SLUGGISH Scarborough will have to get their act together from the first whistle, declared angry coach Nick Henry after his side's 2-1 Conference defeat at Accrington Stanley.

Not for the first time this season Henry saw his side totally outplayed for a good part of the game and he pulled no punches afterwards.

"We were very lucky to be still in with a chance at half time, as we were so slow out of the traps that I had to change things round," he said.

"We must learn to start at three o'clock - and not half past."

Despite the gulf between the two teams in the first period, Accrington scored just one goal - a sweet strike from former York City winger Rory Prendergast after Steve Jagielka's header left him in plenty of space.

Boro goalkeeper Leigh Walker made a clutch of fine saves and Mark Hotte and Steve Baker performed heroics to hold the totally overrun defence together. And fortunately for Boro, there were several chances squandered as well.

Henry switched to a five-man midfield, which at least gave his side some possession - which had been almost totally absent during the earlier siege.

Indeed, before half-time both Colin Cryan and David Reeves forced ex-York goalkeeper Paul Crichton to save, when in truth he should have been given no chance to do so.

Chris Senior went close after the break but when Prendergast outpaced the defence to give Paul Mullin a close-range chance, the game looked dead and buried.

But then Crichton fumbled a Neal Redfearn free-kick to give Tony Hackworth a tap-in and set up a frantic last five minutes.

Tyrone Thompson produced a stinging drive, which at least gave Crichton the chance to redeem himself. But the hosts held out leaving Henry to bemoan his slow-starters.

Updated: 11:01 Monday, February 07, 2005