Dara Costelloe fired home the winner in the fourth minute of added time to make it two wins on the bounce for Accrington Stanley and move them out of the bottom two in League Two.

Ben Woods, who had scored the first, threaded the ball through for Costelloe to fire low into the far corner of the net in added time at promotion-chasing Gillingham.

It was Burnley loanee Costelloe’s fourth goal in three games and it was the first points on the road this season for Stanley - and their first back-to-back wins for a year.

Ben Woods had levelled for the Reds until the late Costelloe heroics which made it three successive losses for the Gills.

John Doolan had to make changes with both Kelsey Mooney and Nelson Khumbeni unable to shake off knocks and Connor O’Brien on international duty.

Jimmy Knowles, Jake Batty and Ben Woods came back into the starting XI from the Morecambe victory last Saturday.

Former Red Jack Nolan started for the Gills who had the first chance, Ethan Coleman having a header collected by Billy Crellin while Elliott Nevitt had a strike blocked.

Stanley’s defence kept out a Marcus Wyllie effort in the six-yard box, while Costelloe had a strike palmed away by Gills keeper Glenn Morris on 27 minutes.

Doolan’s side lost captain Seamus Conneely to injury on 34 minutes with Liam Coyle replacing him.

The Reds came so close a minute later when a ball rebounded to Costelloe in the area and he aimed for the bottom corner but Morris got a touch.

Stanley enjoyed a spell of pressure with a number of set pieces around the goal but then, on 42 minutes, Wylie had a great chance to open the scoring for the home side when he burst through but fired wide of the goal.

Gillingham did take the lead four minutes after the re-start when a cross in wasn’t cleared properly and Armani Little ran onto the ball and rifled it into the roof of the net.

Stanley went straight on the attack with Morris denying Batty and Knowles played a dangerous ball into the six-yard box but the visitors couldn’t find a finish with Batty firing over.

The Reds equalised on 61 minutes when the Gills didn’t clear their lines and Shaun Whalley passed to Ben Woods on the edge of the area and his strike was deflected into the bottom corner.

That lifted Stanley and Whalley had a strike saved soon after and, while the Gills made changes and forced some pressure, they didn’t really test Crellin.

Stanley had a great chance to win it on 86 minutes when Costelloe was clean through, he was denied by the legs of sliding substitute keeper Luca Ashby-Hammond and Batty blasted over.

But there was still time for the late heroics from the in-form Burnley man as the Reds, after conceding so many late goals so far this season, celebrated one of their own.

The victory moved Stanley out of the drop zone to 22nd spot.

Stanley: Crellin, Batty, Awe, Rawson, Love, Aljofree, Costelloe, B Woods, Conneely (Coyle), Whalley, Knowles (Walton). Subs: Kelly, Henderson, Popoola, Trickett, J Woods.