Leyton Orient found their shooting boots to inflict a 3-1 Sky Bet League One defeat on relegation-haunted Cheltenham.

A dull opening period was lifted in the 34th minute by a superb Ethan Galbraith strike. Collecting a pass from George Moncur, he drilled a 25-yard drive past the despairing dive of goalkeeper Luke Southwood.

The visitors, who showed little going forward before the interval and failed to record a shot on target in the first half, fell further behind 10 minutes later. Ollie O’Neill, always a threat to the Robins, cut inside from the left and delivered a sublime shot that curled into the far corner.

Finding more purpose after the interval, Cheltenham soon squandered a marvellous opportunity to reduce the deficit when O’s stopper Sol Brynn dropped a set-piece at the feet of Curtis Davies, who managed to screw the ball wide from four yards out.

Ruel Sotiriou completed the visitors’ miserable afternoon in the 85th minute when he pounced from 18 yards out to notch his 11th league goal of the season before Joe Nuttall bagged a late consolation for the Robins.

Mark Harris’ double helped push Oxford back into the League One play-off places as they ruthlessly beat Burton 4-0 at the Pirelli Stadium.

A long throw from Tom Hamer into the Oxford box was cleared and, when Tolaji Bola misjudged his header on halfway, Harris was able to race away, round keeper Max Crocombe and slot home midway through the first half.

The Welsh striker continued to torment the Brewers defence, adding a second early in the second half by bundling the ball in from eight yards out.

Josh Murphy grabbed a well-deserved goal shortly afterwards, driving from his own half to score on the counter-attack.

And, as Albion’s defence capitulated, substitute James Henry added a fourth from inside the box, dispossessing Ryan Sweeney before firing into the bottom corner.

The margin of defeat pushed Albion into the bottom four on goal difference after Port Vale’s point at Wigan.

Colby Bishop’s double helped a below-par Portsmouth beat Shrewsbury 3-1 to move another step closer to promotion.

Table-topping Pompey started with two centre forwards and the early pressure paid dividends when they took the lead on three minutes.

Conor Shaughnessy crossed from the left and Shrews skipper Chey Dunkley could only put the ball into his own net.

Pompey were in total control but their lethargic and scrappy play produced little.

Shrewsbury took advantage and equalised on 29 minutes. A break on the left saw the ball reach an unmarked Jordan Shipley in the box and he easily beat home goalkeeper Will Norris.

Conceding seemed to wake Pompey up and they regained the lead three minutes before half time from the penalty spot.

Clever play by Kusini Yengi resulted in him being brought down and top scorer Bishop converted.

Shrewsbury played the second half with more purpose but Pompey finished the job off with 14 minutes remaining when Bishop slammed home from 10 yards.

Victory left Pompey nine clear of third-placed Bolton with four games remaining.

Aaron Collins returned to haunt his former club Bristol Rovers as promotion hopefuls Bolton won 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.

The 26-year-old striker scored in the 52nd minute as his right-footed chipped finish sailed over the onrushing Jed Ward and into the Pirates’ goal following a George Thomason pass.

Rovers had enjoyed their best spell of an even contest just before their nominated player of last season netted on a windy afternoon in Bristol.

Connor Taylor was adjudged to have fouled Cameron Jerome with a minute of stoppage time left to play, and substitute Aaron Morley sealed the win by converting the resulting spot-kick.

The Gas went close to scoring when Nathan Baxter clawed Chris Martin’s diving header from off his goal-line a minute after the restart.

Baxter also saved low at his near post to deny both Luke Thomas and Antony Evans in the first half, as Rovers made it six games without a goal, and the visitors won a first away game in seven matches.

Play-off chasing Lincoln extended their unbeaten League One run to 16 matches but had to settle for a hard-earned 1-1 draw at lowly Reading.

Tyler Bindon salvaged a point for the Royals with seven minutes remaining after Freddie Draper had given the visitors, now two points off the play-off places, the lead.

Reading had the better of an entertaining first half but Lincoln goalkeeper Lukas Jensen was rarely troubled.

Home striker Sam Smith created the game’s first opening, with a clever cross from the byline, but Ben Elliott skewed his shot wide at the near post.

In an even opening, Lincoln replied when Teddy Bishop scooped narrowly over the crossbar from a Lasse Sorensen centre.

