WOKING 2

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1

JOHN Coleman aimed a verbal attack at referee Martin Yerby after watching his team lose to a dramatic injury-time goal at Kingfield.

The Accrington boss let his feelings boil over to reporters immediately after the final whistle as his side's play-off ambition took what is bound to be a fatal blow.

"You see some of the decisions that go against you and it's heartbreaking," he said. And speaking specifically about Gary MacDonald's far post winner from an Ian Selley corner he added: "They got a free-kick that wasn't a free-kick. From that they get a corner and then our keeper's fouled and the lad heads it in.

"What can you do? I've been sick to death of referees all season and it's people like him that lose us jobs. We also had a stone-wall penalty when Gary Roberts was fouled in the first half. The referee knows it and everybody in the ground knows that we've been denied the most clear-cut penalty you'll see in football.

"He didn't want to give it for any reason he chooses. We just don't get penalties. Don't ask me to explain it but Accrington just don't get them, it's a fact."

They were strong words from the Accy boss who was clearly emotionally charged after what he saw as an injustice.

As well as having substitute Ged Brannan sent off for a second bookable offence in the dying moments, he had watched his men concede goals at the end of each half - the first one especially a bitter pill to swallow.

His team had taken an early lead in the 12th minute when skipper Paul Mullin had latched on to a long ball from David Brown, which had left the Cards' defence flat-footed.

The striker kept his composure as keeper Adriano Basso came out to narrow the angle and he coolly stroked home right-footed to put his team ahead.

With Andy Procter a driving force in midfield alongside the influential Steve Jagielka, Stanley looked a good unit, while Mullin and Lee McEvilly both had tremendous games up front.

Woking rarely threatened before a calamitous error from keeper Jon Kennedy let The Cards back in.

Selley's deep cross seemed harmless enough, until Kennedy fumbled it beyond the far post. Steve Evans knocked the ball across the area and with Robert Williams failing to clear, Chris Sharpling had the simple task of scoring into an empty net.

That goal, right on the stroke of half time, deflated Stanley and they were put under severe pressure in the second half. As the going got tough Kennedy saved brilliantly from Selley before tipping around a Raphael Nade shot at full stretch.

With tension mounting Nade missed an open goal amid the Stanley defensive heroics and it looked like the visitors would survive with a point intact.

Then came that oh so cruel moment in the dying seconds as MacDonald rose to head home Selley's corner.

"No matter how well you prepare you can't stop events conspiring against you," said Coleman. "It's times like this you wonder whether it's all worth it."