Less than a month to go before the League 1 campaign proper ends, and although things are still pretty much undecided, we all can all see who the favourites are for the dreaded drop, the top two looks like a straight fight between the Black Cats and the Posh, and the bottom four picture is starting to become clearer, but there are plenty of twists and turns left in this season.
Swindon 3 Portsmouth 1
The Robins are still fighting hard to stay up, but even with this superb win against promotion chasing Pompey they are still 7 points adrift with teams all around them winning. It has to be said the honeymoon is over for the Cowley’s and they will have to rely on others above dropping points, but with teams almost trying to throw it away, anything is still on the cards. A brace for Pitman including a penalty on the hour gave them a cushion, but Pompey fought back to make it a nail biting finish, Curtis scoring 8 minutes from time, but Tyler Smith made sure all 3 points headed back to Wilts deep into injury time.
Rochdale 1 Blackpool 0
A cracking result for Dale and well deserved against a Seasiders team in top form and looking to endorse their top 6 position. Ollie Rathbone scored the only goal of the game cutting in from the touchline and curling it past Maxwell, however Rochdale still have work to do to avoid the drop.
Shrewsbury 1 Wigan 2
Another great win for Wigan that gives them some breathing space above the last relegation spot, that’s four on the bounce now. Will Keane rose highest at a corner to nod home and Callum Lang extended that lead just before the break springing the offside trap to race clear and score. Shrews skipper Ollie Norburn scored a crackerjack stunning volley to make the last 30 minutes interesting, the Shrews could have levelled in injury time but were denied with a superb save by Jones in the Wigan goal.
Northampton 3 Ipswich 0
A cracking result for the Cobblers but it could be too little to late as teams all around them picked up points. A Peter Kioso brace and a late goal from former Don Ryan Watson, his 9th of the season, was enough to just about scupper the Tractor Boys hopes of a playoff spot, they now fall one place below us into 11th.
Burton 0 Lincoln 1
Lincoln have finally woken up from their winter snooze and are back winning games to just about confirm their playoff spot. Timothy Eyoma scored the only goal of the game with a stooping header from a Tayo Edun pinpoint cross.
Accrington 2 Doncaster 1
Doncasterlona must be as sick as dogs, they had it in the palm of their hand and they blew it. Not so long ago they had games in hand that would have seen them go top, today they sit in 13th spot and this result or the manner of the result will do little to pick them up. Dion Charles converted a penalty for Accy shortly before halftime, John-Jules levelling with 15 minutes to go. With time running out keeper Balcombe couldn’t hold on to a free kick, and in trying to rescue the situation fouled McConville. Charles again stepped up to the spot and dispatched it without too much drama to give him his 20th goal of the season.
AFCW 2 Oxford 1
Well don’t say I didn’t predict this as AFC win again and in turn stick a knife into Robbo’s playoff hopes. Josh Ruffels put the U’s ahead just after halftime and then the game took a dramatic twist. James Henry stopped a goal bound effort with his hand resulting in a red card and a penalty which Joe Pigott calmly rolled in for his 20th goal of the season. Two minutes later AFC took the lead when Ollie Palmer cut the ball back for cut back for his captain Alex Woodyard to score.
Peterborough 0 Gillingham 1
Another bizarre result in a night of turn ups and shocks that saw Posh slip to just their third home defeat of the season. The only goal of the game came after John Akinde set up Connor Ogilvie to hit a well hit shot from the edge of the box.
Plymouth 0 Charlton 6
Charlton returned to the top 6 with this trousers down and a damn good thrashing for a woeful Argyle side, a result that equalled Charlton’s best away result in the league. On the conveyer belt of goal scorers we have, Forster-Caskey, Stockley, a Watts own goal, Gilbey, Millar, and Aneke, which in itself must be some sort of a record with three former Dons all scoring for the same team in one game.
Hull 2 Sunderland 2
The Black Cats missed a chance to lessen the gap at the top of the table and this result leaves the Tigers needing a win at Lincoln at the weekend to guarantee promotion. Jones and Leadbitter scoring for Sunderland and a brace in return for Josh Magennis in a game that Sunderland had the better of the first half and Hull the second.
Fleetwood 0 Crewe 2
Todays award for the most pointless game of the night goes to these two, Owen Dale and Chris Porter scoring the winning goals for the Railwaymen.
