League Two (England)

The Robins were gifted the lead after 19 minutes in farcical circumstances as Scott Robertson tried to play the ball back to his keeper but it hit the post and rebounded for Aaron Drinan to score.

In the 73rd minute, Sam Slocombe came out of his goal and attempted to thread a pass into midfield but played it straight to Paul Glatzel, who had earlier headed against the bar and this time could not believe his luck as he put the ball into the empty net.

In stoppage time a County corner found substitute Alassana Jatta at the far post and he sent the ball back across goal and into the net.

But they could not find the unlikely equaliser and Maynard said it was a tough defeat for him to take after dominating play for the majority of the match.

He said: “If you look at the two errors they are horrendous – really bad, really bad errors that cost us.

“I think they had one effort in the first half that they hit the crossbar and it was good play from them – they got down the side and crossed it.

“But I think we had the best moment in the first half right at the start of the game (David McGoldrick’s shot saved after a three-on-three breakaway) and I think if you go 1-0, it’s a different game. But yes, it’s a tough one to take.

“Obviously, it’s tough for the fans, and I feel their frustration. We’re all frustrated.

“If we were getting opened up and outplayed, then you can kind of accept it.

“But it’s unforced errors that we’re making at the minute and it’s been that trend since I’ve been here really, if you look at the goals that we’ve conceded.”

Gavin Gunning credited his Swindon players with carrying out their game plan to perfection.

He said: “I was so pleased with how we played, we subdued them in what they were able to do where the game counts in and around the penalty area.

“They went from side to side and backwards to stack passes and never really had any clear-cut chances.

“It worked really well and the shape was fantastic, the communication was key.

“And then when we got on transition when the ball turned over, we looked like we were going to score every time.

“We have had a lot more clear chances than them today and they had all of the ball.”

The league leaders came to Gillingham after sustaining back-to-back losses at the hands of Crewe and Tranmere.

Struggling in both defence and attack in recent weeks, Challinor is hopeful that keeping a clean sheet against Gillingham can renew confidence for his team after conceding seven goals in their previous two outings.

Having scored only once in three games since their 3-1 win over Grimsby at the start of February, Challinor’s next hope for his side is that they rediscover their touch in front of goal as they look to confirm automatic promotion to League One by the end of the season.

Challinor said: “After the last two games, we got back to where we were defensively and I thought we were really good there today.

“I’ve been critical of the team and they’ve been critical of themselves at times; we’ve got to be better and we were tonight and that gives us a platform to go on and get a result. If you’re not going to defend properly and to the level consistently then you’re going to struggle to win games.

“Before the game, would I have taken the point? No because I want to win, but will I have taken a clean sheet as a minimum? Absolutely.

“We needed to find that moment of quality. In fact, we found moments of quality but not moments of quality that gets us the goal, if that would have been the case it would have been the perfect away performance, but we’ll take that point.”

Each team had their chances at Priestfield Stadium but neither team were able to find the cutting edge to end the encounter with three points in hand.

Stockport did have a late opportunity to return to the north-west as winners, although Paddy Madden’s shot was blocked by Gills defender Shadrach Ogie.

A point has now put Challinor’s team two points ahead of second-place Mansfield, who have a game in hand and will welcome Salford to One Call Stadium this Saturday.

Thanks to Crawley beating AFC Wimbledon 1-0, Gillingham have now moved to eighth in League Two and are level on points with Harrogate, with only goal difference separating Stephen Clemence’s team from a playoff berth.

Clemence said, in a video interview posted by Gillingham on X: “It’s a very difficult game, they’re the top scorers in the division so we knew we had to be spot on defensively.

“They tested us at times but I don’t think they threatened us too much – one or two shots, and they hit the post with a wide free-kick that was probably a cross.

“Defensively we were very, very sound and we had to work hard for the clean sheet so I’m really proud of the boys’ efforts tonight.

“Yeah, we didn’t create enough ourselves, but we were better in the second half than the first and that’s a good point there today.”

On what proved to be a disappointing first night for new Shrimps boss Ged Brannan, goals from Will Evans and Seb Palmer-Houlden either side of the break earned the Exiles a comeback win after Michael Mellon had given the home side an early lead.

Coughlan said: “That was a brilliant performance from our lads.

