Coleman convinced the luck has turned

ACCRINGTON boss John Coleman claims his side’s ten-man victory over Colchester proves they have righted the ship this term.

Stanley are now four points above the League Two relegation zone after first-half goals from Billy Kee and Matty Pearson gave them victory over the U’s, for whom Chris Porter’s late penalty was only a consolation.

Stanley played more than half of the game with only ten men following Omar Beckles’ dismissal, but they were worthy of their triumph.

Coleman said: “I thought we got what we deserved and we were comfortably the better team.

“In the first half, we could have been three or four up and then the complexion of the game changes on a sending off.

“That was further added to by a soft-ish penalty that we seem to be capable of giving away at the minute but not capable of getting.

“This has been the season where everything that can go wrong will go wrong, but maybe earlier in the year we wouldn’t have won that game.

“We’ve had words with the players over the last few weeks about taking responsibility for our mission to climb the table and we did that here.”

Colchester head coach John McGreal was disappointed with his side’s performance, which leaves them three points off the play-offs.

McGreal said: “The fans have travelled a long way to see a performance and we didn’t give that to them in the first half, so I can only apologise for that.

“Late on, we could have nicked a point and there were some unbelievable balls flashing across the box that we weren’t on the end of.

“We had a little bit of a go against their ten men in the second half but it was really disappointing and I can only apologise for what’s happened to the fans.

“Even when the players were going off they kept backing them and we’re grateful for that.”

Accrington took an 18thminute lead through the unmarked Kee, who headed in from Sean McConville’s delivery.

And Pearson doubled the hosts’ lead with a bullet header at the far post, on 32 minutes.

Stanley were reduced to ten men just before half-time when Beckles was dismissed for a foul on Brennan Dickenson, just inside the hosts’ half.

Colchester did reduce the deficit with 14 minutes remaining when substitute Porter scored from the spot after McConville had fouled Drey Wright in the box, but Stanley held on to claim victory.