SIMON Bassey’s chances of the AFC manager’s job took a nosedive after this defeat – Dons’ third home reverse on the trot.

The caretaker boss had to suffer all the good work from last week’s away win at Wycombe disappear without trace as his side huffed and puffed but was rewarded only by a freak goal in the last minute that proved scant return.

There was precious little wrong with AFC’s approach work, but the ammunition got fired everywhere but at goal with Stanley keeper Ian Dunbavin needing to make just three major stops in the entire 90 minutes.

The first two saw him pull off a decent save from Sammy Moore (pic) and one half-hearted stop from a late Christian Jolley looping header – before he inexplicably stopped playing to allow a bouncing ball past him for Sammy Moore to stab home.

It was all too little, and way too late. And this after Dons dominated the first half only to see Stanley score the only goal.

Luke Moore’s weak shot after Byron Harrison put him through down the left channel was the precursor to a number of half chances that went begging.

Jolley woefully wasted his side’s best opportunity when he skinned two defenders and then scooped a left-foot shot over the bar from just two yards.

And just when it was going wonderfully well, Accrington scored.

Will Hatfield prodded a nothing ball into space and got lucky when Will Antwi scuffed his touch. Padraig Amond needed no second invitation to nip between defender and Seb Brown to dink the ball over the keeper and watch it dribble into the unguarded net.

Dons were a fingertip from an equaliser, but Sammy Moore had to suffer his low drive from the edge of the box tipped around a post by Dunbavin.

The Stanley keeper was beaten five minutes later, but Antwi was offside when his looping header back from the byline was swept in by Harrison.

Amond’s curler from 20 yards demanded Brown to parry full length, but Hatfield should have done better than a tame shot across the goal and out.

And the AFC keeper was his teams saviour within five minutes of the restart when he spread himself to block a low toe-poke from the dangerous Amond as the Stanley man latched on to a deflected cross.

It was past the hour when either number one had reason to worry – and it was Dunbavin who breathed a sigh of relief as Antwi failed to keep a point-blank header down inside the box after Harrison had nodded into the danger area.

But it was over and out when Peter Murphy was allowed more time than Ryder Cup players to tee up a half volley in the box and smash home via the underside of the bar.

Another Bassey once sang about Diamonds being forever – but it would have to be a hell of a job interview to convince the board the Simon variety is the man to shine in place of the sacked Terry Brown.