Reading could have gone ahead approaching the interval only for desperate Lincoln defending to block close-range efforts from Femi Azeez and Paul Mukairu.

Azeez could have given Reading a second-half lead but curled over after a fine solo run.

Lincoln sat back for much of the second half but were rewarded in the 72nd minute when, on a rare break, substitute Draper nodded home.

But Reading deservedly levelled when Lewis Wing swung in a corner and defender Bindon nodded in from inside the six-yard box.

Exeter moved into the top half of the Sky Bet League One table with a 1-0 win that dented Stevenage’s hopes of making the play-offs.

After a cagey opening, it was Boro that created the first chance with Alex MacDonald finding himself with only Viljami Sinisalo to beat, but Exeter’s Finnish goalkeeper was equal to a shot that was straight at him.

Exeter responded with Luke Harris sliding in at the near post to poke a Dion Rankine cross at Taye Ashby-Hammond, while Reece Cole was off target with a curling shot from 20 yards out.

However, the deadlock was broken in the 39th minute when – for the third time in the game – Sonny Cox charged down a clearance by Ashby-Hammond and Cole cleverly guided the ball into an empty net from 25 yards for his seventh goal of the season.

Former Grecian Jamie Reid almost equalised at the start of the second half, but Sinisalo made a brilliant double save, while Rankine smashed a good chance into the side netting from an acute angle for Exeter.

Reid was off target with a glancing header as Stevenage pushed for an equalising goal, but other than a cross that flashed across the face of goal, they rarely threatened Sinisalo in the Exeter goal.

Carlisle’s relegation from League One was confirmed after they were beaten 2-0 by Northampton.

The Cumbrians won promotion last season but their immediate return to League Two was sealed thanks to goals from Kieron Bowie and Ali Koiki.

Carlisle had a strong wind behind them in the first half at Sixfields and they used that to dominate territorially but the conditions did not help either side find their flow in a scrappy contest.

A rare chance saw Lee Burge tip over Georgie Kelly’s header before Northampton scored with their first real chance of the first half.

It came on 33 minutes when Sam Sherring’s header from a Mitch Pinnock corner was blocked and fell to Bowie who stabbed into the net.

Carlisle tried to force the issue in their pursuit of an equaliser after the break but they struggled against the wind and barely created a chance of note.

And their fate was sealed in stoppage time when Koiki ran the length of the pitch from a defensive corner and rolled the ball home after rounding goalkeeper Harry Lewis.

Blackpool kept their faint League One play-off hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Cambridge at Bloomfield Road.

Sonny Carey’s first-half strike proved decisive to leave Neil Critchley’s men six points off sixth place.

Blackpool came flying out of the blocks, taking the game to their opponents and almost went ahead early on as Cambridge defender Mamadou Jobe nearly put through his own net and Ryan Bennett blocked a shot from Carey.

The hosts finally got their reward after a sustained period of pressure when Carey curled his effort into the bottom corner following Karamoko Dembele’s lay-off.

Jake Beesley then headed just over, and Carey hit the side netting as Blackpool remained in the ascendency up until the break.

Cambridge came close early in the second half, Gassan Ahadme headed Danny Andrew’s free-kick towards goal but Dan Grimshaw made a fine save to deny him.

Elias Kachunga had a great chance to equalise late on after Macauley Bonne slipped him through, but he hit the inside of the post.

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho was relieved to see his side take a point from their top-of-the-table clash at home to nearest challengers Derby after twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 at Fratton Park.

Substitute Owen Moxon’s 25-yard screamer 13 minutes from time ensured the League One leaders took a share of the spoils to move a step closer to sealing promotion to the Championship.

Mousinho said: “Having gone behind twice it always feels like a decent enough point.

“I just think overall we probably had enough of it but did not dominate the ball enough, but I thought on the whole, it was pretty good performance against a really good side so we will take the point and move on.

“We’ve just got to follow it up with a win at the weekend (against Shrewsbury).

“Derby sat in and they made it difficult for us, were really tough for us to break down and they countered us with pace. You have to deal with that and I didn’t think we dealt with it brilliantly.

“The first goal was a brilliant move and probably the first time we’ve properly moved it from side to side. I was really pleased with both goals; two very different goals because one was about a team move and the other one was a brilliant strike from the edge of the box.”

