Paddy Madden scored the winning goal to seal Accrington Stanley a 1-0 win at Tranmere Rovers – but the Reds finished the game with nine-men.
Madden headed home in the 48th minute but John Doolan's side were reduced to ten-men when Luke Butterfield was controversially sent off on 63 minutes.
Despite being a man down, the Reds could have added to their score but, in the fifth minute of added-time at the end of the game, Josh Woods saw red for a .challenge.
Stanley are in 13th place - six points off the play-offs.
John Doolan was forced into changes with Devon Matthews suspended and Conor Grant injured with Freddie Sass and Madden coming into the starting XI. Doolan was only able to name six substitutes due to injuries.
Stanley started superbly and piled the pressure on Tranmere, Sass putting a number of long throws into the penalty box but no one could capitalise.
Shaun Whalley appealed for handball from one of his strikes but referee Ed Duckworth was having none of it.
It was one-way traffic with Isaac Heath having a shot blocked before the best chance of the half on 20 minutes.
A Whalley free kick found Alex Henderson in the six-yard box. He stretched to send the ball to the far post and Josh Woods headed against the crossbar.
Stanley continued to press with Connor O’Brien putting a dangerous cross across the area but again not one could pounce on it.
Rovers hadn’t been in it and Stanley dominated the chances but, around the half-hour mark, they began to see more of the ball.
Their best chance came on 35 minutes when a cross from James Plant was headed onto the top of the netting by Joe Ironside.
It was the perfect start for Stanley on 48 minutes. Heath raced down the left, got to the edge of the area and picked his cross, finding Madden 10 yards out who headed home his eighth goal of the season.
Ollie Wright’s first real save came on 53 minutes with the Southampton loan stopper diving low to keep out Ironside’s header.
The game became open with Omari Patrick firing wide and Marko Marosi producing a superb save to keep out a Woods effort from the edge of the area.
Woods tried his luck again from distance but couldn’t find the target as Stanley looked for a second.
However, Stanley were reduced to ten-men on 63 minutes when Chesterfield loan midfielder Butterfield was sent off for what was judged a dangerous challenge on Plant – a decision which infuriated the Stanley management.
Tranmere then piled on the pressure with Nathan Smith hitting the woodwork from close range on 66 minutes.
Seamus Conneely came on for the Reds and, with a man less, they then had to defend.
Whalley cleared substitute Kristian Dennis’ strike off the line and every Stanley player put their bodies on the line to keep out Tranmere, with Rovers unable to create real clear-cut chances.
Stanley, on the other hand, had a great opportunity to grab a second on 89 minutes with Marosi denying Heath after he had raced forward and then Whalley hit the crossbar, much to his agony.
Heath forced another strong save out of Marosi as the ten-men pressed and then Wright was in action in added-time, superbly keeping out a firm Charlie Whitaker header.
However there was still another twist with Woods shown a red card for violent conduct.
Stanley: Wright, Love, Rawson, Sass, O’Brien, Henderson (Conneely), Butterfield, Heath, Whalley, Madden, Woods
Subs: Kelly, Brown, Smith, Hall, Abimbola
Yellow: Love, Madden, Heath
Red: Butterfield, Woods
Crowd: 5,585 (169 ASFC)
Share