Ten-man Accrington Stanley suffered a 5-2 loss to mid-table Fleetwood Town but showed fighting spirit in the second half.

The Cod Army took a 2-0 lead before half-time and the Reds also had Liam Coyle sent off to add to their woes.

Fleetwood made it three after the break before Michael Nottingham and Tommy Leigh got the ten-men back in it.

However two late goals made it safe for Fleetwood and Stanley have dropped to 23rd place, two points from safety, with five games to play.

Nottingham and Leigh came back in the starting line-up with ex-Reds loan striker Jayden Stockley starting for Fleetwood.

Promise Omochere fired over for the visitors while Stockley’s back flick was narrowly wide of goal on five minutes.

Fleetwood opened the scoring with a disputed goal on nine minutes when a ball over the top fell to Jack Marriott in the area and he finished passed Lukas Jensen with Stanley appealing for off-side.

Stanley came close on 15 minutes from a Sean McConville corner but Aaron Pressley headed narrowly wide.

Fleetwood created the more clear-cut chances with Marriott’s strike deflected wide on 31 minutes while Stockley headed onto the top of the crossbar minutes later.

It was two on 35 minutes when Marriott raced to the edge of the area and fired low beyond Jensen.

Mo Sangare came on for Doug Tharme on 42 minutes but, as Stanley launched a spell of pressure towards the end of the half, midfielder Coyle saw red for what was judged a dangerous tackle on Carl Johnston.

Dan Martin and Cody Adedoyin came on for the second half with Sean McConville and Shaun Whalley off.

It was 3-0 on 57 minutes when Marriott broke and, with only Jensen to beat, his strike hit the post. It bounced out to Stockley who squared for Omochere to tap home.

Stanley got one back on 65 when Mitch Clark’s strike was headed into the top corner of the net by Nottingham to give the Reds a lift.

Tommy Leigh made it 3-2 on 81 minutes when he took down a Clark long throw and blasted home his 12^th goal of the season.

It was a grandstand finish then as the Reds pressed for the all-important third but, on the break in the 90^th minute, Phoenix Patterson found space in the area and blasted home.

Then, in the third minute of added time, Marriott completed his hat-trick.

Stanley: Jensen, Tharme (Sangare), Nottingham, Rodgers, Clark, Coyle, Hamilton, McConville (Martin), Leigh, Whalley (Adedoyin), Pressley (Lowe)

Subs: Savin, Nolan, Butler-Oyedeji

Yellow: McConville, Clark

Red: Coyle

Attendance: 2624 (386 from FTFC)