Cheltenham 2 Brighton 1
Attendance 3,963
Keith Downing, the Cheltenham manager, believes that his team have passed a valuable test in their fight against relegation after this dramatic win. The home team trailed to a Jake Robinson goal going into the final moments but emerged victorious after goals by Alex Russell and Steven Gillespie. “Two weeks ago we went a goal down against Millwall and lost, but this time we still played our football and managed to get the win,” Downing said. Dean Wilkins, the Brighton manager, said: “It was a mad four minutes.”
Goalscorers: Cheltenham: Russell 90, Gillespie 90 Brighton: Robinson 55
Crewe 2 Swansea 2
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Attendance 4,955
Roberto Martinez, the Swansea manager, hopes that his team have learnt a lesson after Crewe came from two goals down with eight minutes to go to draw. An 82nd-minute strike from Julien Baudet gave Crewe hope before Tom Pope stunned the leaders with a last-minute equaliser. Jason Scotland, with a ninth-minute penalty, and an own goal by Gary Roberts had given Swansea a 2-0 lead. “They got something out of nothing and that was disappointing, but it should be a good and harsh lesson for us,” a disappointed Martinez said.
Goalscorers: Crewe: Baudet 82, Pope 90 Swansea: Scotland 9 (pen), Roberts 40 (og)
Doncaster 2 Bristol Rovers 0
Attendance 8,168
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Paul Trollope, the Bristol Rovers manager, was unhappy after his team were beaten by two second-half penalties. “I’m not criticising the referee, but even the Doncaster players were laughing after he gave the first one,” Trollope said. “The second was for handball, but Tony Pulis was only trying to prevent himself being hit in the face by the ball.” Brian Stock scored the first penalty after 65 minutes to put Doncaster ahead and Paul Heffernan clinched all three points with another spot-kick late on.
Goalscorers: Doncaster: Stock 65 (pen), Heffeman 90 (pen)
Huddersfield 1 Swindon 0
Attendance 9,388
Andy Ritchie, the Huddersfield manager, told his team to have more belief in themselves after they ended Swindon’s 11-match unbeaten run. Phil Jevons’s goal after only 46 seconds proved enough for the home team to make it four wins in succession and a satisfied Ritchie said: “We are only seven points off the play-offs with games in hand and we feel that we have a chance if can keep picking up points. We must believe we can do it.” Maurice Malpas, the Swindon manager, said: “I’ve got a lot of quality players, but they didn’t perform.”
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Goalscorer: Huddersfield: Jevons 1
Luton 1 Bournemouth 4
Attendance 5,897
Kevin Bond, the Bournemouth manager, urged his players to take heart from this thumping win. The club had fallen to the foot of the table on Friday after being deducted ten points for entering administration. Two goals from Jo Kuffour and one each from Sam Vokes and Max-Alain Gradel gave the South Coast team a convincing win at Kenilworth Road and Bond said: “It’s business as usual here and I have been told the squad won’t change. I have told the players to think about the positives like this performance.”
Goalscorers: Luton: Emanuel 50 Bournemouth: Vokes 13, Kuffour 14, 84, Gradel 45
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Northampton 1 Leeds 1
Attendance 7,260
Gary McAllister was quick to praise the workrate of his Leeds team, despite their draw. The former Scotland player is looking for his first victory since taking over as manager after Adebayo Akinfenwa, the Northampton striker, cancelled out Jonathan Howson’s first-half opener. McAllister said: “I’ve arrived at the club when it is going through a sticky patch, but the tempo and workrate was much better than last week. But it was two points dropped as we looked comfortable until they scored on the break.”
Goalscorers: Northampton: Akinfenwa 75 Leeds: Howson 38
Nottingham Forest 2 Millwall 0
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Attendance 17,046
Nottingham Forest boosted their promotion hopes with a ninth home win, but Colin Calderwood, the manager, was more concerned with his team’s woeful away form as they head to Leeds tomorrow, having failed to win on the road since early December. “We are decent at home and hard to beat and it is puzzling why we can’t repeat that form on our travels,” he said. “But we are learning as a group.” Goals by Julian Bennett and Luke Chambers moved Forest up to third, while Millwall are in the relegation zone.
Goalscorers: Nottingham Forest: Bennett 48, Chambers 58
Oldham 2 Gillingham 1
Attendance 4,866
Oldham came from behind to make it back-to-back home wins for the first time this season and leave Mark Stimson, the Gillingham manager, demanding his team battle. “I certainly don’t want to be fighting relegation,” he said. “If we don’t do something, some of them might not cop on and it will be too late.” Gillingham took the lead through Dennis Oli before Chris Taylor and Craig Davies won it for Oldham. “I was disappointed we didn’t score more because goals could count when it is all over,” John Sheridan, the Oldham manager, said.
Goalscorers: Oldham Taylor 42, Davies 67 Gillingham Oli 25
Port Vale 1 Carlisle 1
Attendance 4,221
John Ward, the Carlisle manager, disagreed with his players, who believed that Port Vale’s late penalty should not have been awarded. The visiting team protested furiously with Karl Evans, the referee, who pointed to the spot after Peter Murphy had manhandled Kyle Perry, allowing Paul Harsley to cancel out Joe Garner’s opener from the spot. “I’ve got no complaints,” Ward said. “My view of the incident was from the same angle as the referee and I thought it was a foul. I’m afraid it was poor play from us.”
Goalscorers: Port Vale: Harsley 84 (pen) Carlisle: Garner 62
Southend 2 Hartlepool 1
Attendance 7,436
Danny Wilson, the Hartlepool manager, criticised the sending-off of Sam Collins after this defeat. Alan McCormack had just equalised for the home team when Collins appeared to elbow Lee Barnard off the ball. From the resulting free kick Nick Bailey scored the winning goal. “It was a harsh decision and was the decisive moment of the match,” Wilson said. Steve Tilson, the Southend manager, was upset with the crowd for booing off his team at half-time. “I was a bit disappointed as we had created some chances but not taken them,” he said.
Goalscorers: Southend: McCormack 61, Bailey 66 Hartlepool: Sweeney 9
Tranmere 1 Leyton Orient 1
Attendance 6,530
Tranmere’s inability to secure a fifth successive victory left Ronnie Moore, their manager, frustrated. “Orient didn’t really deserve anything from the game,” he said. “But when it’s 1-0 there is always a chance. We had a great start and should have gone on from there.” Calvin Zola’s early strike gave the home team the lead before Adam Chambers snatched a point. Martin Ling, the Orient manager, said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen for us, but it was all about ‘stickability’. We were more effective in the second half after a poor first period.”
Goalscorers: Tranmere: Zola 2 Leyton Orient: Chambers 87
Walsall 2 Yeovil 0
Attendance 5,034
Richard Money, the Walsall manager, felt that his team had done a fine job in completing the double over Yeovil. Money said: “I thought it was a solid, professional performance. We got the job done, got the three points and now move on to a very difficult game on Tuesday [tomorrow] at Swansea.” Russell Slade, the Yeovil manager, whose team have gone eight matches without a win, said: “I don’t think we deserved to get beat. We played the better football but did not deliver. I’m glad [to] see the back of Walsall this season.”
Goalscorers: Walsall Holmes 67, Betsy 90