Derby went in front in the 23rd minute when the unmarked Joe Ward drove the ball beyond home goalkeeper Will Norris following a quick counter.

The lead only lasted four minutes as Colby Bishop flicked a delightful ball through for Abu Kamara to confidently slot home.

The Rams regained the lead 10 minutes before half-time as Ward’s effort from outside the box took a deflection before finding the corner.

In the 77th minute substitute Moxon latched onto a loose ball and thrashed the ball beyond Joe Wildsmith from distance to draw the hosts level.

The result keeps Pompey five points clear of Derby with five games to play, with third-placed Bolton a further four behind the Rams.

Derby boss Paul Warne said: “I’m not too frustrated at the point.

“If you had told me before the game we would come away with a point, I would have taken that. But it is disappointing to lead twice and not win.

“We’ve played a motivated, highly fit, confident, and well-organised side. The league table shows you that.

“We scored two goals and thought that it was enough to win the game, but we’ve conceded to a screamer which is disappointing as Joe (Wildsmith) hasn’t had a lot to do tonight.

“I think they’ve run out of ideas, which is why they’ve had to attempt shots from 30 yards. The players have worked so hard and I’m proud of them.”

Owen Moxon picked the perfect time to score a spectacular first Portsmouth goal as the league leaders twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at home to second-placed Derby at Fratton Park.

Moxon lashed home from 25 yards out 13 minutes from time as John Mousinho’s men moved another step closer to promotion to the Championship.

Derby went in front in the 23rd minute when the unmarked Joe Ward drove the ball beyond home goalkeeper Will Norris following a quick counter-attack.

The lead only lasted four minutes as Colby Bishop flicked a delightful ball through for Abu Kamara to confidently slot home.

The Rams regained the lead 10 minutes before half-time as Ward’s effort from outside the box took a deflection before finding the corner.

In the 77th minute substitute Moxon latched onto a loose ball and thrashed the ball beyond Joe Wildsmith to draw the hosts level.

The draw keeps Pompey five points clear of Derby and nine ahead of third-placed Bolton with just five games to play.

Matt Bloomfield called the alleged racist abuse of Wycombe defender Chris Forino “abhorrent” following his side’s 0-0 draw with Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Wycombe defender Forino, 23, was engaged in a long discussion with both sets of managers and the officials towards the end of the first half after reporting being targeted by a discriminatory remark from the stands.

Forino played the full 90 minutes as Wycombe held out for a clean sheet which dented Blackpool’s League One play-off hopes.

Bloomfield said: “There was something said to Chris, racial abuse from behind the goal. It’s so disappointing because the game is for all, and it’s 2024.

“Fair play to Chris, he’s dealt with it in a mature way by reporting it as he should. He was able to clear his mind and play the rest of the game.

“It’s abhorrent in my mind that we live in a society where people think this behaviour is acceptable.

“I hope the authorities take the relevant action, and I’m sure they will.”

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley echoed those sentiments after his club released a statement communicating their “dismay”, while adding that they will “will work with Wycombe to help identify the individual responsible”.

Critchley said: “It’s unacceptable. It’s not something we want at this football club and in society. It’s a police investigation, and we will support the player and Wycombe to try and identify the person who has made the remark.”

It was a damaging day for the Seasiders on the pitch too, who after failing to score in four of their last five games, have seen their play-off hopes fade.

After dropping to ninth in the League One table and sitting six points adrift of the top six with five games to go, Pool’s fate is now firmly out of their hands.

“It’s frustrating, we didn’t play well enough,” said Critchley.

“Not enough players played to the level they should. It was deja vu, and goalscoring has become a problem for us.

“At one end, we’ve been hard to score against. But we’ve had problems scoring goals.

“We were too tentative and didn’t play on the front foot enough. We didn’t build any momentum until the end.”

Meanwhile, Chairboys boss Bloomfield was proud of the character shown by his injury-hit Wycombe side in their final outing before the EFL Trophy final against Peterborough at Wembley on Sunday.

“There’s a fantastic team spirit among us,” said Bloomfield. “I wanted to freshen up because I wanted to give a few players a chance who deserve it. We’ve had some real good competition for places, and I feel like that’s helped us with our league form.

