A LAST gasp goal two-and-a-half minutes into stoppage time gave Accrington three points at Belper and lifted them into seventh place in the UniBond Division One.

On a heavy pitch the Reds dominated the opening half hour and in the third minute Gary Williams cut in from the right and struck a left foot shot into the side netting.

On 10 minutes John Doolan played a good ball into the penalty area which Belper goalkeeper Steven Roome failed to collect and Mark Shirley's follow up shot was mis-hit and went straight to the keeper.

Stanley were awarded a free kick 30 yards out on 16 minutes which Steve Hollis curled narrowly wide of the Belper goal.

Belper almost took the lead against the run of play on 24 minutes, Richard Cope setting up a chance for Daniel Davidson. But his shot was well blocked by the advancing Jamie Speare and Cope should have done better than curl his follow-up effort wide of the goal.

The visitors' pressure paid off a minute later when they took the lead, Williams playing in a good ball from the left into the penalty area and player/manager John Coleman steered the ball beyond Roome into the net.

Williams came close to adding a second goal on 36 minutes striking a left foot shot just over the crossbar.

Belper began to come more into the match and they drew level on 39 minutes, Darren Turner floated over a corner and Carl Cunningham headed the ball past Speare. The Crown Ground men almost regained the lead 20 seconds into the second half when Williams went on a superb run down the left wing, cut inside, and struck a right foot shot that Roome parried and Doolan's follow-up shot was blocked by Cope.

Belper broke away on 54 minutes when the ball was played out wide on the right to Brendan Morgan, who crossed to Davidson, who fired his shot straight at Speare.

Speare was again called into action on 73 minutes, Turner's corner was met by the head of Cunningham but the Stanley keeper denied him a second goal with a brilliant reflex save.

Seven minutes later Speare had to get his best to palm away a curling goal-bound cross from left winger Turner.

The home side were reduced to 10 men on 84 minutes when right-back Steve Kennedy received a second yellow card for elbowing Doolan, having been booked eight minutes earlier for a foul on Steve Carragher.

Accrington came close to scoring on 86 minutes when a Hollis free kick was not collected by Roome and after a penalty area scramble the ball fell to substitute Russell Payne, whose fierce shot struck defender Michael Allsop on the goal line.

The winning goal finally came deep into stoppage time as a result of good work by Payne and Mark Brennan who played the ball into the penalty area for Carragher to fire the ball past Roome for his eighth goal of the season.

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