Accrington Stanley have been more talked about because of events off the pitch in recent years - but this 11-goal thriller got them the football headlines over the weekend.

In an enthralling game, the Reds ran out their biggest score at the Crown Ground in League Two with, on average, a goal every eight minutes and the incidents didn't stop there with Gills Mark Bentley also sent off and Reds assistant manager Jimmy Bell sent from the dug-outs in a game you couldn't take your eyes off.

There were five goals in the first half - where there were some superb goals but also defensive mistakes.

Stanley took the lead on 13 minutes when Terry Gornell got the better of defender Josh Gowling and played in a perfect cross which Sean McConville slotted home for his fifth goal of the season.

However Gills winger Bentley then scored two goals in three minutes, flicking home a Jack Payne long throw for the equaliser on 29 minutes.

Then good link up play between man mountain Adebayo Akinfenwa and Bentley, which caught the Reds defence stranded, saw Bentley finish superbly to put the Gills ahead.

Their lead, however, only lasted three minutes when Stanley bounced back. Gornell played in former Tranmere man Andy Parkinson and he blasted the ball low into the net for his first Stanley goal.

Bentley then had two superb chances to get a hat-trick but was denied by keeper Ian Dunbavin and fired his other effort inches wide.

And Charlie Barnett then made them pay, rifling home from the right hand side of the area into the top of the net two minutes before half-time to give the Reds a 3-2 interval lead.

If that was entertaining, there was even more to come after the break.

Striker Cody McDonald got the Gills back on level terms on 55 minutes with a superb solo goal when he raced half the length of the pitch and into the area and put a delicate chip over Ian Dunbavin .

But the Gills - who haven't won on their travels in 17 months - then lost the game when they conceded two penalties in four minutes.

On 58 minutes Bentley was judged to have pushed Andy Procter in the area and defender Phil Edwards sent keeper Lance Cronin the wrong way.

And on the next attack, Gornell was tripped in the area by Gowling - although Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler insisted his defender got he ball - and Edwards was spot-on again.

Stanley striker Gornell, for all his work, deserved a goal and he beat the off-side trap and almost casually stroked the ball home for Stanley's sixth on 73 minutes.

But the Gills gave themselves a fighting chance when keeper Dunbavin fouled McDonald and Akinfenwa sent the stopper the wrong way from the penalty spot.

The game exploded at the end when Stanley's Jimmy Ryan was booked for a late tackle, a melee ensued with Gills scorer Bentley shown a second yellow and red for reacting and Stanley assistant manager Jimmy Bell was also sent from the dug-out by referee Iain Williamson for getting involved.

And the drama still wasn't over as, in injury time, Ryan broke free and raced into the area and blasted the ball home to put the Reds in seventh heaven.