Oxford made it three wins on the trot in League One after beating Barnsley 3-1 at Oakwell.

Cameron Brannagan scored an early penalty to put Oxford in front and Jordan Williams’ own goal made it 2-0 just before the hour.

Devante Cole pulled a goal back for Barnsley with 20 minutes left but Tyler Goodrham sealed the points for the improving visitors late on.

Oxford, who started the season with a 2-0 defeat at Cambridge followed by a 5-1 Carabao Cup mauling by Bristol City, came into the game on the back of wins over Carlisle and Derby and they needed just eight minutes to take the lead here.

Marcus Browne was fouled by Mael de Gevigney inside the area and Brannagan slotted home from the spot.

Barnsley went in search of an equaliser but Andy Dallas skewed his shot off-target from a great position and Nicky Cadden fired just over.

Oxford also had their chances and Mark Harris and Stanley Mills both shot straight at Liam Roberts in the Barnsley goal before Adam Phillips was denied by James Beadle at the other end.

Oxford increased their lead 10 minutes after the re-start. Mills made a surging run down the right, reached the byline and sent over a low cross which Williams attempted to clear but succeeded only in turning the ball into his own net.

Barnsley were given a lifeline in the 70th minute when Cole pulled a goal back with a header from a Cadden corner but Goodrham ensured it would be Oxford celebrating the win after being set up by Gatlin O’Donkor.

Mitch Pinnock scored a remarkable goal in the final minute of normal time as Northampton picked up their first win of the Sky Bet League One season by beating local rivals Peterborough 1-0 at Sixfields.

Pinnock’s volley from 40 yards out, carried over the line by goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic, gave the Cobblers their first win in this fixture since 2006 and ended Posh’s 100 per cent start to the season.

A shaky start from Northampton allowed Peterborough to take control and two early chances went begging for Will Randall, who blazed over and then glanced a header wide of the far post.

Bilokapic saved from Kieron Bowie at the other end but Posh continued to carry the greater threat in the first half and Kwame Poku was particularly dangerous as he went close with a couple of efforts.

The visitors continued to edge things in the second half as Ephron Mason-Clark had a goal ruled out for offside.

Northampton grew stronger though and finished well, and they snatched victory in the 90th minute when Pinnock’s volley from the right was carried over the line by Bilokapic.

Ryan Trevitt and Demitri Mitchell netted as Exeter beat Carlisle 2-0 at Brunton Park.

Exeter found the breakthrough when Trevitt struck 20 minutes from time for his first professional goal.

Mitchell stroked home with eight minutes left to make the points safe, but Carlisle may have felt aggrieved he was not sent off in the first half after a possible second bookable offence.

United started well and Sean Maguire pulled a first-minute shot narrowly wide of the Exeter goal, before Fin Back’s volley whistled close as the home side dominated the early moments.

Maguire again created an opening for Carlisle, heading a decent chance into Viljami Sinisalo’s grateful grasp. The City keeper was called into action again when Maguire fired low on 53 minutes.

Despite the Carlisle pressure, Trevitt fired home from the edge of the box to give the Grecians the lead on 70 minutes.

On 82 minutes, Mitchell got on the end of a Jack Aitchison cross and picked out the bottom corner to seal the game for Exeter.

Shaun Maloney saluted two-goal marksman Charlie Wyke as Wigan wiped out their eight-point deduction inside four League One games after thrashing Bolton 4-0.

Wyke started and finished the scoring at Toughsheet Community Stadium with a Stephen Humphreys’ double sandwiched in between as Latics ended Wanderers’ 100 per cent start to the campaign in emphatic fashion.

The visitors’ third win of the season lifted them on to two points while Ian Evatt’s Trotters suffered a harsh reality check after four wins in all competitions.

“Every bit of credit goes to Charlie,” said Wigan manager Maloney of his frontman who had a defibrillator fitted after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2021.

“He came back on day one of pre-season in incredible condition. It was like signing a new player.

“What he has been through is well documented but he has put a lot of hard work in and continues to put hard work in.

“So, every bit of praise he gets is well deserved.”

Wigan’s eight-point deficit over wages payments had some fans fearing a second successive relegation, but the club’s flying start to the season has indicated a much brighter future.

“We came to terms with it (the deficit) in the summer,” added Maloney. “I understand why we got it, the situation the club was in.

“What was hard was how to broach it over the summer. We gave ourselves six games and we are obviously ahead of schedule.

“We could not have thought we would have this good a start. But I knew with the players we brought in and during pre-season, something was happening.”