“You saw a different side to us tonight. It wasn’t glitzy or glamorous and it wasn’t tippy-tappy, it was sheer character, grit and determination and that’s what you have to do in this league.

“Against West Ham a few weeks ago we made 550 passes and didn’t win the game. We didn’t have too many passes tonight but we won the match and that is what football is all about.”

Mellon gave Morecambe the lead on 12 minutes with a fine turn and shot from the edge of the area that squeezed into the bottom right corner of Nick Townsend’s goal.

After a sluggish start the visitors hit back on 29 minutes when the home defence failed to clear a corner and Evans hammered home the rebound.

JJ McKiernan hit the crossbar with a close-range header for the home side on 44 minutes and Adam Mayor was within inches of sliding home a Tom Bloxham cross two minutes into the second half but it was the Exiles who went ahead on 57 minutes.

Morecambe keeper Adam Smith and midfielder Eli King failed to deal with a bouncing ball in the Morecambe box and Palmer-Houlden took advantage of the gift to score from close range.

Mellon forced Townsend into a late save with a shot from 12 yards but the visitors held on to make it two wins from two.

Shrimps boss Brannan said: “I’m disappointed with the result obviously but I’m not disappointed with the performance.

“I thought the first 20 minutes or so was the best I’ve seen us play in the three months I’ve been here as a coach and now manager. We passed it superbly and the move for our goal was brilliant and it’s a shame we couldn’t build on that.

“They came back into it when we didn’t defend a corner well enough and they made it hard for us from there and we then gave away another really sloppy goal and couldn’t pull it back.”

Hurst found the price for a five-game winless league run was his job, with the Mariners four points above the League Two drop zone.

Hurst got them into the league in 2022, as he did in 2016, but chairman Jason Stockwood said change was needed.

“It is with sadness and disappointment that we’ve reached this point. Since May 2021, we’ve had a positive relationship with Paul and Chris [Doig, assistant manager],” he said.

“We’re proud of our achievements under their leadership: our promotion from the National League, the historic FA Cup run, and attaining our highest league position in 17 years. However, it’s time to embark on the next phase of the club’s development.

“We’re grateful for their hard work and wish them future success. They are an indelible part of our history and will always be welcome at Blundell Park.”

Classroom time paid off for the Doncaster rearguard as they returned to winning ways.

Manager Grant McCann had been critical of his side’s defensive performance in the 3-0 defeat to Salford earlier in the week.

But he was full of praise for his back line as they shut out Grimsby in a scrappy game at the Eco-Power Stadium.

“It’s a credit to the players,” he said. “We conceded three goals on Tuesday night but over the last few days we’ve worked hard with the back five and the goalkeeper.

“We’ve watched back goals that we’ve conceded and talked about why we’ve conceded them. Are we moving quick enough when balls come back? And we’ve put some work in on the training ground.

“I’m pleased to see it come to fruition and it gives us something to build on. We feel we’ve got players in the team that can hurt people, if we can keep those clean sheets.

“It was important for us to get the win and bounce back from the disappointing defeat.

“We were poor in possession. When you are like that, you’ve got to stay strong defensively and you’ve got to find a way to win and we did that.”

The victory was Doncaster’s sixth from nine League Two matches and was secured with a 72nd-minute penalty from Joe Ironside after substitute Kyle Hurst was brought down in the box by Gavan Holohan.

There had been little between the two sides for the majority of the game, with Harry Clifton missing an early headed chance to put Grimsby in front.

McCann said: “I’m really pleased with the commitment the lads showed and the substitutes made a massive impact.

“It wasn’t pretty but we got the three points and that was the main thing.”

The victory was only their sixth success away from home, but two goals in the final 10 minutes sees the Dons go three games unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two.

“I think it was vintage Wimbledon,” said Jackson. “It was a brilliant away performance and everything you want and expect from a Wimbledon team.

“They showed graft, hard work for the shirt, (were) very disciplined. We came with a game plan and the lads were outstanding in carrying it out.”

It was the third consecutive time Wimbledon had kept a clean sheet this season, something Jackson insisted was pivotal against a side with the attacking qualities of Notts County.

“I am delighted, that is now three clean sheets in a row. We have been defending very well but you know coming here with the players that they have got, you are going to have to do that for sure.

