Our weekly look at the movers and the shakers in the league table, but before we crack on with the weekend results, we just have one game to clear up from Tuesday night while we were busy dispatching the Cobblers out of the Pizza Cup competition.
CHARLTON 4 ROCHDALE 4
An eight-goal thriller that edged the Dale out of the bottom four on goal difference and dropped our friends from Kingston into the relegation places. Matty Lund got the goal fest underway for Dale with a cracking shot from just outside the box that hit the inside of the post before going in giving him his 10th goal of the season. Kwadwo Baah made it two moments later before Chuks Aneke halved the deficit with a driving run into the box and a sweet finish. Baah restored the two-goal cushion firing home from a tight angle, but once again Charlton came firing back through another former Don Jake Forster-Caskey curling a shot that got deflected in off the head of a Dale defender. In a breathless first half Dale again restored their two-goal advantage via a Stephen Humphreys 25-yard free kick. Aneke made it 4-3 when he headed home his second in the 65th minute, before Ronnie Schwartz equalised two minutes later with his first goal for the club. With the game drawing to a close and both teams looking for the win Charlton skipper Jason Pearce received his second yellow of the night, and that proving to be the last chapter in a dramatic match.
For the first time since we can remember when we almost had a full complement of matches to mull over on Saturday, but the Shrewsbury Town v Lincoln City was called off when players tested positive for Covid, and unsurprisingly because of a light shower the game between Northampton Town and Oxford United was called off as Sixfields was waterlogged……again.
AFCW 0 SUNDERLAND 3
A poor day that can only be brightened by one thing, the gift that keeps on giving AFCW. Charlie Wyke helped himself to a trio of goals, to keep the Black Cats in the race and cement AFC in the bottom four. Wyke’s first came after just 7 minutes and set the tone for the afternoon, bundling home from close range. Things were a little more even in the second half, but it was false hope for AFC as firstly Wyke flicked the ball home at the near post from a corner and then cheekily lobbed the outrushing AFC keeper after being put through.
ACCRINGTON 0 GILLINGHAM 1
The Gills had lost 5 out of their last 6 games and continue along with todays opponents Stanley to be something of an enigma, you just can never workout what these two are going to do next. Stanley had been on a good run recently that saw them climb into the playoff spots but a Kyle Dempsey goal in injury time of the first half was enough to dump them back out and down to 9th.
BRISTOL ROVERS 0 CHARLTON 1
Jake Forster-Caskey appeared to score direct from a corner in another game when just one goal was good enough, but I see on some media outlets that Millar has been credited with the goal, one for the Dubious Goal Panel me thinks. Charlton though had to hang on when Albie Morgan received his second yellow of the game 5 minutes from time, that’s the Addicks first win in six games and lifts them into 6th place.
BURTON ALBION 0 IPSWICH 1
Yet another away win in League 1, in fact there was only one home win all day, no prizes guessing who…moving swiftly along. Once again it took just one goal to settle this one, Mark McGuinness scoring his first senior goal, heading home on 77 minutes. Chances were few and far between in this game and at times it was a job to tell who was rooted to the foot of the table and who had hopes of promotion, the Tractor Boys move up to 7th one point off the top 6.
FLEETWOOD 0 PORTSMOUTH 1
John Marquis normally a goal machine scored his first goal for Pompey in almost two months with a tidy header after 16 minutes in a game that Fleetwood dominated in possession and shots. Portsmouth move up to third a point behind second placed Hull and with a game in hand, Fleetwood drop one place into 11th, that’s now no win in 4 games for them.
HULL 1 BLACKPOOL 1
A Jerry Yates late goal gave Blackpool a share of the points, and Hull missed the opportunity to close the gap on Lincoln City. Mallik Wilks had opened the scoring early in the second half powering home a fierce left footed shot. Blackpool were given somewhat of a lifeline with time running out as Reece Burke was sent off for the Tigers as he pulled down Ben Woodburn, Burke deemed to be the last man. Pool needed no second invitation and four minutes later were level and were apparently desperately in search of the winner when the ref bought the game to a close.
PLYMOUTH 1 CREWE 1
Luke Jephcott scored his 15th goal of the season from the spot after Conor Grant was felled in the box. A slotted pass from Mandron opened up the Argyle defence and Oli Finney made no mistake to end the game honours even, although Argyle finished a man down when Camara was given his marching orders for a second yellow card offence.
ROCHDALE 3 WIGAN 3
A Rochdale game always means goals and this one was no different, with a six goal share out. Humphreys fired Dale in front after just 7 minutes, but the lead only stood for a further two minutes as Joseph levelled for Wigan. Callum Lang turned the game on its head shortly after confidentially firing past the Dale keeper. Things went from bad to worse for Dale as Jim McNulty was given a straight red when he kicked out at Kyle Joseph. But the home side rallied, and Beasley levelled for Dale as a hopeful punt wasn’t dealt with and he simply headed it over the stranded Wigan keeper. Will Keane looked to have wrapped the points up for Wigan as he juggled the ball on the edge of the area before swinging round and volleying it into the back of the net. But in the final seconds of the game Stephen Humphreys got above everyone and headed home, to give these pair of strugglers a point each.
SWINDON 1 DONCASTER 2
A brace from Fejiri Okenabirhie did the damage for Doncasterlona, his first after just 5 minutes as the Robins defence parted like waves to allow him to tap home into an unguarded net, his second scored in the final seconds of the half with a close-range header. Swindon did pull one back with a bit of good fortune, Hallam Hope redirecting a speculative shot from Scott Twine into the back of the net to wrong foot the keeper, but that was as good as it got for the Wilts team who remain second from bottom, Rovers stay in 4th.