Wanderers bossed possession and created 20 shots but rarely looked capable of getting back into the contest after Wigan’s Wyke-inspired start.

Wyke opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Humphrys’ brace in the 24th and 45th minutes made it 3-0 at the break.

Bolton boss Ian Evatt said: “There is an awful lot to take in. We can all be honest and say we didn’t see it coming.

“We have got to make sure this result doesn’t define our season which is crazy to say after just four games.

“For the first time though someone has punched us on the jaw and we didn’t recover. The game was gone before we knew it.

“It was one of those games where we lost every moment, lost every duel and just lost the basics of football.

“The ball seemed to fall to them every time but I am a firm believer you make your own luck

“On the day though Wigan played it was like a derby. We played like we were going to come and have everything our own way as we have done so far this season.

“The general performance wasn’t a 4-0 game. But they punished us on every moment and the first 10 minutes rocked us and we didn’t recover.

“Every time we looked like we were going to gain momentum we got punched on the jaw again.”

Charlie Wyke and Stephen Humphrys scored twice as Wigan moved out of the Sky Bet League One relegation zone with a 4-0 derby rout of leaders Bolton.

Latics started the campaign with an eight-point deduction but have won three and drawn one of their opening four fixtures to wipe out that deficit.

And this impressive success over previously unbeaten Wanderers could not have been sweeter for Latics’ 4,000 travelling fans.

Striker Wyke started and finished the scoring, heading the visitors in front after 12 minutes and firing in his fifth goal of the season 15 minutes from time.

Humphrys had been the star of Wigan’s first-half show, netting in the 24th minute when Nathan Baxter could only parry skipper Callum Lang’s shot.

In first-half stoppage time, Lang broke the offside trap and as Bolton failed to clear their box, Humphrys fired into the unguarded net.

For all their possession and goal attempts Bolton were well beaten and Josh Dacres-Cogley’s 47th-minute miss from close range summed up their afternoon.

Reading manager Ruben Selles praised the “intensity” of his young players as they edged out Cheltenham 1-0 in League One.

Selles included four teenagers and three 20-year-olds in his starting line-up, with 18-year-old Caylan Vickers creating what turned out to be the winner in the 33rd minute.

Vickers’ mazy run from deep ended with a looping deflection from Cheltenham midfielder Will Ferry that arced over keeper Luke Southwood into his own goal.

It was relegated Reading’s first league win in 16 games across two divisions.

“I’m very proud of the performance that the team put together,” Selles said. “We knew that we had to play with all that intensity and that’s why I made the team selection.

“In the first half especially, we were exactly where we wanted to be. The team showed character, togetherness and the way that we do things here.

“We’ve been talking about the young players during the whole pre-season and they have been working fantastically from the very beginning.

“We have been annoyed with the situation with the club, when trying to get new players. So we have to work with those that we already have and they have showed how good they are.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are 18 or you are 32, you do all the proper things and you have first place in this team.

“We had to make a game plan that would show our identity and I think that we did that.

“We decided to go with the team that can bring more intensity to the game and it is the first time that we win [in the league] this season.

“We go home with that feeling and also that happiness.”

Struggling Cheltenham have lost all four league and cup matches this season, without scoring a goal.

Head coach Wade Elliott said: “I thought we were excellent in the second half.

“I didn’t think that there was a lot in it in the first half but some of the breaks that are going against us are tough, like the own goal.

“But in the second half I was really proud of the performance. They players left absolutely everything out there.

“I’ve just told them in the dressing-room that, as tough as it is, you just have to put yourselves back on the line to be knocked down again.

“So we have to get round each other and support each other. We can feel sorry for ourselves or get ready to go again.

“If we keep putting ourselves up there, the breaks will fall the other way for us.

“We’re creating enough opportunities but it’s the last little bit [the finishing] that was missing tonight. I thought everything else was good.”

John Mousinho called on his Portsmouth team to be more ruthless after seeing them beat Exeter 1-0 at Fratton Park.

Colby Bishop’s second-half strike was enough to settle a keenly contested game.

Mousinho said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half. The only thing we didn’t do was put the ball in the back of the net.

“It was a different story in the second half. Exeter made some changes which I thought would leave them a bit exposed in places for the counter-attack.

“If I could criticise anything, it’s that we need to take our chances. We had some good opportunities up to and after the goal.

“We also have to learn to manage the game better. We didn’t do that particularly well in the last 10 minutes.

“We made some rash decisions and although we are a youngish team, I think we’ve got enough experience on the pitch to deal with it.

“Having said that, it was a well-deserved win off the back of a totally different game at the weekend. I’m absolutely thrilled.”

