AND now, the end is near, and so they face the final curtain.

Sadly, the encore that Accrington Stanley had been building up to all season -- the play-offs -- is now no longer within their grasp, rendering Saturday's trip to Hereford as merely a chance to finish as close to the top five as possible.

The plan was to go into the final game of the season still mathematically capable of stealing a play-off place.

Instead they will take a bow after a draw against play-off contenders Aldershot -- albeit thrilling -- left them too far behind in the race.

Regrets? Well, the Reds have certainly had a few of those this term. Dropped points, possibly most notably at Burton Albion on Good Friday and Northwich Victoria as far back as September have proved costly.

On top of that, manager John Coleman admitted many of the 58 goals conceded this season have been down to indidual errors. And after seeing two such mistakes lead to Aldershot's third goal, he made a case -- of which he's certain -- that he would make it his task to set that right over the summer in preparation for next season.

If Jon Kennedy's mis-kick wasn't bad enough, Chris Butler failed to thump the ball clear when it dropped to him and instead was disposessed by Gary Holloway on the edge of the box. Holloway squared for striker Tim Sills, out-witting Kennedy, and the ball was buried.

One aspect of Stanley's play that has gone in their favour this season is their character in fighting back, and it didn't desert them last night as Lee McEvilly levelled with a venomous hit into the roof of the net against a Shots side that had been reduced to 10 men when Chris Giles was sent off for a cynical trip on McEvilly as he burst through on goal. over 15 minutes earlier.

But had Stanley carried on as they had started, it might not have led to such a tight finish.

Gary Roberts fired the Reds in front in the fourth minute.

After Steve Jagielka spooned the ball off his boot in the area, David Brown controlled it well and set up Roberts to nestle the ball into the bottom left hand corner.

The Reds had ample opportunity to add to that early strike, but the more they were denied, the more it sapped their momentum.

McEvilly had the best chance after Roberts' opener, and goalkeeper Nikki Bull's hands must still be throbbing now after he palmed away the striker's powerful right-footed shot.

Aldershot had rarely pressed but drew level on 20 minutes when Robbie Williams conceded a free kick 20 yards out. From there Darren Barnard lifted the ball over the wall and into the bottom right hand corner.

Stanley had the edge for the rest of the first period but Kennedy was called into action as half-time loomed and got down well to Holloway's right foot strike, while David Lee struck a dubiously awarded 25-yard free kick over the bar.

Stanley began the second period brightly, but Chris Butler turned from hero to villain 10 minutes after the restart as, after blocking Steve Watson's shot, the ball was picked up to the right of the box, Butler was adjudged to have brought down Nick Crittenden and the referee pointed to the spot.

Barnard teased Kennedy with a shimmy as he ran up to strike the ball, and while the Reds' stopper dived the right way, Barnard beat him for a second time when he did connect.

Moments later, McEvilly was tripped by Giles as he burst through and referee Robert Lewis awarded his second spot-kick of the night. But as Coleman pointed out on Saturday, Accrington Stanley don't get penalties, and after consulting with his linesman, Lewis back-tracked on his decision, instead awarding a free kick 18 yards and an inch away from goal, while Giles was duly given his marching orders.

McEvilly struck the base of the wall and won a corner with his follow-up. Justice was served for the penalty farce as McEvilly towered above the rest of the defence to thump a downwards header past Bull from Roberts' delivery to equalise.

Coleman was then sent off, viewing the rest of the match from the television gantry, following comments made from the touchline. And he would have been fuming to see Aldershot, who also badly needed a win to aid their own play-off push, fire themselves back in front courtesy of hitman Sills, defying their one-man deficit.

McEvilly restored parity for a second time following a good break by Butler and Roberts.

And while they rallied with late chances for Brown and Mullin, that all-important win evaded them.

Nevertheless, so many positives can be taken from this season, as the band of supporters who stayed behind to cheer and salute their team and manager long after full-time will testify.

Coleman has even more solid foundations to build on from only their second season in the Conference and their first as a full-time professional outfit.

And, rest assured, he'll do it his way.