Before we look at this weekend fixtures, we have three game to clear up from midweek involving our League 1 rivals.
PLYMOUTH 2 PORTSMOUTH 2
On Monday night the Pilgrims hosted Pompey in an exciting affair with the hosts getting a stroke of luck early on as Sean Raggett redirected a Frank Nouble shot into his own net. In two minutes of madness on the hour mark Pompey hit Plymouth with two goals, the first somewhat dubious as a header from Whatmough was adjudged to have struck Kelland Watts arm and the resulting penalty was dispatched by goal machine John Marquis. Tom Naylor scored the second for Pompey only for Fulham loanee Jerome Opuku to capitalise on an error and give Plymouth a share of the points.
SWINDON 0 ACCRINGTON 3
On Tuesday night this Covid rearranged fixture saw Accy Stan make it 5 league wins in 7 games with a convincing win against the Robins. The first goal had a real comedy flair about it as the Swindon keeper swung and missed a clearance and then had to watch the ball trickle over the line. Colby Bishop and then Dion Charles piled on the misery for Swindon, and the game was just about all done before halftime.
OXFORD UTD 0 CREWE ALEX 2
Oxford suffered their 7th defeat of the season piling on the pressure for Oxford boss Karl Robinson (pictured above) and leaving Oxford in the bottom four. Mikael Mandron got Crewe going midway through the first half poking home an Oli Finney cross. Oxford were reduced to 10 men as Sam Winnall limped off and all the subs were used, and by all reports Crewe should have won more convincingly, giving Oxford some small hope of at least a share of the spoils but all that went by the wayside in the final few minutes as Owen Dale converted a Callum Ainsley cross.
Moving onto Saturday then, it looks like we have a full programme to deal with for the first time in weeks, with at least one fixture being called off through Covid 19, fingers crossed things will get back to normal now….well we can hope.
GILLINGHAM 1 CHARLTON 1
In the early kick off, it was honours even with the game being a tale of two penalties. Jack Bonham in the Gills goal made a superb save from a Conor Washington penalty and left the Charlton coaching staff with egg on their faces. Omar Bogle won the penalty and was all set to take the spot kick before the Charlton bench ordered him to give it to Washington ……whoops!
The misery piled on for Charlton as with 20 minutes to go the Gills won a dubious penalty with John Akinde deemed to have been fouled, Jordan Graham then showed how to put a penalty away. With time ebbing away Chuks Aneke seized on some poor defending to make it honours even.
ACCRINGTON STANLEY 0 LINCOLN CITY 0
Stanley and the Imps shared the spoils in a lively affair that saw Lincoln twice scrape the woodwork with time running out and Accy Stan hanging on after being reduced to 10 men after Sean McConville got his marching orders just 5 minutes after coming on as a second half sub.
BURTON ALBION 1 NORTHAMPTON 3
Northampton had a comfortable win on the road against a poor Albion side despite Burton having the lions share of the possession. Harry Smith got the Cobblers off to a quick start in the 2nd minute tapping home from 6 yards. Smith made it 2-0 just after the hour racing onto a through ball with the Albion defence gaping wide open. Former Don Chris Lines smashed in the third with ten minutes to go and a Lucas Atkins consolation penalty in injury time did little to paper over the cracks of another poor Albion performance that sees them rock bottom, and they are quickly becoming the whipping boys of the division, and you have to say they look in trouble even at this early stage.
DONCASTER 1 SUNDERLAND 1
Grant Leadbitter’s worldie looked to have given the Black Cats a deserved win, until deep into injury time Fejiri Okenabirhie got a decisive touch on a goalmouth scramble to give Donny a share of the points.
FLEETWOOD 5 PLYMOUTH 1
Two teams capable of a standout results met head to head in what is usually a monster journey for fans, and I should think the Green Army were grateful not to be able to travel as Fleetwood took them apart. Callum Camps and Sam Finley scored two quick goals after just 7 minutes and Wes Burns made it virtually game over shortly before half time. Callum Camps and Charlie Mulgrew made it the nap hand and Luke Jephcott scored the consolation for the Pilgrims, but the misery wasn’t done for Plymouth who had Niall Canavan given his marching orders in injury time for his second yellow card offence.
IPSWICH 2 SHREWSBURY 1
Our opponents on Tuesday night Shrewsbury really shot themselves in the foot after leading from the 4th minute via an Ollie Norburn penalty. The Shrews with just 15 minutes to go then went into self-destruct mode with former Don Ebanks-Landell slicing the ball into his own net and then Jack Lankester headed home the winner in the 97th minute to keep Ipswich in touch with the top two.
PETERBOROUGH 1 BLACKPOOL 2
Second placed Peterborough must have thought they had salvaged a point against Blackpool with Frankie Kent on his birthday levelling with just six minutes left on the clock after trailing for over an hour to a Jerry Yates goal, but up stepped Gary Madine with a last gasp winner to break the hearts of the Posh faithful.
PORTSMOUTH 4 CREWE 1
Pompey easily dispatched Crewe mainly down to some shoddy defending from the Railwaymen. A brace from Ronan Curtis plus goals from Tom Naylor and the almost compulsory goal from John Marquis put the game beyond doubt, Oli Finney scoring a consolation for Alex from the spot deep into injury time.
ROCHDALE 0 AFCW 1
The Dale bossed the possession stats against AFC but hardly threatened to score and paid the ultimate penalty by conceding at the death through Ethan Chislett.
SWINDON 1 BRISTOL ROVERS 0
I’m not really sure what to make of our former gaffer Paul Tisdale taking on the job at “The Gas”, I guess he did the job at MK he was brought into do, but LG 1 seemed to be beyond him. So, has he learnt anything in the year he spent in the wilderness, time will tell I guess, but I will venture Swindon is hardly the yardstick to use to make a judgement but even so Rovers lost again 1-0 which was at least good news for Swindon boss John Sheridan who recorded his first win in charge. Brett Pitman scored the only goal of the game where the advertising hoardings were bothered more than the two goalkeepers.
WIGAN 1 OXFORD UTD 2
Matty Taylor eased the pressure on under fire Robbo by scoring for United just after the hour mark. James Henry appeared to wrap the points up shortly before full time, but they were made to sweat for it as Thello Aasgaard reduced the deficit just before full time and a nervy 7 minutes of injury time.