With both sides coming into the game unbeaten, it was Bishop who ended Exeter’s run with the only goal 20 minutes from time.

He rifled home from just inside the box after picking up substitute Jack Sparkes’ pass with his back to goal.

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell said: “We weren’t ourselves in possession tonight. We can play much better but, having said that, in the first half, we were dogged and resilient and defended the box very well.

“We improved in the second half. Most of the chances were from set pieces and I thought those chances were better than our overall performance.

“It’s a newly formed squad, we’re still developing in terms of partnerships, have come to a big stadium for the first time and we have to learn from experience.

“We didn’t make good decisions throughout the game. We kicked long when we could have played out and played out when we should have played long. We’ll analyse it as a group but I want them to be braver, to be a team.

“Their keeper has made some good saves and sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. Even when we are not at our best, our set-pieces cause teams problems.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson was proud of his side’s second-half performance as they held Wigan to a 1-1 draw at Brunton Park.

The Cumbrians fell behind to former striker Charlie Wyke’s first-half finish for Latics, but Simpson was delighted with the response from his team.

Carlisle equalised through Owen Moxon’s close-range finish.

“I thought we were positive and energetic tonight, but in the first half we struggled against a really good Wigan side,” admitted Simpson.

“Second half we certainly stood up to that challenge. That’s what we need to do every single game.

“We stuck at it. We were more aggressive in the press and more aggressive with our passing in the second half.

“I think in the end we thoroughly deserved the point tonight and it’s important that we can build on that on the weekend.

“Jordan Gibson was creative. The goal comes from him working and chasing. He’s got real ability and if he can put the work in that he has for the first part of this season, for the rest of it, he’s going to be a real handful for other teams.”

Wigan left Cumbria with a point and missed out on the chance to move off the bottom of the League One table.

Boss Shaun Maloney believed if his side kept their first-half level then they would have gone home with all three points.

He reflected: “I think anyone who was here saw the first half was as good a performance that I’ve had since I’ve been here.

“My only criticism is that when you’re that good you’ve got to put teams away.

“In the second half the last 40 minutes or so was a proper game and that’s what happens if you don’t put teams away.

“We made a mistake on the ball and they punished us and that’s football.

“It’s as good as we’ve played and I’m pleased with a lot of today. That first half is as good as it’s been since I’ve been here.

“Charlie Wyke is playing at a very good level at the moment. I’m asking a lot of him with a lot of minutes. He ran himself into the ground for us and the quality he showed is very good.

“My priority is trying to win the game, not give players minutes and I thought the substitutions we made gave us the best chance.”

Derby head coach Paul Warne described his side as a “nearly team” after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Oxford.

Mark Harris was the matchwinner for the second time in four days as Oxford deservedly took the points at Pride Park.

The visitors went ahead in the 32nd minute when Curtis Nelson gave the ball away and Cameron Brannagan played in Harris to fire into the top-right corner.

Derby were better after the break but needed a great save from Joe Wildsmith to deny Billy Bodin in the 64th minute although Oxford’s clever movement and precise passing was rewarded eight minutes later.

Another slick move ended with Bodin setting up Harris to beat Wildsmith with a low drive.

Derby gave themselves hope when Martyn Waghorn reduced the arrears in the 87th minute but it was not enough to prevent a third home defeat of the season.

Warne said: “We seem to be at the moment, and I include myself because I’m at the front of it, to be a nearly team.

“We nearly score off a set-piece, we nearly score off one across the box, we nearly pick out a man, we’re nearly a lot better but at the moment we’re not.

“It’s disappointing, it wasn’t us at our best, I thought we looked nervy first half which surprised me because three-quarters of the team were here last year.

“Oxford are a strong team and I think they’ll be up there come the end of the season but whether we showed them a bit too much respect and we keep giving teams a little lift at the moment.

“We were poor tonight and just had too many players off it and we need to get back to it very quickly.”

Oxford head coach Liam Manning said: “I think what you see is a group of players working hard for each other and fighting for the club.

“For me, some of the most impressive stuff tonight was how we defended set-pieces. We stood up to it, we showed bravery, we showed discipline and a real spirit which for me is really important.

“It was an important message at half-time not to try and hold on to 1-0 because when you come to a place like this with the strength they have in their squad if you try and see out a 1-0 for 45 minutes I think you’ll be in trouble.

“So I think the lads did a tremendous job of defending when we had to but showing quality in transition and showing quality to keep the ball. I think collectively we were excellent.”

