STANLEY lost narrowly to Premier League Burnley at the Store First Stadium as they continue their preparations for the League Two kick off.

Jason Gilchrist’s 73^rd minute goal separated the sides but both managers had made multiple changes by that stage as they looked at their squads.

James Beattie has given those already signed up for next season a thorough run out in their friendly matches so far and once again he fielded a strong line-up made up of players who finished last season so well.

The only player not signed up who started was former Everton and Preston goalkeeper Iain Turner who is looking to win a contract with the Reds.

Stanley started well with striker James Gray firing over the bar early on while Josh Windass tested Clarets keeper Matt Gilks with a fierce strike.

Burnley striker Danny Ings did have the ball in the back of the net on 23 minutes, after Turner could only push out Dean Marney’s effort, but it was ruled out for off-side.

Marney did beat the off-side trap for the next real chance as he got on the end of a through ball and raced free but he blasted well over the bar.

Burnley made an early substitution with Luke Conlan on for Ben Mee just before the break and Dean Winnard made a brave block from a Jayden Hall effort to prevent a goal – but needed treatment as the whistle went for half-time.

The Clarets made 10 changes at the break while Beattie gave his starting XI a longer run out in preparation for the 9^th August opener.

Burnley had the ball in the back of the net again just after the re-start through Lukas Jutkiewicz  but once again an assistant’s flag ruled it out much to the delight of the home fans.

And those supporters were almost cheering when Windass blasted a free kick at former Reds keeper Alex Cisak which wasn’t far off the opener.

Stanley made a flurry of substitutions on 70 minutes with Tom Aldred, Brett Ormerod, Lee Wort, Michael Clunan, Charlie Beverley and Connor Martin all entering the fray.

But three minutes later, Scott Arfield found Gilchrist in the area who fired past Turner in front of the Burnley fans to give the visitors the lead.

Windass came close to an equaliser in the final 10 minutes with a strike which Cisak did well to save and he fired another just wide but Stanley couldn’t find a way through.

ASFC: Turner, Buxton, Liddle, Hunt, Atkinson, Naismith, Windass, Gray, Bowerman, Mingoia

Subs:  Wort, Aldred, Goulding, Jenkins, Ormerod, Martin, Clunan, Beverley, Simpson

BURNLEY: Gilks, Trippier, Shackell, Mee, Marney, Ings, Taylor, Sordell, Hewitt, Anderson, Hall

Subs:  Conlan, Duff, Long, Cisak, Lafferty, O’Neill, Arfield, Howieson, Jones, Gilchrist, Lowe, Jutkiewicz

Attendance: 3,145 (1,539 from Burnley)