STANLEY conspired to throw away three points in a match they should have won to leave themselves without a victory in four league games.

Two goals in the last 15 minutes gave the Gladiators an unlikely victory and heaped more misery on John Coleman's beleaguered side.

The Reds started brightly enough and created three scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes.

Brett Baxter and Billy O'Callaghan both fired over, before keeper Mike Heath pulled off a smart save to deny Gary Williams.

But Jamie Speare was forced into action at the other end on 35 minutes when he tipped aside Danny Campbell's 20-yarder as Matlock created their first opening.

Stanley finally broke the deadlock on the hour when Steve Hollis picked out Mark Shirley with a raking ball out of defence and the former Morecambe wide-man expertly lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper.

The Gladiators were handed a life-line on 74 minutes, though, when Speare brought down Campbell in the area and Paul Burton confidently dispatched the spot-kick.

And in a stunning finale, the home side bagged a winner four minutes from time.

Substitute Will Davies opened up the Reds defence with a killer pass and Campbell darted through to lift the ball over the advancing Speare.

Even then, Stanley had two strong penalty appeals turned down during stoppage time but there was no way back for Coleman's men.

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