Shrewsbury manager Matt Taylor hopes his players saw how good they can be as Town claimed a 2-1 victory over winless Burton.

Tom Bayliss fired Shrewsbury into the lead in the third minute, tapping home at the back post from a Dan Udoh cross.

The home side then doubled their lead just before half-time with Chey Dunkley heading in from a Jordan Shipley corner.

The Brewers found the back of the net for the first time this season when Mason Bennett pulled one back in the 97th minute but it proved to be a consolation.

Taylor said: “It helps when you score a goal as early as we did. I asked the players for a reaction from Saturday because we weren’t good enough.

“We were braver when we needed to be. Today was more like us and the performance from the first game of the season.

“The only disappointing thing was we conceded because the performance up to then deserved a clean sheet.

“But make no bones about how important that result is. I said to the players at half-time we had achieved nothing yet.

“I spoke to them about understanding they had to do everything they could to win the game, and they did that.

“Genuinely, I think this is huge for us as a group, for the players to understand how good they can be.

“If you had offered me two home wins in the first three matches of the season, I would have taken it.”

The search continues for Burton’s first points of the campaign after their 3-0 thumping against Derby and opening day 2-0 loss away to Blackpool.

Boss Dino Maamria said: “Yes, it is disappointing. It’s been a tough tough start, not just with the fixture list but also the amount of injuries we have had.

“We were forced to change shape and start with a different team than what we would have hoped for, but overall we conceded too early on again and then we conceded late into the half which give ourselves a mountain to climb.

“In between the goals, we played pretty well tonight, and I thought we had created a lot of chances.

“It was frustrating not to get that first goal, especially the first half, because we had some big moments.

“I think if we scored first-half and gone in at 1-1, it would have been a fair reflection on the half.

“But to go in when they scored from a corner in the last kick of the half, it was a real kick in the teeth.

“But I thought we responded well overall in the second and got the goal we deserved.”

Bolton boss Ian Evatt was sent off for “misuse of technology” after Victor Adeboyejo’s first-half hat-trick set-up the League One leaders’ 3-1 win over Fleetwood.

Northern Ireland international Dion Charles was also dismissed by referee Tom Nield for a caution in each half.

Charles was the first to receive his marching orders after 69 minutes following a clash with Town keeper Jay Lynch.

Evatt followed five minutes later and under this season’s new regulations was unable to take his post-match press conference.

Instead, assistant manager Peter Atherton explained: “We saw Dion come alongside the keeper who stuck out his leg and tripped Dion.

“What he saw was very different to what we saw and unfortunately for Dion it was a second yellow.”

After watching on a pitchside monitor, Atherton added Evatt then drew the incident to the fourth official’s attention.

“The gaffer said he had seen it back. There was no misconduct in terms of abusive language.

“He just said, ‘I have seen it back and you got it wrong. From just referring to saying he had seen it back, that is a red card.”

Bolton fans’ anger was heightened by an incident last season against Forest Green Rovers when Nield mistakenly dismissed Charles instead of former team-mate Elias Kachunga.

On the plus side was Adeboyejo’s first hat-trick since his move from Burton.

“Last year Dion was the main goal scorer,” said Atherton.

“But we have said we have to share (goals) among the team.

“Vic has worked hard on the training ground and it’s nice to see him get the rewards with the hat-trick.”

Fleetwood have picked up only one point from their first three games and were also knocked out of the League Cup,

Josh Earl scored a stoppage-time consolation though home goalie Nathan Baxter twice denied Bolton old boy Josh Vela and a Scott Robertson free-kick.

Manager Scott Brown said: “It starts tough because we lost a goal after three minutes. They get that momentum.

“They had great shape and great structure behind and in front of the ball.

“It’s that bit of quality in the final third they had that was a lot better than we had.

“Their wing-backs were bolting in behind, first-time deliveries across the goal and their striker wanted it more and was switched on more than our defenders.

“It comes down to desire but also ruthlessness. They had that ruthlessness and we didn’t.

“The ball was a magnet to him .We had five defenders in the box at one point circulating him and he found the space.

“We had a few chances we probably should have scored off but we end up scoring off a corner in the 94th minute. We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield admitted to being put through the wringer during his side’s 3-2 win over Leyton Orient that gave them their first points of the season at the third attempt.

It was a frantic night at Adams Park as Orient had centre-back Dan Happe sent off in the second half in what was their third straight defeat in League One.

The incidents did not stop after the final whistle either as Orient head coach Richie Wellens and his assistant Paul Terry were both shown red cards for their protests towards the officials.

Bloomfield said: “It’s just a relief to get the first win if I’m honest.

