On April 15th 2006, Accrington Stanley won 1-0 at Woking to secure the Conference title and promotion to the Football League.

Almost a year to the day later, the Reds took a huge step towards ensuring League Two football next season with victory over Grimsby Town.

On a sun-baked afternoon at the Fraser Eagle Stadium, Stanley ran out 4-1 winners against the Mariners to notch up a fourth consecutive home victory and edge ever closer to safety.

For the second game in a row, boss John Coleman named an unchanged starting eleven, hoping to continue the recent good performances.

But the Reds started poorly, and although the visitors made few chances in the early stages, they dominated possession and made things difficult for the Stanley defence.

But despite being forced to soak up a great deal of pressure, it was the home side that opened the scoring with their first clear chance of the game.

With 32 minutes gone, winger Sean Doherty did well to get in a cross from the left corner of the pitch which hung in the air invitingly for Paul Mullin.

The 33-year-old, making his 362nd appearance for the club and breaking Chris Grimshaw's record, nodded the ball down at the back post only to see it ricochet off a defender.

But again he reacted quickest to dink the ball over goalkeeper Phil Barnes from a tight angle and grab his 15th goal of the season.

Stanley's lead was to be short-lived though as the Mariners hit back eight minutes later.

Godwin Antwi was penalised by referee Jon Moss for a foul on Danny North on the edge of the Stanley box and left-back Tom Newey fired the free-kick into the bottom right corner of David Martin's goal after Danny Boshell's lay-off.

There was barely time to draw breath before the next talking point. A minute from the break, Stanley won a corner on the right-hand side and Doherty delivered a deep in-swinger.

Andy Procter rose highest only to see his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by the hand of Grimsby defender Gary Croft.

Mr Moss pointed to the penalty spot, and brandished a red card as punishment for Croft. Up stepped Andy Todd who made it 10 league goals for the season as he rifled his spot kick into the top right corner.

Even with the interval looming, there was still time for the visitors to rattle Stanley's nerves and their crossbar.

Two minutes into stoppage time the Mariners won a corner on the left, and from the resulting cross defender Nick Fenton's header rebounded off the woodwork.

Stanley were perhaps a little fortunate to lead at the break, but returned for the second period determined to put the game beyond the ten men.

And it took very little time to make the deficit two goals.

With 55 minutes gone, Doherty made it three, stabbing home Todd's right wing cross from the left edge of the six yard box to register his first competitive Stanley goal.

The former Port Vale man might have grabbed a couple more, but moments later he dragged a shot wide and then had a venomous volley blocked by a defender.

Grimsby threatened sporadically on the counter attack with the physical presence of striker Gary Jones causing a few problems, but in the main Stanley monopolised the chances.

And after Boco tested Barnes with a bobbling strike on 79 minutes, it seemed only a matter of time before the Reds grabbed a fourth.

When it came three minutes from the end, Reds fans could finally relax.

Substitute David Brown played a clever ball through to marauding captain Peter Cavanagh who burst into the box and side-footed past Barnes for his third goal in four home games.

With the game safe there was an opportunity to pay tribute to the talismanic Mullin. The striker was afforded the luxury of a rare few moments rest when he was replaced by Leighton McGivern a minute from time and received a standing ovation from the home fans.

As the game drew to a close, the Clayton End sang of "staying up with Eric and John". Three points made the prospect closer to being a reality, but nobody will truly relax until safety is mathematically certain.