IT may have come 12 months too late but Accrington Stanley finally found a way past Stevenage to record an emphatic final day win at the Lamex Stadium.

A year after a goalless draw against Boro saw the Reds miss out on automatic promotion the hosts saw their own party cancelled as their play-off hopes were ended.

Striker Billy Kee scored twice and captain Seamus Conneely netted his first goal of the season as Stanley signed off in style.

A Stevenage win coupled with a slip up for Blackpool or Carlisle would see the hosts into the play-offs and they had the first meaningful chance of the game with prolific striker Matt Godden seeing a strike from a tight angle deflected over for a corner.

Stanley would go on to carve out more openings though, with Matty Pearson having a header cleared off the line and Kee playing in full back Janoi Donacien inside the area only for keeper Jamie Jones to make a good save.

Sean McConville was only thwarted by a fine block from full back Ronnie Henry as the Reds silenced the home crowd, with Stevenage only providing routine work for Marek Rodak with efforts from Connor Ogilvie and Steven Schumacher.

With no breakthrough in the first half John Coleman’s side set about dominating the second period with Jones turning a long range shot from McConville round the post just after the restart and Jordan Clark striking narrowly over after a crowd scene in the home penalty area.

The Reds ultimately went in front from the penalty spot when Shay McCartan surged into the area, midfielder Charlie Lee was unsure what to do and the Northern Irishman went down, albeit dramatically, after Lee poked out a foot in an attempt to tackle.

To the annoyance of the home fans referee Geoff Eltringham pointed to the spot and Kee stepped up to send Jones the wrong way and notch his first goal in 11 matches.

Minutes later Stanley had Rodak to thank for keeping them in front.

The lively Jobi McAnuff crossed from the left and Godden get his header on target with the Slovakian keeper flying across his goal to keep the ball out.

Just 90 seconds later the value of the save was reinforced when Stanley broke up the other end and scored a second.

Again it was all about McCartan’s pace and running power. He went on a solo run down the right, held up the ball and waited for the cavalry to arrive before cutting it back to Kee who dispatched the ball off the inside of the right post to make it two.

That goal knocked the stuffing out of Stevenage, who must by then have known that both Blackpool and Carlisle were winning and their cause was lost in more ways than one.

And their hopes of getting anything at all from the game ended in stoppage time when Conneely made a rare foray into the penalty box and was tripped by sub Luke Wilkinson leading to another penalty.

With Kee off the field injured the Irishman nominated himself to take the kick, smashing it down the centre to open his account for the season with the very last kick of the campaign for Stanley’s first win over Stevenage since 2010.