Accrington Stanley lost 4-0 to automatic promotion-chasing Wrexham with all the goals coming in the first half - and finished with 10 men after Lewis Shipley's 91st-minute dismissal.
John Coleman was forced into changes in his starting XI with Ben Woods injured and striker Jake Bickerstaff unable to play against his parent club.
Wrexham were clinical in the first half.
Manchester United loan keeper Radek Vitek denied Ollie Palmer twice in the opening stages before the home side took the lead on 17 minutes when Ryan Barnett’s cross found the head of Paul Mullin who guided the ball past Vitek.
Mullin almost got another two minutes later but his chip was wide.
Striker Mullin doubled the score on 25 minutes, firing home from outside the box after Stanley lost the ball in midfield.
It was three on 35 minutes when a ball into the box found Mullin at the far post and his low header secured his hat-trick.
Tommy Leigh fired wide from distance but Elliot Lee curled home number four on 41 minutes.
Vitek denied Mullin a fourth before half-time.
Josh Woods came on at the break and the Reds pressed but it needed a superb save from Radek to deny Barnett at the other end.
Cody Adedoyin had an angled strike saved by Arthur Okonkwo before Leslie Adekoya came on on the hour mark.
Stanley were more of a threat and Leigh’s long-range effort was pushed out by Okonkwo while the keeper kept out Connor O’Brien’s strike before Adekoya could pounce.
Wrexham hunted for a fifth and Vitek pulled off a double save to keep out a Lee effort from the edge of the area and then Ben Tozer’s follow-up on 70 minutes.
Adekoya missed a great chance, firing over in the six-yard box as Stanley looked to get one back.
However they were reduced to ten men for the five minutes of added time when Norwich loan defender Shipley saw red for a late challenge.
Stanley: Vitek, O’Brien, Shipley, Pickles (J Woods), Gubbins, Mellor, Leigh, Martin (Patrick), Nolan (Trickett), Whalley (Adekoya), Adedoyin (Henderson)
Subs: McIntyre, Quirk
Yellow; J Woods
Red: Shipley
Attendance: 12,606 (691)