“They are a good team and move the ball well and they have got lots of threats at the top end of the pitch, so if you don’t defend properly here you can become really unstuck.

“The moments they did have with the balls coming into the box, we dealt with it, but our defensive structure starts from the front and to a man they did it brilliantly.”

Jackson also revealed goalscorer Kofi Balmer, on loan from Crystal Palace, had discussed the team’s lack of aerial threat so was delighted with his header late on.

“We know we have got that long throw that Kofi has got and it is a weapon, so we have to use that and I don’t apologise for using that.

“It feels like forever with teams using that against my teams so to have the opportunity to have that is something we need to use.

“It’s paid off today and caused problems for their defence, so he gets an assist I suppose for that one, but more importantly he comes up with a header which is really pleasing because it is something we have spoken about a lot in that we haven’t scored a lot of those, and they can be the difference.”

For Magpies boss Stuart Maynard, the wait for a first home win continues having lost his fourth consecutive fixture since his move from Wealdstone.

Maynard said: “I think we were in control of the game with the ball, I don’t think we could been in any more control.

“But it’s getting to the point where we are at. It’s been happening all season with these types of goals we keep conceding, which is so frustrating.

“It gets to a point where we’re not really equipped to deal with these teams’ threats and what they put in the box.”

Both of Wimbledon’s goals came from set-pieces on the afternoon, something that again frustrated Maynard, insisting his side are doing everything they can to rectify the issue to keep their play-off hopes alive.

He added: “We have to keep sticking together as a group and working on it on the training ground but ultimately it’s very hard to deal with teams’ threats in this league.

“At the minute and through the course of the whole season, we’ve not been able to deal with it.”

The Ammies recorded successive League Two wins for the first time this season thanks to second-half goals from Matt Smith and Kelly N’Mai.

It has been a much-needed resurgence after a dismal run of five consecutive league losses.

“I thought we were outstanding tonight,” said Wood. “The first half was excellent.

“We controlled the game, we tidied up the game when we needed to.

“There was a worry when we didn’t score in the first half. Sometimes you dominate and when you’ve hit the post twice you always wonder if it’s going to come back to bite you.

“It was important to get that first goal and it was a great individual goal from Kelly for the second.

“It is a relief in a way because you pick up wins and you’re out of that run of not winning games.

“But we’re always confident, we’re always working in the background.

“These players are capable and they’ve shown that again tonight by backing up from the weekend.

“They can do it and they need to build on that. We’ve got another game on Saturday and we need to take the confidence from the last two games into that.”

Matt Gray’s U’s are still searching for a first league win since the opening day.

And after Tranmere’s win over Bradford, Sutton already sit five points off safety.

Sutton boss Gray said: “I’m very frustrated because the first goal is always big in any game and especially in the situation we’re in at the moment it’s really important.

“To concede from a corner is really disappointing because it was an even first half. They had a couple of moments, but so did we.

“There were some good bits from us and it felt like a tight and even game.

“We’re very, very competitive in spells but not for the 90 minutes and that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in.

“It’s hard to take because you have to take your moments with the pressure we’ve had.

“It’s poor defending and letting them score from the corner is disappointing.

“We had three really good chances at the end and unfortunately we couldn’t take one of those chances at the death.

“There’s a lot to work on, that’s obvious. But that desire, work ethic and will to get a win is there. That’s a huge plus and we just have to keep working.

“We’re desperate to get this win to get us going.”

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the combatants in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two as the semi-finals loom.

The Championship

Sunderland v Luton

Sunderland went into their final-day trip to Preston knowing even victory might not be enough to edge them into the play-offs, but a 3-0 victory, coupled with Millwall’s remarkable capitulation at home to Blackburn, saw them snatch sixth place to keep alive their unlikely hopes of back-to-back promotions.

Under Tony Mowbray, who replaced Alex Neil at the helm in August, they are unbeaten in nine and finished the regular season – during which star striker Ross Stewart was largely absent and they were without a recognised central defender – strongly to give themselves a chance to exorcise the ghost of successive relegations from the Premier League to League One.

Luton, who have not played in the top flight since 1992, were already assured of third place and their play-off berth before Monday’s 0-0 home draw with Hull, which extended their unbeaten run to 14 games.

