Stanley were cursing their luck again as they suffered a fourth straight defeat on Saturday – and their third at home in a week.
A poor referee’s decision cost the Reds against Cheltenham the previous weekend and they saw another point go begging as Burton snatched victory with virtually the last kick of the game.
A head injury to Burton substitute Jimmy Phillips meant seven minutes of stoppage time were indicated. And in the eighth, Adam Reed poked in the game’s only goal for unbeaten Burton, leaving Stanley bottom of League Two with a solitary point.
After a positive performance against Premier League Cardiff in the Capital One Cup, the Reds carried some of that form into the weekend and manager James Beattie felt they were the better side for most of the contest – apparently his opposing number Gary Rowett said he was embarrassed to come into his office afterwards.
Stanley certainly created more than in the previous league game against Cheltenham, James Gray hitting a post late on, and Beattie reckons they’d have won it themselves if they’d been more clinical in front of goal.
Peter Murphy dropped back to right-back after Luke Clark played there against Cardiff, with Gray and Shay McCartan coming in for Clark and Will Hatfield.
Burton featured Michael Symes up front and the ex-Accy striker had the game’s first shot on goal. Rene Howe controlled a long ball before laying off for Symes, who turned inside Michael Richardson before his 20-yard shot was tipped wide by Stanley keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Lee Bell then volleyed well wide for the visitors before Kal Naismith headed wide after meeting a corner at the far post.
Naismith then tried his luck from the left channel, firing narrowly wide of the far post, while Burton replied with Chris Hussey’s firm strike well held by Bettinelli.
Eight minutes after half-time, Adam McGurk beat Stanley left-back Michael Liddle before chipping across the box for Symes.
His header back across goal was turned in from close range by Reed but the flag was up for offside.
Just after the hour mark, Beattie made a double substitution to bring on Hatfield and give youngster Connor Mahoney his first League appearance, and they helped swing the game back in Stanley’s favour.
Richardson played the ball into Gray and it fell kindly for Hatfield, who tested visiting keeper Dean Lyness with a low 20-yard strike. Naismith then played the ball wide for Murphy and his cross was headed over by Mahoney.
As Stanley applied most of the late pressure, Gray won a free-kick in the 83rd minute which Naismith fired into the wall. Burton put it straight out for a throw from which Richardson found Naismith. He helped the ball on to Gray in the right side of the Burton box and his low shot came back off the far post.
The chance wasn’t gone but Lyness prevented Murphy getting to the rebound before making a point-blank save to turn Naismith's shot wide.
Phillips was injured in a clash of heads with Liddle, resulting in a lengthy stoppage, before Albion brought on former Burnley trainee Dominic Knowles, who hails from Oswaldtwistle.
The young striker soon flicked on Damien McCrory’s left-wing cross for Howe to have a header tipped over by Bettinelli.
But then deep into stoppage time, Knowles turned Murphy before playing the ball wide for McGurk and from his low cross, Reed got in front of Rob
Atkinson to glance the ball beyond Bettinelli and inside the far post.
Stanley : Bettinelli 7, Murphy 7, Aldred 7, Atkinson 7, Liddle 6, Mingoia 6 (Mahoney 67, 7), Joyce 7, Richardson 8, McCartan 6 (Hatfield 67, 6), Gray 7 (Carver 90), Naismith 8. Subs: Clark, Jenkins, Windass, B. Wilson.
