Goals too little too late

While Stanley staged a late fightback to scare an increasingly lacklustre Notts County side in injury time, it was too little, too late for manager John Coleman.

Set pieces have been the Reds' downfall on more than one occasion this season. Boss Coleman has been desperate to iron out those faults. But his concerns deepened at Meadow Lane as a further catalogue of errors allowed the Magpies to strike twice from free kicks and once from a corner to leave Stanley 3-0 down after just 35 minutes.

Dealing with two enforced changes in the back line, with both Peter Cavanagh and Michael Welch serving one-match bans for their dismissals at Lincoln City last Friday, was far from ideal.

But with direct replacements Danny Ventre and Phil Edwards coming in at right back and centre half respectively, Coleman stressed the suspensions were no excuse for the defensive lapses, which made it virtually impossible for Stanley to recover. Or so they thought.

Stoppage time goals for Gary Roberts, from the penalty spot, and Paul Mullin, had the potential to make for a suprisingly interesting finale, because all had seemed lost at half-time.

There had been little to separate the two sides in the opening 10 minutes. Rommy Boco, thrown straight back into the starting line-up after returning from international duty with Benin, might even have got Notts County rattled had he managed to get a better connection on his early low drive.

But once County had taken the lead, they spent virtually the remainder of the first period camped in the Reds' half.

Mike Edwards got the Magpies on the front foot in the 12th minute when he ghosted round the back of the defence to meet a free kick that Dan Martin floated in from 30 yards.

Andy Procter and Ventre lay the blame for Edwards getting a shot in at each other's door, but Notts County made sure there was little time for inquests as they mounted continual assaults.

Roberts was unlucky to arrow a shot wide of the right angle from Mullin's knock down two minutes after County had gone in front, but it was all the home side.

Junior Mendes got the better of Ventre as he burst down the left channel, but Edwards covered well to make a timely challenge inside the area and the danger was cleared.

Ventre then pushed the ball behind for a corner as Jason Lee swept a low shot off target from David Pipe's delivery. From the resultant set piece, Martin hit a vicious volley that cannoned back off team-mate Edwards just a few yards in front.

Lee went close with a left-foot volley, and as the constant flow of attacks continued, the well travelled striker hooked the ball back from Austin McCann's cross, Mendes scuffed his shot from close range and Edwards managed to bundle it behind for a corner.

From that, Martin had a shot well saved by Ian Dunbavin, but from the third corner, the ball was glanced in off Williams' head from Martin's delivery.

Either side of Andy Parkinson's overhead kick that Dunbavin claimed, Boco had another half-chance from outside the area, then Ian Craney made a strong angled run, but failed to test goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington with his final shot.

But Williams conceded another free kick in a dangerous area soon afterwards, and Dunbavin was fortunate to only be shown a yellow card for kicking the ball at the injured Mendes as he crouched on the pitch.

Perhaps in his frustration, the Stanley stopper left himself with too much ground to cover to get to Martin's free kick, which he bent round the wall and into the bottom left corner for a third goal in 14 minutes.

Had Roberts gone for goal instead of firing the ball into the six-yard box, where it missed Mullin, on the stroke of half-time, Stanley could have gone into the break with a chink of hope.

As it was, their fightback began later rather than sooner.

Coleman made two changes at the start of the second half, with Andy Todd dropping to right back to accommodate Sean Doherty on the right wing, while Ventre had been withdrawn for his own benefit after being booked. Williams, who seemed to have picked up a knock, made way for Frenchman Julien N'Da.

County aimed to test the newcomers early and Martin went close to a hat-trick. but fired just wide of the left post from distance, before having a free kick flicked over the wall.

Mendes brought a good save from Dunbavin and Martin was again denied, this time in a goalmouth scramble.

Stanley made their final change with 23 minutes left as Andy Mangan replaced Boco, while Mendes bowed out for County in a double substitution.

It was from that moment that the Magpies took their foot off the gas, which was almost dramatically to their cost, as Stanley began to build some late momentum.

Craney might have done better when he burst into the box, but hit the side-netting.

As the clock ticked down, Mangan was tripped in the penalty area and Roberts had Pilkington well beaten with a brilliant spot kick.

It seemed it would be a mere consolation, but when Mullin grabbed a second after an attempted block from Craney's shot bounced off his midriff, Stanley had seconds to complete the most unlikely smash and grab raid.

As it was, time ran out - just like Coleman's patience.

"It was too little too late," he fumed.

"We're not so much shooting ourselves in the foot as cutting both our legs off, and it seems to be happening every time we play."