THEY were cruelly denied victory in the fifth minute of injury time, but Accrington Stanley fans had the ultimate consolation.

After all, they may have had no match to watch at all had things gone awry in the High Court earlier this week.

With another appearance in the High Court next week, last night’s draw at Grimsby could still prove to be the club’s last if events were to take a turn for the worse.

But there is now real hope, which a late, late leveller from Barry Conlon cannot possibly overshadow – even if John Coleman might have felt differently at the final whistle.

It would have been a terrible irony if Stanley had lost their fight for survival this week, because the evidence on the field this season has suggested that they may possess their greatest team in 50 years.

Not since the 1959/60 season have Stanley finished anywhere higher than the bottom half of the Football League’s bottom division but, ahead of this afternoon’s fixtures, the Reds stand 12th in League Two.

Stanley made only one change to the side that won at Rochdale on Saturday, with Gary King starting on the left in place of Sean McConville.

John Miles (back) and Chris Turner (ankle) missed out through injury so the depleted Reds were able to name only six substitutes.

O’Neill, who has so far resisted calls to resign following recent events, was at Blundell Park along with fellow joint chairperson Marcelle Lazarus and chief executive Rob Heys, and Stanley could and should have been ahead inside four minutes.

Jimmy Ryan surged down the right and cut the ball back for the unmarked Gary King, who blazed over from only 10 yards.

But King got another chance just a minute later as Tom Lees’ deflected ball over the top put the 19-year-old – formerly with Grimsby’s rivals Lincoln - clear on goal.

This time he coolly slipped the ball past the advancing Nick Colgan to notch his first league goal for Stanley. The home side’s appeals for offside proved in vain.

Stanley have won all seven games they have led this season but Grimsby – second bottom going into the game and with Neil Woods in temporary charge following Mike Newell’s recent departure – were back in the match just nine minutes later.

Peter Sweeney swung in a free kick and Oliver Lancashire thundered a header against the underside of the crossbar. The ball must have been close to going over the line then but a split second later Adrian Forbes settled the matter by smashing home from five yards amid a goalmouth scramble.

The first half descended into an increasingly in a bad-tempered affair, broken up by a number of bookings, before Ian Dunbavin saved Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro’s 30-yard effort.

The Reds, with 17-year-old Josh Molloy now the club’s back-up goalkeeper following Alan Martin’s recall by Leeds and the Football League’s refusal to lift the club’s transfer embargo, then had an injury scare as Dunbavin received lengthy treatment following a late tackle.

The keeper was fit enough to continue but was almost beaten before half time as Forbes headed just wide.

The second half brought few chances, but Stanley went back in front in the 67th minute.

The ball broke loose to Andy Procter inside the box and his skewed shot was turned goalwards by Michael Symes from close range.

Grimsby centre back Lancashire dived to keep the ball out but the referee deemed he had done so with his hand, pointing to the spot and issuing a red card.

Stanley central defender Phil Edwards calmly sent Colgan the wrong way from the spot for his fifth goal of the season – three of them penalties.

After that 10-man Grimsby rarely troubled the Reds but they stole an equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time, following a delay as referee David Webb required treatment after appearing to collapse.

Stanley looked all set for victory but a cross from the left was met with a looping header from substitute Barry Conlon, and Dunbavin was beaten.

It was a cruel blow for the Reds on the field.

Now, all eyes will be on off-the-field matters, as Stanley bid to ensure they still have a club by the time next week’s home FA Cup tie against Salisbury comes around

Click here to view our gallery of action from the game.