with ten and nine men we dominated the game," said Hart.

"I think they'll get a fright when they come to the Crown Ground because I think we'll win."

And the Scot had special praise for the Reds fans who made the trip to the Horsfall Stadium.

"The fans were brilliant, they were like an extra man when were down to ten and then nine men. They never stopped singing."

Hart has been involved in big cup ties before - he was part of the Clitheroe side that reached the FA Vase semi-finals last year.

"The runs we are having in these two cups are similar to the Vase runs because everyone wants to win trophies, no matter what they are.

"You take each game as it comes, you look to it as just another game even though it is not. You ignore the possible consequences of the result."

Hart, who signed from Clitheroe earlier this season, said he was enjoying life at the Crown Ground.

"I love it, they're a good set of lads. It was hard at first because it was completely different to Clitheroe. You can get away with making mistakes in the North West Counties League that you can't here."

And he said next year the side would be pushing for a place in the Conference.

"Definitely, we've got the players to do it and the set-up. I think they just lost too many games at the beginning of the season.

"And winning these two cups will be a massive boost going into next season because it will mean that we have had a good season, rather than just being able to say we reached two finals and finished third or second in the league.

"We want to be able to say we won something. We want something to show for our hard work."