Stockport County's makeshift defence couldn't stop Accrington Stanley as the Reds sent the Hatters closer towards the drop.
Bottom club County came to the Crown Ground with the worst defensive record in the league having conceded 79 goals prior to this game. They had three of their regular backline out and it was worse for the Hatters when Jordan Rose hobbled off in the 23rd minute after taking a knock.
And it was three goals in 14 first half minutes which killed the Hatters.
First Sean Hessey fired home a 25-yard free kick ,although County keeper Ian McLoughlin would have felt he should have done better as it squirmed into the bottom corner of the net on 28 minutes.
And, as Stanley continued to turn the screw, Aaron Brown handled Sean McConville's corner in the area on 35 minutes and Phil Edwards fired the spot kick down the middle.
In a disastrous night for Brown it was soon three when the tall defender miscontrolled the ball in the area and brought down McConville on 42 minutes and Edwards side-footed his penalty this time for his 10th goal of the season.
See more in Friday's Observer