“We didn’t have any injuries, and I wanted to have headaches going into this week at Wembley and everyone who has played here has given me those headaches.”

Boss Paul Hurst was unhappy with Shrewsbury’s performance at Bristol Rovers, even though the 0-0 draw means they have only lost one of their last six away games.

The visitors were indebted to several Marko Marosi saves for picking up a point from the Sky Bet League One contest at the Memorial Stadium, while Aiden O’Brien crashed a volley against the Rovers crossbar from 20 yards out.

Hurst says his side must play better if they are to get anything from their next fixture, at leaders Portsmouth.

“I wasn’t satisfied with the performance at all,” he said. “In the end neither team deserved to win. I thought it was two teams who could have done more for their club’s supporters.

“If I speak to Matt [Rovers boss, Taylor] I think we’ll both have a similar view: that the game was there to be won. But we didn’t do enough to grab that opportunity.

“That lack of quality today was quite frightening in all honesty. That’s a League One fixture but across most of the players, not all, that wasn’t League One, only by title, certainly not by quality.

“I don’t know if it’s a mindset or a mentality. It looks like we played yesterday, not Friday.

“We’ve looked after the players in terms of preparation but they’re either nowhere near fit enough or we go back to the mental side of the game. Digging deep and pushing yourself and getting through. I just want more from the group.”

In contrast, Taylor was happier with his side’s performance, with the Gas carving out several good opportunities to score, with the usually reliable Chris Martin suffering an off day.

Martin was unable to net when presented with two good opportunities in the first half, with just Marosi to beat, while substitute Jevani Brown hit the post in the final minutes of the match when he found time and space in the penalty area.

Taylor said: “We just lacked a goal. With some of the chances we created, we know we weren’t at our fluent best.

“I was pleased with the intent, obviously we wanted more in terms of executing certain moments in the game.

“It was a step in the right direction. There are so many things we can do a lot better but in terms of what we created and how we limited the opposition team to just one shot on goal of any note…I was so much more pleased than I have been previously.

“They’ve always got a threat about them but we just needed to make more of our attacking opportunities.

“Chrissy [Martin] won’t be anxious about scoring because he’s scored so many goals and he’s not one to be affected,” he added.

Ian Evatt felt Aaron Collins proved his value after his hat-trick in the 5-2 win over Reading helped reignite Bolton’s promotion push in League One.

Collins, who moved from Bristol Rovers in January for a reported £750,000, opened the scoring after 11 minutes, converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time and completed his treble 13 minutes from time.

Icelandic striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson added a brace as Wanderers closed the gap on second-placed Derby to three points ahead of the Rams’ trip to table-toppers Portsmouth on Tuesday.

“Aaron is capable of magic moments and that first goal was a bit special,” said Evatt, whose side had failed to score in their previous two outings.

“He showed why we paid the money for him.

“With all of our January signings since I have been here, it is always the second season you see the benefit of them.

“That will be the case with Aaron as well. We have signed him for the long term and we know he is capable of special things.

“He is getting used to how we play. And he is playing within the structure more now which is good.”

Bolton had won just two of their previous eight games to slip out of the automatic promotion places, but their return to form puts the pressure back on Derby.

“The most important thing was the win,” Evatt added.

“When we perform like that we are a difficult team to stop.

“We could have got more goals which is a frustration. If it comes down to that we will look back on that second half thinking we had great opportunities and then conceded a sloppy one.”

Reading played their part in an entertaining game.

Lewis Wing cancelled out Collins’ opener while substitute Paul Mukairu netted in stoppage time.

Royals boss Ruben Selles said: “Every game we play, we try to play on the front foot to apply pressure.

“Sometimes it doesn’t work and we open up spaces, like it happened today.

“But it is the way we know how to perform. It is the way we can create chances for ourselves.

“The pressure was not effective in the first half of the game and we conceded a goal. We came back to 1-1 and started to play a bit more forward.

“The penalty before half-time was a big change of momentum. If we arrived at half-time at 1-1 then the second half would be much different.

“Even at 3-1 (down) we still created chances. But the fourth goal was the one that closed the game.

“We had one of the best opponents in League One in front of us and I am sure after that game we will be better when we adjust a few things.”