Indeed, Rob Edwards’ men, who boast dyed-in-the-wool Wearsider Mick Harford among their backroom staff, have lost only once in the league since January 14 and climbed from 10th place into the top three after the former Watford manager’s appointment as Nathan Jones’ replacement in November.

Coventry v Middlesbrough

When Mark Robins accepted the hotseat at Coventry in March 2017, the club was hurtling into League Two and faced an uncertain future amid deepening financial problems.

He has since guided them back up the pyramid to within touching distance of the Premier League, where they last played during the 200-01 season, after a run of 17 games which included just a single defeat and ended with Monday’s 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough.

Former Manchester United and England star Michael Carrick, who was on the books at Boro as a youngster, inherited a team which had won just four of its first 16 league games and was languishing inside the relegation zone when he replaced Chris Wilder in October.

Carrick has overseen a concerted drive up the table, fuelled in large part by revitalised 28-goal striker Chuba Akpom, which at one point saw the club flirt with automatic promotion.

League One

Peterborough v Sheffield Wednesday

Peterborough’s last-gasp surge into the play-offs represents a triumph for persistence. Manager Darren Ferguson, who resigned in February last year with the club slipping inexorably towards the Championship exit, returned for a fourth spell in charge in January following successor Grant McCann’s departure.

Sunday’s 2-0 win at Barnsley enabled Posh to leapfrog Derby into sixth place with a helping hand from Wednesday, who beat the Rams 1-0.

Owls boss Darren Moore, however, will hope that is as far as his side’s charity extends having seen them finish 19 points clear of their semi-final opponents and just two adrift of second-placed Ipswich.

They lost out to Sunderland at the same stage last season and will head into their latest two-legged appointment on the back of a four-game winning run.

Bolton v Barnsley

Bolton’s quest for a return to the second tier for the first time since 2019 caps a season of real positivity after a difficult spell in the club’s history.

Promoted from the fourth tier two seasons ago, Ian Evatt’s men have lost only one of their last 10 games in all competitions, a sequence of results which includes a 4-0 Papa Johns Trophy final victory over League One champions Plymouth.

Relegated from the Championship at the end of last season – having won just six of their 46 games a year after reaching the play-offs – Barnsley are looking to make an immediate return under Michael Duff.

They rather limped over the line, taking just a point from their final three fixtures with runners-up Ipswich and fast-finishing Peterborough both winning at Oakwell.

League Two

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Salford v Stockport

Salford, famously backed by Manchester United’s Class of ’92, survived a final-day scare as they clung on to the final play-off spot despite a 1-0 home defeat by Gillingham.

Led by former United Academy coach Neil Wood, the Ammies have made it to the end-of-season festivities for the first time since their emergence from the National League in 2019.

Stockport boss Dave Challinor is targeted a third-successive promotion have steered County back into the Football League last season having done the same with Hartlepool 12 months earlier.

They missed out on automatic promotion to Northampton on Monday after a 1-1 home draw with already-relegated Pool, but are unbeaten in 13.

Bradford v Carlisle

There are few bigger managerial names in the lower leagues than that of Bradford boss Mark Hughes, but the Bantams are going to have to do it the hard way if they are to make it back to the third tier.

They won only one of their last five regular season fixtures – although drew 1-1 with champions Orient to seal their play-off place – and failed to score in either game against the Cumbrians.

Carlisle’s 1-1 draw with Sutton ensured their continued participation, although their form too is patchy with only two wins in their last 11 games.

Paul Simpson, the man who took the club from the Conference to League One in successive seasons during his first spell as boss, is back in charge having successfully fought his own battle with kidney cancer and hopes are high for a significant upturn.

Deeney’s first game in management yielded a point against a side with play-off ambitions, but the draw leaves struggling Rovers five points from safety.

The 35-year-old, who was appointed as David Horseman’s replacement on Wednesday, said: “Everyone could see the passion and want to change things and that’s the first building block. It’s about enjoying that togetherness and spirit tonight.

“It wasn’t a new manager bounce – it’s about putting players in positions they feel more comfortable. It would’ve worn off after 15 minutes if it was.

“We caused our problems more than anything, but it’s a good first day.”

On bringing in former Newcastle, Wolves and Sunderland forward David Kelly as his assistant, Deeney said: “The governor is in. I don’t know it all, so I needed some experience. He tells it as it is so there are no grey areas with him.”

