STANLEY 2

Billy Kee pen 25, Kayden Jackson 62

SWINDON 1

Marc Richards pen 71

ACCRINGTON Stanley moved into an automatic promotion spot in League Two with a 2-1 win over Swindon at the Wham Stadium.

Goals from Billy Kee and Kayden Jackson, with Marc Richards replying, were enough to give the Reds the three points and send them third.

Stanley made one change to the side that had come back to win against Stevenage, with fit again Jordan Clark returning in place of Harvey Rodgers.

John Coleman’s side had gone behind in their last two home games and roared back to win and made another sluggish start as Swindon made the early running.

Striker Luke Norris saw an early strike deflected wide for a corner before Ollie Banks tested Aaron Chapman as the visitors looked to take an early advantage.

Banks went closer still from fully 40 yards soon after, with Chapman scrambling back to turn the ball around the post.

Slowly Stanley began to find their feet, with Scott Brown lashing over from range.

The hosts made the breakthrough after 25 minutes when Kee found the net from the penalty spot. Sean McConville raced into the area down the right and went down under a touch from Matt Taylor. Referee Darren Bond pointed to the spot and Kee dispatched his 19th goal of the season.

It might have been two moments before half time when Brown’s left foot strike was pushed out by visiting keeper Reice Charles-Cook.

Chapman was then called into action to claw a Taylor free kick over the bar to preserve the advantage.

Jackson saw a shot deflected wide early in the second period before Swindon enjoyed a good spell that saw them dominate possession but the Robins only had a series of shots from range to show for their efforts.

And Stanley made them pay by doubling their advantage, with Jackson proving clinical.

McConville slotted the striker through with a pinpoint low pass and the frontman raced through one on one, netting his 11th of the season beyond the advancing Charles-Cook.

The two goal cushion lasted just five minutes, with Swindon sub Paul Mullin tumbling in the area and referee Bond pointing to the spot. Marc Richards picked out the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

All eyes were on the referee again when McConville was left in a heap on the edge of the Swindon box. After a lengthy deliberation Swindon sub Kellan Gordon was sent off and McConville booked.

Moments later McConville had to be substituted to a fine applause from the home fans after after being caught by Banks.

There was still time for Jackson to go close to a second but his effort from a tight angle was pushed out by Charles-Cook.

Nonetheless, Stanley made it four straight home wins in a row and are up to third, behind second-placed Wycombe only on goal difference.

Stanley: Aaron Chapman, Callum Johnson, Jimmy Dunne, Mark Hughes, Janoi Donacien, Jordan Clark, Scott Brown, Liam Nolan, Sean McConville (Harvey Rodgers 83), Kayden Jackson (Offrande Zanzala 89), Billy Kee. Subs not used: Ben Richards-Everton, Jonny Maxted, Erico Sousa, Charlie Rowan, Seamus Conneely

Attendance: 1,243