A hat-trick by Bacup's Tony Carroll sank Nelson in the bottom-of-the-table clash at Victoria Park.

Carroll opened the scoring after 38 minutes when he raced through the middle of the Nelson defence to side foot home a low cross from the left wing.

And just three minutes, later it was Carroll who doubled Bacup's lead with beautifully taken free-kick into the top corner of the Nelson goal.

The Blues rallied in the second half, but had Liam Denning sent off for a head-butt after 73 minutes.

Within two minutes, ten-man Nelson pulled a goal back when Nathan Egan headed home Ryan Cross's free-kick to give the home side fresh hope.

But Carroll restored Bacup's two-goal cushion with his third goal when he hit a dipping volley past the Nelson keeper four minutes from the final whistle.