Deeney’s side started at a frantic pace and Ryan Inniss headed over the crossbar from a deep corner in the first couple of minutes.

Callum Morton had Forest Green’s best chance of the half after Charlie McCann found the forward inside the area, but his effort was parried by Gills goalkeeper Jake Turner.

Rovers keeper Luke Daniels handled outside his penalty area, but Connor Mahoney lifted his free-kick over the crossbar.

Matty Stevens had a golden opportunity for the hosts from a well-worked short corner routine but missed the target.

Macauley Bonne headed straight at Daniels in Gillingham’s best effort before the break.

Robbie McKenzie’s speculative long-range effort had Daniels scrambling across goal, but the effort dropped wide of the mark.

Jonny Williams delivered an inch-perfect corner for Timothee Dieng, but his free header was smartly saved by Daniels.

Jayden Clarke’s curling effort just minutes later flew just past the far post as the Gills pressed for a winner after the break, but both sides had to settle for a point.

Gillingham manager Stephen Clemence admitted Deeney’s tactics shocked him.

He said: “The system surprised us a little and we had to make adjustments at half-time.

“They looked to catch us on the break and nearly did a couple of times, but the lads dealt with it.

“I was disappointed not to win the game, but it can be difficult when a team has a new manager.”

A second-half header from Aaron Hayden was the difference as the Red Dragons earned the bragging rights in the first fixture between these two since January 2018.

The visitors enjoyed the better of the early opportunities in a frantic opening with Ollie Palmer, Elliott Lee and James McClean coming the closest to opening the scoring.

At the other end, Rovers’ best chance fell to Kristian Dennis who was inches away from prodding the ball home at the far post following a Regan Hendry cross.

Wrexham continued to turn the screw after the break and were rewarded in the 56th minute when Hayden headed home Tom O’Connor’s corner for his first of the season.

Parkinson’s men continued to push forward and could have extended their lead through Ollie Palmer while Dennis came closest to snatching an unlikely point for Rovers when his injury-time effort was blocked on the line.

It’s now five games unbeaten in League Two for Wrexham while Ian Dawes’ Tranmere side have lost three on the bounce.

Lewis got the ball straight from a Toby Savin clearance on 75 minutes and hit it first time into the far corner of the net to complete the scoring as the Stags moved up to third place in the league.

Mansfield had two shots on target in the first half and took them both.

They opened the scoring after 29 minutes when James Gale’s ball into the box was chested down by Davis Keillor-Dunn and his superb overhead kick found the top of the net.

It was two on 36 minutes when Keillor-Dunn turned provider, his low cross being fired home by George Maris from eight yards.

Stanley’s Jack Nolan had a long-range strike saved by Christy Pym in added time in the first half while, just after the re-start, Savin denied Maris a second.

It was action-packed with Pym pushing out a fierce Josh Andrews strike and Nolan could only put the follow-up over the bar while substitute Hiram Boateng fired narrowly wide for the Stags.

Then came the Lewis wonder goal to seal three points for Mansfield.

Kian Spence had given the visitors the lead early on, before Nemane levelled just before half-time on his 100th appearance for the club.

County goalkeeper Aidan Stone was called into action twice in quick succession as he denied Sam Foley’s shot with a fine save before tipping Cole Stockton’s effort over the crossbar.

But Barrow took the lead when Dom Telford’s deflected shot fell kindly into the path of Spence to head home.

However, the Magpies levelled the game shortly before half-time – Jodi Jones equalling the record for the most assists in a League Two season by teeing up Nemane at the back post.

The hosts continued to dominate, but almost fell behind again when Spence’s effort flew over the crossbar – Dan Crowley prodding an effort wide moments later.

Maynard was within inches of a victory during his first game but Jones’ teasing delivery was put over by top scorer Macaulay Langstaff.

The visitors took the lead in fine fashion as Max Dean’s neat turn in midfield was followed up with a sensational strike into the roof of Luca Ashby-Hammond’s net.

County almost levelled as Macaulay Langstaff saw his effort cannon back off the crossbar, with Dan Crowley also going close moments later.

The home side’s dominance was rewarded in the final minute of first-half stoppage-time as Nemane’s deflected cross found Sam Austin on the line to score.

