ANOTHER game; another abject refereeing performance; another defeat. It was enough to leave John Coleman wondering how he had been overlooked for a starring role in the new box office hit Deja Vu.

"That film is probably applying to my life at the moment," he sighed.

"I'd love to know what I've done to referees - and more to the point what Paul Mullin's done to referees - because every single week (decisions) go against us.

"It can't just be coincidental - it's happening too often.

"Paul Mullin must have got seven or eight fouls given against him. He never got one foul for him today.

"You're not telling me that they've got four defenders who are all saints who never, ever foul.

"It just doesn't happen in football. You must get at least one but he didn't even get that.

"Players are climbing all over him and yanking him on the floor - it's not a foul. Yet the minute he nudges someone it's a foul against him."

Bewildering is one word that can describe how striker Mullin - one of the most honest players in football - can persistently concede fouls for next to nothing yet get nothing in return when defenders do whatever it takes to prevent him from getting the ball.

Astonished is also one word that could sum up how Coleman felt when he witnessed Lloyd Dyer stand on Leam Richardson's upper body yet walk away from the incident with barely a telling off.

"The referee saw their player stand all over our player's shoulder and throat. He blew the whistle in a manner that he's going to do something about it; then he has a change of heart and goes over to speak to the linesman; then he comes back and gives a foul and he doesnt speak to their player," Coleman added, his tone growing stronger and more frustrated as he went on.

"For me, I just can't understand a) what he's given the foul for and b) why he hasn't got the conviction to go through with his actions.

"If that was us, you can make no bones about it, we would have been down to 10 men. It happens to us too regularly.

"Unfortunately for us, it goes against us.

"I don't want to be a moaning Minnie' of a whinger but when are we going to get decisions going for us? They just don't and I don't know why.

"It's not the reason why we're losing. The reason why we're losing games is because we're not defending properly. But it's a major, contributory factor when the referee turns in a performance like that."

On top of the decisions that went against Stanley, their defence took another hammering as Robbie Williams was sent off for a second bookable offence. And fault could be picked with even that decision as the central defender - as the last man - stopped Izale McLeod's route to goal with a trip.

"Robbie has been very unfortunate, but I was surprised it wasn't a straight red," admitted Coleman, who was without the suspended Michael Welch for Saturday's game and will have his rearguard unsettled again for next weekend's crunch match at Macclesfield with Williams now banned.

Coleman's rant may sound like sour grapes coming from a manager who has seen his side lose six of their last seven league games.

But anyone connected with Accrington Stanley - the fans, players, chairman and staff - shares his pain.

Especially when, for the best part of an hour, the Reds seemed destined to finally end their winless streak.

MK Dons opened the scoring against the run of play through the impressive McLeod.

Mullin twice hit back just before the break with his first goals since September 23, when he also fired a brace against Mansfield.

But Dons came out with renewed vigour after the break, with Aaron Wilbraham grabbing two quickfire goals to stun Coleman's men. Williams got his marching orders just after the hour, and the visitors utilised their extra man to increase their goal cushion through Sean O'Hanlon.

Substitute Andy Mangan sparked a rally with a stunner that deserved to at least secure a point. But late chances proved fruitless, and the fact that Stanley have picked up only one point from a possible 21 only serves to compound the frustration of a manager who is not in the habit of losing.

Encouragement can be taken from their endeavour, but the Reds need to operate a much tighter ship if they are to turn their season around.

In less than two months, they have gone from sitting pretty in eighth after their first away win - with Gary Roberts as their top scorer - to 20th in the table, minus the loaned out Roberts and Ian Craney, injured Rommy Boco and Peter Cavanagh, and with a host of suspensions thrown into the mix.

Still, Stanley set out determined to build on the point they had earned the previous weekend at home to Shrewsbury, when they came back from behind three times.

Despite early chances for Andy Todd and Andy Procter, the Reds went behind again when an attack of their own broke down on the edge of the box, McLeod broke quickly, Phil Edwards backed off and the Dons leading scorer didn't need a second invitation to crack his 14th of the season in-off the left hand post.

On-loan Adam Dugdale cut-out Dyer's cross for McLeod as they threatened a second before Stanley rediscovered their attacking confidence, with Leighton McGivern bending a long-range chance wide.

Williams came to the rescue minutes later when he headed Jon-Paul McGovern's overhead kick off the line, and it was a well-timed stop as Mullin latched on to Joe Jacobson's crossfield ball and fired a low shot underneath Lee Harper.

Mangan replaced Edwards soon after a booking for the full back and within a minute of his introduction Stanley went in front as Mullin got in between the central defenders to nod in McGivern's good cross from the left.

Dons showed no mercy after the break though, with Dyer's ruthless challenge on Richardson, while Wilbraham launched himself at former Burnley defender Drissa Diallo's cross and got the better of an unconvincing Ian Dunbavin to equalise.

The introduction of Clive Platt posed Stanley new problems because of the former Rochdale striker's height and pace. But Wilbraham was the bigger handful of the two and, despite McGivern being fouled in the build-up, he added his second in four minutes, beating the offside trap and Dunbavin.

Dons had the bit between their teeth, with McLeod particularly rampant and in being so cutting short Williams' game in the process as he skipped past the defender and was tripped.

They used their extra man well. Dyer had a shot deflected into the side-netting and, from the corner, Wilbraham headed back across goal for Hanlon to head home.

A minute later, their lead wasn't quite so comfortable as Mangan launched a rocket into the top left corner from 25 yards.

Late pressure from Jacobson, Todd and Procter came to nothing.

But with Mullin back among the goals, there is hope.

He has a habit of scoring in patches. His goals are like buses, some would say.

Coleman will hope that when a win fails to elude them, a similar pattern will emerge.