ACCRINGTON Stanley moved up to third in the Conference after consumately coming back from behind against rock bottom Aldershot.

But a second-half fightback by 10-man Shots left fans on the edge of their seats and the Reds management team catching their breath long after the final whistle.

"We've renamed the ground the 'Interlink Entertainment Stadium'," quipped assistant manager Jimmy Bell.

"If that doesn't get the crowds back, I don't know what will. But it's no good for the management team. It's kamikaze at times!"

Stanley recovered well from a 25th-minute deficit - a poor but inevitable goal after Aldershot got forward repeatedly through winger Ryan Williams.

By the time the whistle signalled the break, though, John Coleman's Reds were cruising 3-1 courtesy of Steve Jagielka, David Brown and Gary Roberts.

Stanley should have moved through the gears in the second half, particularly after Matt Somner was sent off for kicking out at captain Peter Cavanagh.

Instead, Terry Brown's men rallied to claw a goal back and make for a nail-biting finale.

But surely Coleman and co would have settled for such an outcome after seeing Nick Crittenden ripple the net for the Shots midway through the first half.

Stanley had started brightly, with Roberts striking the base of the post before having a penalty appeal flatly refused when he appeared to be tripped by right back Hassan Salaiman.

But, after that, Aldershot played some spells of football that completely belied their lowly position, with Williams the main instigator in causing the Stanley defence some concern.

Not only were his pacy left wing bursts keeping Cavanagh on his toes, but his accurate crosses were the perfect fodder for rangy front men Tim Sills and Chris McPhee.

Fortunately for Stanley, they were struggling to find the target. But then up stepped Crittenden.

Williams fired one of numerous crosses over from the left and all an unmarked Crittenden had to do was stoop to head past Darren Randolph.

But once Jagielka rifled in the equaliser 10 minutes later - his second goal in as many games - the Shots seemed out of the game.

Two goals in the final five minutes ensued to send the Reds into the break in an unanticipated buoyant mood.

First, Shots goalkeeper Nikki Bull flapped Ian Craney's corner back in the direction of the Stanley midfielder. Craney dragged the ball onto his left foot, mis-hit his shot but Brown was perfectly placed to steer it past Bull.

Then, in first-half stoppage time, Roberts pounced for a hugely deserved goal after out-witting Scott Guyett, charging into the area and placing the ball across Bull.

Lewis Hamilton replaced the hapless Salaiman at the start of the second half to become the Shots' third right back in three halves of football. And the substitute succeeded in keeping tabs on Roberts for a spell.

But Stanley shifted their emphasis to the opposite flank, where Jagielka and Brown combined well.

Somner's dismissal should have opened the door for more Stanley goals in the final half-hour, but it was the visitors who were celebrating as Sills headed home after substitute Ryan Scott's initial shot was deflected into his path.

Randolph then pulled off a brilliant save to deny Crittenden a late equaliser.