WORLD Darts Champion Phil "The Power" Taylor didn't quite hit the bullseye with his first trip to see the Reds.
The 11-times champion, who is currently aiming to pick up a 12th world crown, met the Stanley directors at the hotel the night before the Gravesend game and was invited to watch the match with them.
And he saw the best and worst of the Stanley side as they raced into the lead twice - but then were pushed back in the second half and were eventually punished by a disputed penalty.
Ged Brannan was judged to be the culprit as Fleet pressed in the final ten minutes. A ball from the corner found Adam Drury just inside the area and Brannan slid in. Referee Nick Kinseley, from Essex, immediately pointed to the penalty spot signalling that Brannan had got the man before the ball.
It looked a harsh decision but, the way things were going, it was no surprise the referee gave it as Stanley were pulled up for a lot in an evenly competitive game. However, the Reds ended up with four yellow cards and a late red for substitute Jonathan Smith while Fleet escaped the notebook completely.
Brannan wasn't booked which seemed odd but he was punished enough when Fleet's new signing Craig McAllister struck the penalty beyond Paul Crichton - and it was another two points dropped for the out-of-sorts Reds.
While boss John Coleman was fuming about the spot kick he admitted his side had caused their own problems by sitting back on a 2-1 lead at the break.
"It was not a penalty full-stop," he said. "We have been mugged. The ball has gone the complete opposite direction of the way the play is going so that tells you our player won the ball.
"But, take the penalty out of it, and some of the decisions defied belief. I can't talk about the ref, though, or else I will be fined.
"I thought in the first half we were great but sat back too deep in the second half and that might have been because of the wind or the fact we were winning 2-1.
"We hit the inside of the post at 2-1 and I had a feeling that could cost us and it turned out it has. But you can't legislate for yet another decision - the penalty - going against you. And it is not the first - it is about the eighth decision we have had this season that has cost us points.
"It makes all the hard work everyone has put in all week a waste of time as, at a whim, someone can throw it in your face."
Coleman dropped Lee McEvilly to the bench - he was struggling with a calf injury - and brought Brannan into midfield as he reverted to the 4-5-1 formation.
And they couldn't have had a better start when, on three minutes, Ian Craney failed to connect properly with a cross from the edge of the area and the ball rolled to Paul Mullin who was running in and he blasted the ball in off the underside of the crossbar for his 11th goal of the season.
It was what Stanley needed after a run of three defeats in their last four games to settle any nerves.
The Reds continued to force the pace although they were given a warning by Fleet when Jay Saunders stung Crichton's hands with a fierce shot from 18 yards.
The Reds then had to rearrange their backline when Chris Butler - already struggling with an ankle injury - was felled in a challenge and had to come off on 16 minutes with Robbie Williams moving to right back, Jonathan Smith coming into the centre and Peter Cavanagh switching to left back.
But Stanley still pressed and Fleet should have fallen further behind with keeper James Pullen having to acrobatically keep out one of Ian Craney's specialities on 20 minutes when he tried his luck from 25 yards.
Craney had another chance when he raced free down the right wing but took too many touches and Lee Protheroe got back to defend.
And then the Reds - as had happened too often this season- were made to pay when Fleet forced their first corner of the game.
Protheroe's flag kick was easily headed home by the unmarked Saunders - it was the second time in two games that Stanley have conceded from a corner.
Yet the home joy was short-lived as Steve Jagielka netted his first goal in a Stanley shirt just four minutes later.
Mullin found Craney who tried to pass to the Stanley midfielder but found his path blocked by Jimmy Jackson. However Jackson made a mess of it and in came Jagielka to blast the ball into the net for a goal he deserved.
It seemed Gravesend would bounce straight back when the lively Saunders turned unmarked in front of goal but Mike Flynn and Smith managed to crowd him out before he could get a shot in.
And then Jagielka almost celebrated the goal of the game.
The former Sheffield United man got the ball in midfield and raced down the right wing, holding off the chasing Fleet defence. He charged into the area and struck a low shot which, to his agony, hit the inside of the upright and bounced out to safety on the stroke of half-time.
Gravesend had beaten Stanley at the Interlink early on in the season but have been on a poor run of 13 games without a win. However, they came out flying after the re-start and kept the Reds defence on their toes.
But there was still chances for Stanley to get the all-important third especially as Gravesend's Polish defender Zelijko Popovic was forever dribbling close to goal and both Jagielka and Craney pounced on his slackness but couldn't capitalise.
Then Crichton took over as Stanley's saviour as he finger-tipped over a Protheroe 30-yard free kick and, from the resulting corner, did well to hold onto a corner as McAllister charged in.
Mullin had a diving header saved after Jagielka set him up as the ball went from end to end.
The pitch became increasingly heavy and both sides found the going tough but Gravesend continued to battle hard.
And the Stanley keeper had to be at his best to charge backwards and tip over a Saunders spinning shot on 70 minutes after a goalmouth scramble.
The Reds were living dangerously with McAllister's looping header dipping just over the crossbar but then came the moment which cost Stanley the win - with the penalty.
However, the equaliser did suddenly gave the Reds a new sense of urgency with Smith pushing forward and heading wide with the keeper stranded and Prendergast switching to the right wing and making a nuisance of himself.
But then, to add to Stanley's woes, Smith jumped in the crowded area with Paul McCarthy after a Reds corner and the Fleet midfielder collapsed. The ref consulted the assistant who had flagged immediately and it was a straight red for the Stanley defender.
The Reds still could have clinched the three points as sub McEvilly burst through but fired wide and Brannan headed off target - but they ran out of time.
Coleman was at a loss after the game - as his side made it just four points out of the last 15.
"It is just sickening," he said. "We were so positive in the first half and Paul Mullin took his goal well. Admittedly we haven't been helped by a couple of injuries, Chris Butler in particular, and Smithy's sending off was a sickener.
"The lad hasn't elbowed their player, he's landed on him and the linesman has decided in his wisdom to get involved.
"And that's after Smithy has come on and been magnificent. He had got his head on a lot of things and made some good tackles. And now he will miss three games.
"And we have got a load of bookings and will get a hefty fine. That's not right. There hasn't been a bad challenge in the game by our players."
And the manager couldn't believe another three points had disappeared in Stanley's top five hunt.
"They couldn't live with us when we were at our best and we should have closed them down. They were uncomfortable on the ball and they had a centre half who though he was Alan Hansen and we should have punished them more.
"But, if you defend at the edge of your own area, then eventually the opposition will get a break and they did courtesy of the referee.
"We should blow teams like that away. It makes you feel like giving up at times when you work so hard and then something out of your hands changes the game. But we have got to keep being positive and keep working.
"That's all we can do."
