I suppose we shouldn’t be shocked in the latest managerial reshuffle that has become part and parcel of the modern game, and just yesterday the merry go round did a couple more turns and out of the door went Kenny Jackett from Portsmouth, and Lee Bowyer fell on his sword at Charlton Athletic, although the clever money is saying Bowyer might well be filling the vacancy at Brum, a team he played for between 2008 and 2011, notching up 94 games and scoring 12 goals.
There is though some good news for Wigan fans with a takeover agreed for their club by a Bahraini consortium. The club has been in administration since July 2020, the takeover does though have to be approved by the EFL.Anyway, let’s take a look at the midweek fixtures and see what impact it has on the league standings.
AFCW 1 WIGAN 1
Two of the league strugglers fought it out at the Meccano Stadium with a win for either enough to ease their relegation woes and although it finished honours even I doubt either team will be happy. Jamie Proctor scored the opening goal for Wigan against the run of play with a well worked goal, but 11 minutes from time it was all square, George Dobson heading home a decent cross from Longman.
PETERBOROUGH 1 PORTSMOUTH 0
One win in 7 games led to Jenny Jackett being sacked just hours after Pompey suffered defeat in the Trophy Final against Salford. Left in charge on a temp basis is Joe Gallen Jackett’s former assistant where he faced a winless in 3 games Posh. Just one goal settled this and sadly it was a howler from the Pompey keeper Craig McGillivray who misjudged the flight of a corner and punched the ball into the back of his own defender Rasmus Nicolaisen and into the net. The win halves the gap between them and Hull City with Posh remaining in 2nd, Pompey slip down to 10th.
OXFORD 3 DONCASTER 0
Doncasterlona took a right spanking from playoff chasing Oxford with the game virtually over by halftime, although the score line doesn’t paint the full picture as both teams equally shared 42 shots at goal, but Doncaster only produced their first meaningful attempt on target 5 minutes from full time. A brace from Matty Taylor and one from Olamide Shodipo the difference between the two sides as Oxford move up to 8th just 3 points behind Doncaster who remain in 5th.
LINCOLN 0 GILLINGHAM 3
With just one win in the last 7 games the Imps promotion drive is looking in danger of stalling, in fact judging by this the wheels have really fallen off the bus, but to be fair to the Gills they still have playoff aspirations themselves and it was former Imps striker Vadaine Oliver who came back to haunt his old club scoring the headed opener after 10 minutes. A further 10 minutes later and it was 2-0 courtesy of Kyle Dempsey who latched onto an Akinde through ball and hammered it past the advancing Alex Palmer. Three minutes from time it was all over bar the shouting when Cohen Bramall felled Jordan Graham in the box, Graham dusted himself down and fired home the penalty to complete this comfortable win.
CHARLTON 3 BRISTOL ROVERS 2
With Lee Bowyer gone, assistant manager Johnnie Jackson took charge for this game and at one stage it looked like a horrible night to take over when first Luke Leahy converted a penalty after Jonah Ayunga had been tripped in the box, then former Don Ed Upson pounced on some poor play to put Rovers two up. Just a minute later Athletic had halved the deficit through Andrew Shinnie who chested the ball down and slotted it into the far corner. 3 minutes before the break it was all square when another former Don Jake Forster-Caskey curled in a free kick from the edge of the box. 6 minutes from time the turnaround was completed when Conor Washington tapped the ball home after his initial header had hit the post. The misery however was not finished for Rovers when keeper Joe Day hauled down Chuks Aneke denying him a goal scoring opportunity.
BLACKPOOL 1 BURTON 1
The Burton Albion great escape is still well on course even though their winning streak was ended by the Seasiders. The Brewers opened the scoring 24 minutes into the game when Hayden Carter headed home, but Like Garbutt levelled just after the hour mark with a well hit shot into the bottom corner.
FLEETWOOD 2 IPSWICH 0
Ipswich had their playoff hopes dented by in form Fleetwood who got off to a cracking start after just 9 minutes when Callum Connolly got up the highest from Hills long throw and headed home. On the hour the Mariners made it 2-0 from a Gerrard Garner 18 yard shot. That’s 6 games undefeated for Fleetwood, meanwhile Ipswich drop back out of the playoff berths into 7th.