Alassana Jatta headed the hosts in front three minutes into the second half after good work from Adam Chicksen.

Dons would draw level with Ellis Harrison grabbing his first of the afternoon with a low finish into the bottom corner in the 64th minute, adding another seven minutes from time after breaking the offside trap and dinking the ball home.

However, the spoils were shared as Jodi Jones’ teasing delivery found Nemane unmarked at the back post to finish.

Abo Eisa was at the double for Grimsby – scoring in each half – as Salford midfielder Ossama Ashley saw red upon the restart for two bookable offences.

Chances were few and far between in the opening stages, but Grimsby managed to break the deadlock after 20 minutes when Eisa struck first-time and saw a 25-yarder fly past goalkeeper Alex Cairns via a deflection.

Adrian Mariappa and Curtis Tilt both took aim in reply, but a routine save from Jake Eastwood and last-ditch block from Luke Waterfall thwarted them as Conor McAleny dragged wide the best chance for a Salford equaliser.

Ashley was shown two yellow cards – one either side of the break – and his dismissal left Salford with a mountain to climb.

Grimsby pushed and probed for a second and it came with 25 minutes left to play as winger Eisa cut inside and slotted neatly into the far corner.

Odoh netted for the first time since March to also earn Harrogate a first-ever league win over the Ammies, at the 13th attempt.

Earlier, George Thomson and Sam Folarin had given the hosts a 2-0 lead, only for Curtis Tilt and Matt Smith to level things up.

After thumping a long-range effort against an upright early on, Thomson opened the scoring from the penalty spot just past the quarter-hour mark.

Matty Daly tumbled over Ethan Ingram’s dangling leg and Thomson blasted down the middle of the goal as Salford goalkeeper Alex Cairns dived to his right.

That lead was doubled at the first half’s midway point when Daly found Folarin and the former Middlesbrough striker’s 10-yard shot trickled over the line after Cairns had got a hand on the ball.

The visitors rallied with Conor McAleny’s deflected long-range strike clipping the crossbar and reduced the deficit when centre-back Tilt found the bottom corner with an overhead kick eight yards out in the 29th minute.

Action continued to swing from end to end after the break with Smith clearing an Anthony O’Connor header off the line before prodding in a 58th-minute equaliser following McAleny’s right-wing cross.

A deflected Kayne Ramsay cross struck the outside of a post before the Harrogate right-back charged upfield and found Daly who, in turn, threaded the ball through the left channel for Odoh to confidently curl inside the far post from 12 yards.

The goal extended struggling Salford’s longest-ever run of successive defeats as an EFL outfit to a fifth contest.

The January signing kept out Danny Rose’s header in the second minute of time added on to ensure play-off-chasing Stanley avoided defeat against their struggling visitors.

Accrington’s best chances came in the first half, with Harvey Cartwright pushing over a Ben Woods strike after two minutes and keeping out Jack Nolan’s low drive on the half-hour mark.

Coleman, whose side are two points off the top seven, said: “We didn’t play anywhere near like we can. We started off really brightly, had a couple of good chances but didn’t take them and surrendered possession cheaply.

“We have got to take the positives of the clean sheet and we were resilient with our defending, but we brought the problems on ourselves by not keeping the ball well enough and not passing the ball better.

“We weren’t good today, but we know we can play better than that and the pleasing thing is we didn’t concede.

“We showed character to not go under, our keeper has made a great save late on and we have got to build on two clean sheets on the bounce and now we have got to think about how we can play better.

“Radek has hit ground running with us, that’s two clean sheets and he has integrated with the lads well and it will be a good move for both parties.”

David Artell believes his Grimsby side are moving in the right direction.

The Mariners, who are in 20th place in League Two, dominated possession and chances, albeit without being able to find a goal that would have earned them a first win of 2024.

Artell said: “It’s another clean sheet on the road. That’s two on the spin and we were much better than last week (a 2-1 home loss to Tranmere) which was unacceptable.

“We have come here to try to play football, but we have not what we got we deserved, as we deserved to win, but what let us down was our decision-making in the final third.

“We couldn’t drive home the control we had.

“They had a shot in the second minute, but I can’t remember anything else after that.

“We have been in the ascendancy, been in control but haven’t made the crucial decisions in the final third which our play warranted.

