ACCRINGTON Stanley have had some unlikely goalscoring heroes in recent years and Seamus Conneely looks to be trying to stake his claim to be the next.

The Irishman’s performance in midfield, and crucially his late equalising goal, had more than a whiff of the departed Peter Murphy about it as the Reds twice came back from losing positions to draw at Cambridge United.

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Conneely was the one change to the side that beat Carlisle, coming into the starting eleven as reward for his first Football League goal against the Cumbrians and he popped up in second half stoppage time to make it two goals and four points in a week for the Reds.

Stanley’s start at the Abbey Stadium could scarcely have been worse, with Conneely blocking an early shot from Ryan Bird before the home side opened the scoring.

A hopeful long punt from Josh Coulson set Tom Elliott into a foot race with Rob Atkinson but when it looked likely the defender would head the ball back to goalkeeper Scott Davies he elected not to, allowing Elliott to leap and nod the ball past him.

Early craft from the visitors was in short supply but they slowly began to grow into the task and Josh Windass and Adam Buxton both forced saves from home keeper Will Norris, though the former was in an offside position.

The U’s might have added a second goal to their tally soon after but Bird’s stooping header from Dominic Ball’s cross was wide of the target and a minute later the scores were level instead.

Manager John Coleman had confirmed before the game that negotiations have started over a new contract for the in-form Piero Mingoia and he again proved his worth with a coolly taken equaliser. Michael Nelson’s clearance bounced back off team mate Greg Taylor to Sean Maguire and he threaded Mingoia away down the right. Seemingly with ice in his veins, the wideman dispatched his eighth goal of the season to make it 1-1.

After the break Stanley were the better side, with Maguire latching onto a delicious pass from skipper Luke Joyce to force Norris into evasive action before Windass drove the rebound into a defender and then Stanley’s number eight scuffed a shot from a Joyce header when well placed.

A number of injuries, forcing Cambridge into making all three of their substitutions, then stilted the flow of the game and it looked every bit end of season stuff until Sulley Kaikai was introduced. The Crystal Palace loanee injected urgency to the home side and was inches wide with a shot that had Davies beaten. Soon the Stanley stopper was beaten again but this time the ball was in the net.

A long throw from the right was flicked on by Kaikai and knocked down by Jonathan Hunt to Bird whose snap shot took a big deflection to fly in and restore the home side’s lead.

Defeat for Stanley seemed harsh and they proceeded to take the point they deserved in the 93rd minute.

Another fantastic pass from Joyce set up Nicky Hunt in behind the defence and his shot was pushed out by Norris. Hunt then squared to sub Kal Naismith, only for his strike to be cleared off the line – straight to Conneely, who rifled the ball off the underside of the bar with his left foot from inside the six yard box.