Michael Skubala hailed late replacement goalkeeper Jordan Wright following Lincoln’s 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Carlisle.

Ben House, Luton loanee Joe Taylor and Teddy Bishop grabbed the goals as the Imps secured a fifth straight win and stretched their unbeaten run to 15 games.

But Wright made some crucial saves after number one Lukas Jensen went down with back spasms in the warm-up.

Lincoln are above Oxford on goal difference in the play-off race, and Skubala said: “I’m really pleased.

“We had to dig in, we had to scrap and fight. They’re playing for their lives and you know it’s going to be tough.

“We know it’s going to be scrappy and messy but we had to get through it with our mentality and that’s what we’ve done.

“Lukas has done something to his back. We’re not sure what it is so we’re going to have to get it scanned. He really was struggling.

“But Jordan came in and made a couple of great saves.

“Jordan’s been fantastic. He knows he’s sitting and waiting, but he’s had to win us the game really. He’s a good keeper. I’m happy if we have to play him.

“I said it in the dressing room that we’re going to need everybody at some stage. It’s got to that stage of the season where players are tired and bodies are creaking a little bit.

“If we’re going to do it then we’ll need people to step up.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson was left deflated after the drop in standard after Good Friday’s victory over Peterborough.

Sam Lavelle scored a late goal but it proved in vain as League One’s bottom club lost a 13th game in their last 16.

“It was hugely disappointing,” Simpson said. “It was such a contrast with how we went about it Friday at Peterborough.

“You can’t go into any game of football like we did in the first half. It was like there was no desire to compete against a side who are playing with real momentum, real confidence.

“The first goal is a really poor one to give away. It’s simple, technical things. We cannot misplace five-yard passes.

“The second goal is an absolute calamity. How that can happen and how we can concede from a counter-attack from our own corner.

“It knocked the stuffing out of the players, knocked the stuffing out of the crowd. They were great with us until the second goal and they lost their enthusiasm after that.

“It’s infuriating after Friday because I’m the one who gets the blame for it.

“The whole group, we didn’t have enough running forward.

“We didn’t do enough to threaten their defenders or their keeper who has come in because the first-choice got injured in the warm-up.”

Stevenage manager Steve Evans issued a defiant message after his promotion-chasing side suffered another setback with a 0-0 draw at Charlton.

The stalemate at the Valley extended their winless run to seven matches and left them three points off the play-off places in League One.

Boro’s 17-goal top-scorer Jamie Reid had a glorious chance to end his drought but instead extended it to nine matches as he headed over from close range, while substitute Vadaine Oliver was twice denied by Charlton goalkeeper Harry Isted.

Evans said: “I’m really pleased with the performance.

“We dominated possession for long spells of the first half without really creating. I think it’s a record amount of entries into the penalty box away from home for us.

“Good opportunities and the goalkeeper has made two fantastic saves from big Vadaine Oliver. Jamie Reid has a chance you normally expect him to score. He’s going through that little spell but the only way he is going to get a goal is what he had done today – be prepared to go back in.

“We love the kid, whether he scores them or not. We have come to the Valley, we’ve silenced the crowd and outplayed them all over the pitch.

“I dread to think what the stats are – 80 or 90 per cent possession. It probably won’t be that when they calculate it here but that’s what it felt like.

“Five matches to go, three points in it (to the play-offs). If I was three points in front I would think it was far from finished. So we are far from finished in this race for the play-offs.”

Nathan Jones has overseen a 10-game unbeaten run for the Addicks – only tasting defeat once since succeeding Michael Appleton as boss – but seven of those have been draws.

The south Londoners lacked quality in the final third with Tyreeq Bakinson flicking wide from a Thierry Small delivery their best chance.

Jones said: “Mixed feelings. We come out with a lot of positives – another clean sheet, another point and another game unbeaten. They gave me everything.

“First half we were decent in terms of how we controlled the game and moved the ball but we need to be better, show a bit more quality and bravery. But that will come.

“It’s the first time we have played three strikers, with a 10, because we wanted to be positive at home. It’s a point. I’m not ecstatic in any way but it’s another step in the right direction.

“We had a gameplan and did it for long periods of the game – but not enough.

“We kind of ran out of a few ideas late on. It’s probably a fair result.”