“It was an unbelievable save from Danny’s header at the end, but we looked solid and there is plenty to build on. It was a good away performance. We are just missing a goal or two, but I am sure they will come.”

The Saddlers had won their previous two league games but goals from Tommy Leigh and Joe Pritchard secured victory for Stanley.

The home side took the lead after nine minutes when Pritchard charged forward and Jackson Smith could only push his shot into the path of Leigh, who slotted home his sixth goal of the season.

The Reds created the better chances, with Josh Woods bursting through after 31 minutes with only Smith to beat but the Saddlers goalkeeper denied Accrington a second.

Walsall equalised in the fourth minute of added time when Joe Gubbins was adjudged to have fouled captain Donervon Daniels in the area and Freddie Draper drilled a penalty into the corner of the net.

Stanley regained the lead in the 57th minute when skipper Pritchard got the ball on the left and his cross evaded everyone and nestled into the far corner of the net.

Woods chipped an effort over for the home side late on as he looked to make the game safe.

Aaron Drinan gave Swindon the lead early in the second half but Jack Nolan’s penalty was followed by substitute Henderson’s 82nd-minute winner.

The hosts forced the best chance of the first half when Dawson Devoy had a shot that led to a bit of pinball inside the six-yard box, with Charlie Austin, Drinan and Paul Glatzel all having swipes that could not quite put the ball in the Accrington goal.

Two minutes into the second half a Swindon corner dropped in the middle and Drinan was the most alert in the penalty box and he stole a march on the defenders before crashing a shot home from close range.

The visitors levelled 10 minutes later as Shaun Whalley was tripped by Devoy in the box and Nolan stepped up to score his 13th goal of the campaign.

And they won it with eight minutes remaining when Henderson was given space to drive infield and he let fly with an effort from 30 yards out that flew beyond Jack Bycroft at his near post.

The Red Dragons dropped out of the automatic promotion places as Stanley moved into seventh spot.

Wrexham started well and top scorer Elliot Lee had his header superbly tipped away by Jon McCracken in the 14th minute.

The Red Dragons went close again in the 33rd minute when, with Stanley appealing for offside, Paul Mullin was clean through but his strike crashed off the crossbar.

Accrington took the lead from the penalty spot five minutes after the break . Wrexham’s second-half substitute Will Boyle was adjudged to have pulled down Brad Hills following a corner. Leigh sent keeper Arthur Okonkwo the wrong way for his fifth goal of the season.

Stanley made it two in the 73rd minute when Okonkwo fumbled Jack Nolan’s long-range strike and Korede Adedoyin pounced with the ball falling to Longelo to fire into the empty net.

The visitors had the chance to pull one back in the 98th minute after Hills fouled George Evans, but Mullin’s penalty hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced out to add to Wrexham’s misery.

The draw left Stanley two points outside the top seven, while the Mariners, who came so close to snatching victory at the death, remain in 20th place.

Captain Danny Rose’s header in the second minute of added time was superbly saved by on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vitek.

Grimsby keeper Harvey Cartwright tipped over a Ben Woods effort in the second minute and also pushed away a low angled drive from Jack Nolan on the half-hour mark.

Stanley’s Radek kept out Arthur Gnahoua’s long-range effort, their only shot on target in the first half.

After the break it was Grimsby who dominated the chances.

Former Stanley defender Harvey Rodgers headed wide from a corner, while substitute Kieran Green could not find the target following another corner.

Green headed a Denver Hume corner just over the crossbar in the 82nd minute before Rose came so close to earning Grimsby a first win of 2024.

Bryn Morris put County ahead after 13 minutes with a stunning 25-yard strike that arrowed into the top corner.

But Accrington levelled nine minutes later when Jack Nolan crossed for Alex Henderson to head in at the far post.

Shaun Whalley then flashed a shot across goal before Tommy Leigh missed the target with a header from close range.

Leigh made amends just 20 seconds after the interval when he controlled Ben Woods’ ball into the six-yard box on his chest before hooking it past a helpless Jonny Maxted in the home goal.

Nolan should have made it 3-1 but somehow fired high over the bar, and it was left to substitute Joe Pritchard to wrap up the win midway through the second half when he prodded in Whalley’s pass from a few yards out.

County’s misery was complete when Adam Lewis was sent off in stoppage time after a touchline fracas.