THE £50m heist in Kent wasn't the only daylight robbery to take place this week.

Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman offered his sympathy to Burton Albion after his side somehow snatched three points when one was the best they deserved.

"I feel as though I should be wearing a mask," grimaced the Reds boss, likening himself to highwayman Dick Turpin.

Perhaps he should try to find a spare one for Paul Mullin as well, as the striker popped up late to head in an injury time winner completely against the run of play after putting Stanley in front nine minutes in.

"We didn't play well at all but, having said that, you have to give Burton credit," added Coleman, after his side reached the 70-point mark.

"They didn't let us play well and it's a travesty that we won the game and they've gone away with nothing.

"If they play like that from now until the end of the season I can see them making the play-offs."

At the time, that would have been scant consolation to Nigel Clough as his Burton side provided the biggest scare for runaway Conference leaders Stanley for some months.

The Reds looked comfortable as they maintained their habit of not conceding in the first 15 minutes of any game this season, while adding to their record of scoring in every game through Mullin's well-worked goal.

Burton had set out with the intention of outmuscling Stanley and bullying them off the ball, particularly in midfield, where Ian Craney looked destined to have a personal battle with Kris Taylor then Andy Ducros.

But Stanley responded in the best way they know how as Mullin gave them the edge with a sweet glancing header into the bottom left hand corner from Phil Edwards' pinpoint right wing cross.

The Brewers, meanwhile, hadn't posed much of a threat, and although Andy Corbett and Jon Shaw had shots on target, they were comfortable for Rob Elliot.

Once those opening 15 minutes had elapsed, however, it was as if Burton had been given the green light to throw everything they had at Stanley, leaving Coleman's men struggling to get out of their own half.

Burton, who have experienced a league revival since their lucrative FA Cup exploits against Manchester United, might have got the win they deserved had the woodwork not saved Stanley's skin twice in two minutes.

Shaw broke through to play in Shaun Harrad for a one-on-one with Rob Elliot. The Stanley stopper narrowed his angle enough, and Harrad hammered his shot against the left hand upright.

Then, from Taylor's corner, Andy Tretton rose at the near post, headed against it then cleared the rebound.

Stanley breathed a sigh of relief, but there was rarely a let-up in Burton's attacking play.

Elliot had to be on his mettle again and he kept out Harrad's drive with his knees, while Aaron Webster lashed the follow-up wide.

Stanley retaliated but unusually lacked cohesion in the final third although on another day, with another referee, Ian Craney might have earned a penalty after being the victim of Terry Henshaw's robust shoulder charge.

Only a minute of added time was signalled, but it was just enough for Burton to grab a timely and deserved equaliser as Webster crossed and the busy Shaw sidefooted in off the angle.

Home fans were expecting to see a much tighter ship after the break, and while they still had plenty of defending to do, most of Burton's shots were struck from outside of the area.

Stanley were busier in attack with Leam Richardson driving wide from distance. Then, after David Brown had pushed forward, with Romuald Boco dropping back to midfield, Craney curled a decent chance over the bar, while Brown was unlucky not to have a foul given against him when Ryan Austin jumped on his back to make sure goalkeeper Saul Deeney's miskick went unpunished.

Taylor got Burton back on the front foot, and had he not shot twice with his weaker right foot he might have done more damage.

Elliot came to the rescue once more as Harrad's vicious right-foot strike cannoned off the Stanley stopper's right forearm.

Craney might have caused Deeney problems had he been able to get his shot off first time from Boco's ball. But it was an all-too-breif respite for the Reds as Burton ploughed forward again.

Harrad's glancing header was stopped by Elliot diving to his right, then Shaw kept it low but Edwards got in the way.

Stanley would have been more than happy to settle for a point. But when Roberts skipped past two token challenges and was awarded a corner, Mullin had other ideas.

Roberts saved his best corner for last, Mullin's header had Deeney well beaten and Coleman raced onto the pitch in ecstacy.

Three points were in the swag bag.

Is this the kind of result which defines champions?