Macclesfield Town 3 Accrington Stanley 3

The Conference champions are finding out the hard way that errors they may have got away with in their title winning campaign last season are generally pounced upon in League Two, and, more often than not, lead to goals for the opposition.

But while Stanley have conceded 10 in their last three outings, they have scored nine, earning two points in the process.

Despite being on a run of eight league games without a win, though, they just don't know when they are beaten.

And that's an attitude that Coleman is confident will make his troops brave enough for the relegation battle he now accepts they are in.

Against rock-bottom Macclesfield, there were a number of players with points to prove.

On-loan goalkeeper Rob Elliot - a hero of the Reds' championship side - made his first league start after previously being kept out by summer signing Ian Dunbavin.

Leighton McGivern was keen to make his mark in the goals for column after firing blanks in his four appearances since joining Stanley in November.

Finally, a pumped up Michael Welch was playing against his former side for the first time since leaving Moss Rose at the end of the 2004-05 season.

And all three can be proud of their achievements.

Elliot showed no signs of his impressive form of last term dwindling with an early double save, while Welch bravely battled through the pain barrier after sustaining a knock to his calf midway through the first half.

But as one door opened for McGivern with his first Stanley goal - an acrobatic overhead kick - another one slammed shut in the former Rochdale striker's face as he was carried off with a suspected broken ankle minutes after firing the Reds in front.

That incident sums up the kind of luck, or lack of it, that Stanley are having to contend with as they rest uneasily in the lower echelons of League Two.

And although Andy Mangan proved to be a more than able replacement, not least with his injury-time leveller, there is no doubt that McGivern's departure unsettled Stanley after a positive start to the game.

Against his former employers, Welch had extra incentive to help inspire a change in fortunes,and when he lined up a 25-yard free kick in the only the third minute he was eager to make it a dream start for himself and the Reds.

His execution was over-zealous, however, and as the ball cannoned off the wall behind the goal the tension mounted that they might find themselves with yet another uphill battle.

In recent games there has been a common occurance of the opposition goalkeeper being tested first, only for their early efforts to fall by the wayside.

Macclesfield too responded to that fledgling chance and had it not been for Phil Edwards' goalsaving challenge on Matty McNeil on the edge of the box, Stanley may have suffered a similar fate.

With Dunbavin dropped to the bench, Elliot was keen to give Coleman a reason to keep him in his future plans.

A magnificent double save on 10 minutes will have done his cause no harm at all as he first parried McNeil's drive and then somehow reached up from the floor to claw the ball just round the post with his left hand from John Murphy's follow-up header.

Stanley broke and Andy Todd struck an low 18-yarder just wide of the right hand post.

Todd then turned provider to set up Andy Procter in a similar position but the midfielder was denied by Danny Swailes' block inside the area.

This was better from Stanley, and only a throughball from Colin Heath for McNeil that rolled to Elliot interrupted a string of Stanley chances from then on.

Joe Jacobson's centre for Mullin was cut-out by James Jennings with the Stanley striker ready to pounce at close range. McGivern then had a shot blocked by Carl Regan in the box.

But the former Rochdale striker made the breakthrough five minutes later when, after mis-hitting a shot on the turn, he got a second chance and an overhead kick had Tommy Lee well beaten after Jacobson's drilled 25-yard free kick rebounded to him off Murphy.

But after celebrating his first Stanley goal, his joy quickly turned to pain.

The front man should have been awarded a free kick after being fouled by Carl Regan in another promising build-up down the left flank.

The referee ignored appeals, and that was McGivern's last involvement in the game as he left the field on a stretcher.

The Silkmen threatened as Stanley re-adjusted but stops by Elliot, Welch and Leam Richardson kept their lead intact.

Macclesfield came out for the second half with a spring in their step, and after having appeals for a penalty turned down when Murphy tripped over Richardson, then Elliot saving from Heath Jamie Tolley equalised with an unstoppable free kick.

A point, although better than nothing, was little progress for either side and the pendulum swung from end to end.

Jacobson dragged a low left-foot shot wide from 22 yards, Heath's backheel was claimed by Elliot, Mangan wasted a glorious chance by shooting instead of teeing up Mullin, who was on his shoulder.

Martin Bullock made the breakthrough that Macclesfield were looking for with 16 minutes remaining.

Jordan Hadfield's low drive was blocked by Elliot but the ball bounced up, onto the crossbar and out to an unmarked Bullock, who headed into an empty net.

Stanley were level two minutes later, much to Macclesfield manager Paul Ince's annoyance as he felt Kevin McIntyre had won the ball in his challenge on Todd.

The referee didn't, and Jacobson bent a glorious free kick over the wall to make it 2-2.

Substitute Mathew Tipton's burst down the left in the final minute of normal time wasn't stopped, and he managed to pick out Murphy, who in turn picked out the back of the net to scored what he, and most people inside Moss Rose, thought was the winner.

But Stanley had one last throw of the dice deep into stoppage time.

Mullin clipped a sublime backheel into Mangan's path and the young striker finished brilliantly across goalkeeper Lee and into the bottom corner, prompting Jose Mourinho-esque celebrations from Coleman.