AND so it continues.

Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman had appealed for his side not to allow their home form to let them down as it did last season, and ditch their Gravesend and Northfleet hoodoo.

But it returned to haunt the Reds on Saturday as they failed to follow up Ian Craney's opener and put the seal on a home win.

It would have been the perfect tonic after their unbeaten run came to a bitter end at Morecambe last week.

Yet, while a point was enough to keep them in third place after the Shrimps lost at Forest Green, the performance - of both his players and the officials - left Coleman deflated.

And even more bad news for the Stanley boss is that he has further defensive concerns hanging over him ahead of Friday's encounter with Hereford United.

Robbie Williams' suspension for accumulating five bookings is triggered this week, and captain Peter Cavanagh limping off early in the second half was also a worrying sight.

While Chris Butler is available after a one-match ban, and Michael Welch is a direct replacement for Williams, the defence will be the last area that Coleman would want depleted.

He should, though, have had three points to lift his spirits. And had Stanley carried on as they had started at the weekend, he would have.

Gary Roberts and David Brown were unlucky not to capitalise on a goalkeeping error, and Craig Holloway was a relieved man as he claimed the ball he had spilled in the area when Brown failed to free it from under his feet.

Minutes later, Craney won possession in the centre circle and charged forward. The defence backed off, leaving Craney with time and space to execute a brilliant low finish from 20-yards that had Holloway well beaten.

Roberts then had valid appeals for a penalty turned down after he was tripped by Justin Skinner in the area as he cut into the box from the byline.

Stanley were well in control, while Fleet's flow looked to be disrupted by an injury to wide man James Jackson.

But when one door closed for the visitors, another opened as the introduction of striker Onome Sodje flipped the game in their favour.

The 17-year-old, on loan from Charlton Athletic, seemed destined to get one over on his Charlton counterpart Darren Randolph in the Stanley goal.

A minute before the break, he turned Williams and struck a firm shot that was fortunately always rising.

Flynn then conceded an unnecessary foul on the striker just outside the box but Lee Protheroe's free kick was deflected off the wall.

Randolph then matched Sodje in first-half injury time as the pacy teenager gained a yard or so on Williams but the Reds stopper palmed his low finish away.

Stanley were forced to reorganise eight minutes into the second half as Cavanagh went down with a recurrence of his ankle injury and had to be carried to the dressing room.

Although his replacement, Romuald Boco, went close with a header, it was a difficult game for a flair player like the Benin international to influence.

Moments later, the defence was caught out as Sodje charged on to a long ball. Williams was in close proximity but Ranolph had a rush of blood and burst out of the area, leaving Sodje with an empty net to chip into.

It could have gone either way after that as Ben Surey side footed wide for Fleet and Roberts and Mullin both got into decent positions inside the box but couldn't supply the winning finish.