STANLEY had produced one goal in around seven hours of football at the FES - then, like buses, three came at once on Wednesday night.
And this provided the route for an entertaining win over local rivals Morecambe - who the Reds can boast they have done the double over this season.
And while it was important for Lancashire pride, there was more at stake.
John Coleman’s side needed a good home show after what has been dismal FES form this season.
They also needed a rousing display to try and attract more crowds for the final nine-game run-in.
And they were also desperate to get among the goals to give the players a confidence boost after what has been a stop-start season where they have struggled to string a group of decent results together.
And it all came good against Sammy McIlroy’s men thanks to a never-say-die second half show.
At 2-1 down just after the break, and after recent results, many would have written the Reds off as on their way to an unlucky 13th home defeat of the season out of just 19 league games.
Too many times it has happened this season.
But instead they found their scoring boots after the break with two goals in two minutes and a much-needed Paul Mullin winner - to end a nine game goal drought for the striker.
McIlroy criticised it as two "moments of madness" from his out-of-sorts Morecambe side who saw their play-off hopes dented with four successive league defeats. But instead it was two moments of magic from Stanley.
First of all, Mullin passed to substitute Andy Mangan who - while the Shrimps appealed for off-side - stabbed the ball into the net for his first goal since he returned to the FES on loan from Bury last month.
Then, one minute later, the club’s record appearance maker Mullin was kissing his finger to celebrate his 13th goal of the season after Mangan’s initial effort had been saved.
Magic indeed and, after that, the Reds never really looked in trouble as they held on for the three points which went a long way to securing their League Two status next season.
"I thought Paul was going to collapse under the weight of bodies that were on top of him when he scored," joked Stanley manager John Coleman.
"Everyone knows I like my strikers to score and you know what you get with Paul. He words hard and holds the play up well and is a manager’s dream in training.
"If he wasn’t playing well his lack of goals would have been a concern but I am delighted with Paul to get the goal and hopefully that will spark him on for the run-in.
"We haven’t, though, scored nowhere near the number of goals I would have liked us to score this season, particularly at home.
"But, against Morecambe, we were back to making chances and if you do that, eventually the ball is going to end up in the back of the net.
"We really took the game to them in the second half and it is nice to win 3-2 than 1-0. You want to send the fans home with something to cheer about and get back to scoring goals and I think that will only breed confidence."
Coleman made changes with Mark Roberts paying for his own goal against Hereford on Saturday by moving to the bench to be replaced as centre half by Sean Webb.
Winger Shaun Whalley also came in for Mangan with Ian Craney and Mullin up front.
And it was a lively opening with one-time Reds target Michael Twiss denied by Kenny Arthur with 30 seconds on the clock while Mullin fired over at the other end.
Then Stanley succumbed to a sucker punch and conceded yet another goal from the right wing - which they have done all too often this season.
A poor Arthur clearance eventually fell to Adam Yates whose cross was headed home by Matthew Blinkhorn for his eighth goal.
Blinkhorn could have had another but amazingly ballooned over the bar in a good position while Reds’ Leam Richardson just failed to squeeze the ball home from a tight angle after battling hard to win it.
But then an Ian Craney free kick was fired low and hard into the danger area two minutes before the break. It pinged around the box and ex-Shrimp Darran Kempson pounced to direct home his first goal for Stanley since his loan move from Shrewsbury.
And Whalley wasted a good chance - producing a one-handed save from Shwan Jalal - to give the Reds what would have been a stunning lead at half-time.
Craney had been struggling with a hip injury for most of the first half and Coleman had to rearrange his side, losing his record £85,000 signing and putting on Mangan up front.
And it looked bleak five minutes after the re-start when the home defence lost the ball, Garry Thomp-son got a cross in ahead of Aswad Thomas and Twiss was there to poke Morecambe back into the lead.
If Stanley heads dropped after a turbulent season, it would have been no surprise but this seemed to fire them on. Richardson grazed the bar with a 25-yard effort and then, with the fans still celebrating Mangan’s equaliser, Thomas’ ball in from the left found the striker again.
This time his shot was saved by Jalal but Mullin pounced to shake off the unwanted tag of being in a goal drought. Cue the mass celebrations.
It could have got better as the Reds then appealed for a penalty moments later for Yates’ trip on Whalley but instead the player was booked for diving in what seemed a harsh decision by Premiership referee Alan Wiley.
There was a nervy last few moments as the Reds had to deal with a number of balls into the box, the threat of bustling Shrimps sub Wayne Curtis and Phil Edwards cleared a Carl Baker corner off the line - but the Reds held on for a much-celebrated win.
It was a bad night weather-wise but it was just a shame there was only 1400 fans there to witness a solid show by the Reds - although Coleman knows they must now try and do this every week.
