SO WHAT has gone wrong?
That's the questions on every Stanley fans lips after the Reds rousing start to the season has been followed by a dramatic slump with three losses - including two against teams favoured for the drop.
It's still the same nucleus of the team who hammered Dagenham, beat Morecambe and saw off York and Crawley.
But, in the last five league games, the Reds have stuttered and all the early enthusiasm has been replaced by worried, concerned frowns on the management's and fans' faces.
The win over Leigh was not convincing, the Reds lost a 3-1 lead against Northwich. Gravesend came to the Interlink and ran away with three points while Farnborough and Tamworth were there for the taking.
Both had limited chances - and took them and it has left Reds chief Coleman desperate to find a way back after picking up one point in 12.
Stanley are still in sixth place and only seven points off leaders Barnet so panicking is not on the agenda yet - but the side will take any kind of win over the next two weeks to halt the slump - although they have tough games against promotion-candidates Hereford and Aldershot.
"I'm scratching my head," said the boss, whose side have lost three on the trot for their first time in the Conference. "There is no getting away with it, it is a slump.
"It's worrying because we have got quality here. We have been doing everything right - we get looked after, we are professional and now we have got to work that bit harder.
"I won't be hiding though, I will stick my chest out as I believe I have a good squad and I know I can improve it. The lads are capable and they have to go and win some games."
He admitted it was "Keystone Cops" defending against Tamworth who hadn't won away in eight months and got their first victory in seven matches.
Former West Brom hero Bob Taylor opened the scoring, volleying home at the near post into the top corner of the net from a Lee Colkin cross on 17 minutes. That was the Lambs' first excursion into the Reds area.
Stanley equalised when a Lee McEvilly twice-taken free kick was spilled by the keeper and Paul Mullin couldn't have an easier goal as he pounced to tap home his sixth of the season.
Once Stanley got that, it was hoped it was the spur they needed to go on and make Tamworth suffer.
Instead, a Robbie Williams' back header caused problems after the break and Shaun Harrad raced into the area on the left. Keeper Jon Kennedy came charging out and left it easy for Harrad to slot the ball past him from a tight angle into an empty net.
And there was total disbelief seven minutes later when a Colkin pin point cross from the left picked out Marvin Brown who slid the ball low into the net from 10 yards out.
Hope was restored when tall defender Jonathan Smith, who had only been on the pitch six minutes, celebrated with one of his trademark headers from a Steve Jagielka corner - but then Stanley ran out of time.
"I am devastated," said the manager. "It was Keystone Cop defending. The first goal happens and we bounce back with an equaliser. We had a bit of bad luck, bit of bad finishing and we need to improve and improve quickly.
"Our performances aren't good enough. 1,200 people braved the elements to come out and we have given ourselves a mountain to climb.
"The second and third goals were embarrassing and players of our ilk and quality, full-time players, shouldn't concede goals like that.
"If you have got to score four goals to win a game then there is something fundamentally wrong.
"The second goal was ridiculous - four players have left it between them and the keeper comes and there is no need for him to come - he could have stopped where he was. It is just unexplainable.
"As a manager it is like getting hit with a hammer, all the hard work goes out the window by one person's error of judgement. At this moment in time too many people are making too many basic errors of judgement."
And what did infuriate the boss was the failure to finish. Stanley did create enough chances to win the game comfortably - and they should have beaten the struggling Lambs.
Rory Prendergast got the nod despite the fact he will have a herni operation next week while Robbie Williams went back into the centre of defence as Anthony Gerrard's loan spell is up - although the Everton trainee was there watching from the sidelines.
And the Reds started off well. They dominated possession and Lee McEvilly blasted over from a tight angle early on.
However, the early pressure was all undone on 17 minutes when Tamworth decided to venture forward - and scored. And they could have made it two, minutes later when another Colkin cross-cum-shot waspushed out by Kennedy.
Stanley tried to get back in it. Ian Craney charged forward but as he lined up to blast the ball the Tamworth defence took it off his toes while McEvilly couldn't again find the target.
But his free kick made keeper Ryan Price work and McEvilly had turned away without realising Price had spilled it and predator Mullin was there to tap the ball home.
Lutel James came on at the break after missing Saturday's game but the Reds immediately faced an uphill battle when Harrad, on loan from Notts County, fired home his third goal in three games.
And Stanley were then again wasteful when Craney got the ball unmarked and only had the keeper to beat but unbelievably his strike rolled inches wide of the post.
Then Brown made it a shocking three - although there was still plenty of time left. Jagielka's dipping volley was just over the bar before he turned provider for Smith - for the local lad's second goal of the season.
Both crossbars then kept the score down as Ebdon hit the underside of the Stanley crossbar with an 18 yard free kick and Smith's header from another Jagielka ball in lashed against the wookwork.
With ten minutes to go most people would have put their house on Mullin grabbing a much-needed equaliser when he got himself ahead of the defence and chipped over the keeper. But much to the frustration of the Stanley faithful, his effort was just wide of the target.
There was six minutes of injury time but it was the Lambs who could have added to their tally.
Sheppard forced Kennedy into a diving save while Marvin Brown charged clean through but his effort was saved low by the Reds keeper.
"We missed three one-on-one's which defy belief," raged the boss. "Not to hit the target with any of them is scandalous. You can't put your finger on it.
"That's one point out of 12 and you can't keep saying we were unlucky or things will go right, if we don't do something about it then we won't get it right. It is my job to make sure we do."
Tamworth manager Mark Cooper said: "I don't think anyone gave us a chance up there. I think they were expecting to roll us over but we gave a good, disciplined performance."
