With the League 1 schedule not letting up and some teams still trying to play catch up because of postponements through Covid 19 and news of more clubs testing positive, we take a look at the midweek results to see if we can make any sense out of it all. We have a full programme of 12 fixtures to look at and what has become very apparent is there is no such thing as a nailed-on result as week after week there are always one or two results that leave you scratching your head in disbelief.
GILLINGHAM 0 ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2
In the early kick off Accrington shook off last week’s defeat to take 3 points on the road against Steve Evan’s Gills. Colby Bishop scored just before half time and Dion Charles on the hour to make that 6 wins in 9 games for Stanley.
BLACKPOOL 3 HULL 2
Defeat on the road for league leaders Hull City means no win in three games. Malik Wilks set the Tigers on the way shortly before the interval, but just when it looked like they would go the break with the advantage Jerry Yates equalised for the home side. Keshi Anderson then turned the game completely around scoring for Pool just after the hour mark. Reece Burke scoring his first goal in three years looked to have salvaged a point for the Tigers, but deep into injury time CJ Hamilton reacted quickest on a loose ball in the Hull box and fired home to give Blackpool their first win over Hull in 13 years.
CREWE 2 PLYMOUTH 1
Argyle can’t buy a win at the moment losing 6 straight games, but with their next opponents being us, you wouldn’t bet against us letting them off the hook and changing their fortunes. Charlie Kirk and Owen Dale scored again for the Railwaymen, both goals coming in the first half, Luke Jephcott with the consolation goal for Plymouth in the closing minutes. That’s Jephcott’s 11th goal this season from 15 games, a highly respectable return for a team struggling with form.
LINCOLN 0 SHREWSBURY 1
A rejuvenated Shrewsbury made it 5 games without defeat and a successive defeat for Lincoln dropping them down to 4th place. Lincoln dominated the game with over 70% of the ball but failed to capitalise against a Shrews team happy to soak up the pressure and watch Lincoln waste 15 shots with just one on target. Shaun Whalley landed the sucker punch after 38 minutes and despite the Imps laying siege to the Shrews goal for well over half an hour of the second half, they could not break the will of a determined rear guard action. It should be noted that Shrewsbury have beaten the top two in the division in the last four days.
SUNDERLAND 1 AFCW 1
Both AFC and the Black Cats continue to confuse the pundits, both for different reasons. The pedigree and budget of Sunderland suggests they should be making more out of this season and AFC because they keep throwing up decent results despite their shoestring budget. Joe Pigott continues to keep banging them in for AFC this time from the spot shortly before halftime. Bailey Wright levelled for the home side on the hour to share the spoils. The Black Cats though might have a good excuse with one player testing positive and 7 others told to self-isolate before the game, and despite protests the EFL forced Sunderland to honour the fixture.
WIGAN 0 ROCHDALE 5
Rochdale really hit Wigan hard smashing in five unanswered goals in a game of 21 shots from the Dale with an impressive 11 on target. Wigan were never really in the game who had come into the game with two wins on the bounce to their name. The Dale goals came from Baah and Lund in the first half, and Dooley and a brace from Alex Newby to cap a superb night on the road.
DONCASTER 2 SWINDON 1
Doncasterlona scored a narrow 2-1 victory over struggling Swindon with both goals coming from Reece James, the consolation goal coming from the Robins in the 98th via the penalty spot converted by Diallang Jaiyesimi, that’s the 4th straight defeat for the Robins.
CHARLTON v BRISTOL ROVERS
This game was called off on Tuesday morning with an outbreak in the Rovers camp with a number of players and staff testing positive for Covid 19. Rovers next fixture against Oxford United has also been called off, but their Boxing Day clash against us for the time being goes ahead.
IPSWICH 2 BURTON 1
The Tractor Boys moved up to 5th place with a narrow win even though they dominated possession, but still didn’t have it all their own way. Keanen Bennett’s scored in the first few minutes for Ipswich and against the run of play Burton made it all square through Joe Powell. With ten minutes left on the clock Emyr Hughes secured the points for Ipswich although it took him two attempts, the initial shot coming back of the Burton keeper O’Hara but falling straight back to the feet of the grateful Hughes.
OXFORD 4 NORTHAMPTON 0
Robbo’s Oxford (Pictured Above) stunned a weakened Cobblers side struggling with injuries and suspensions accounting for 10 first teamers, Oxford showing no mercy and hammered them for four. Matty Taylor with a brace making that 7 goals for the season, Olamide Shodipo and Dan Ageyi compounding the misery for the visitors. The victory lifted Oxford out of the bottom four and left Northampton one point off the relegation zone.
PORTSMOUTH 0 FLEETWOOD 0
It finished all square at Fratton Park with both sides failing to force either keeper into a meaningful save until the final minute of the game when Fleetwood were denied by a superb save from the Pompey keeper MacGillivray, the only other thing of note being ref Alan Young booking 7 players in a feisty affair.