“This job means the world to me, this football club means the world to me and it’s hurt a huge amount, losing the first two games in the manner in which we did.

“It’s really hurt and I’m desperate to do the right thing for this football club, I’m desperate to do a good job here.

“The emotion was up and down, we have to manage that at times and I felt like at times maybe we didn’t and we got a bit caught up in the game, but football is an emotional game.

“I know there are a lot of things trying to take the emotion out of the game at the minute, with all the new rules and everything, but we all love football because at times we love it and at times we hate it.”

Joe Low’s opener for Wycombe was cancelled out before half-time by Ruel Sotiriou, but momentum shifted five minutes after the restart when Happe was sent off for pulling back Dale Taylor when the last defender.

Low headed in Luke Leahy’s cross for his second to restore the Chairboys’ lead and Taylor then added a third for the hosts before Sotiriou’s second brought about a nervy finish.

Orient goalkeeping coach Simon Royce, speaking to the media because Wellens and Terry were barred from doing so, said: “I think with 10 men we were the better side.

“It’s nice to score a couple of goals away from home, but conceding three away from home is not going to win you many games.

“But the lads put in a great shift, the fans were unbelievable and they cheered us right to the end.

On Happe’s red card, Royce added: “He didn’t get close enough [to Taylor] to start with, he’s held his hands up in there, but we don’t say sorry in that changing room, we all stick together.

“He may have pulled his shirt a little bit, I haven’t seen it back.

“Whether it was a red card, I couldn’t see whether there was anyone coming around, but it did change the game a little bit.”

Andy Crosby believes Port Vale lacked a cutting edge in their 0-0 draw against Blackpool.

Gavin Massey came closest as The Valiants controlled the first half, but his powerful shot flew agonisingly wide of the goal.

In the second half, Blackpool took control, but Vale stopper Connor Ripley tipped away Shayne Lavery’s header to ensure the spoils were shared at Bloomfield Road.

The Port Vale manager insists his side had the chance to win the game in the opening 45 minutes.

He said: “We were maybe just lacking that last pass around the edge of their box to really take advantage.

“It was a contrasting game really, I thought first half we had control, especially in possession and we controlled their possession how we wanted to.

“We thought we could counterattack from the midfield if we could nick balls, and we had a few opportunities.

“We nullified them to very little in the first half, we used our numerical advantage in certain areas of the pitch which we spoke about going into the game.

“Second half we lacked a little bit of control, went too long too easy and landed on second balls.

“It’s a really good point against a team who were a league above us last season who have got really good players, but I’ve just said to the players there that I’m going to do this job and I’m going to look at every single way we can win games.

“I’m going to look at how we can approach it, I think I’ve got a really good group of players who are tactically and technically good and who take on information really well.”

The result means The Tangerines are still yet to concede in the league this season after following up a 2-0 home win against Burton Albion with back-to-back goalless draws.

However, Blackpool manager Neil Critchley was frustrated by the result.

He added: “Frustrating with a capital F I think.

“It’s not easy when teams come and put loads of men behind the ball and have a game plan to stop you and they did it very well.

“So, you have to be patient and persevere in what you train to do.

“It might not be how you want it to look in the first 20-25 minutes.

“They were full of energy, but if we keep being patient and persevere with how we want to play you can see what happened in the second half where we had complete control.

“We dominated the game, pushed them right back in their own half and then we just missed that final bit in and around the goal, that cross or that moment the striker gets across someone and finishes tonight.

“I’m not disappointed by the performance just frustrated by the result.”

Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton praised the work ethic of Luke McCormick after he came off the bench to score a dramatic late winner in a 2-1 victory at Charlton.

The former midfielder was back on the touchline after serving a three-game stadium ban.

And there were big celebrations on the touchline when McCormick struck in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time to ensure Barton’s side extended their unbeaten start to the League One campaign.

Scott Sinclair’s close-range finish had put Rovers ahead in the 58th minute only for teenage striker Daniel Kanu to level eight minutes after he was brought on.

But McCormick also provided a major impact after replacing John Marquis in the 89th minute, lashing home after neatly controlling Grant Ward’s pass on his chest.

“It’s like we’ve won more than three points because of the nature of the goal,” said Barton.

“I’m so pleased for Macca. He’s worked really hard and when you do that in this game then you get rewarded with special moments.

“He doesn’t go through the motions in the dying embers of the game. He drives on. It’s a great bit of work by the team, and particularly Grant Ward, to flip it over and pick him out. Macca still had a lot to do. We know what a goalscoring threat he can be in our team.

“We’ve had back-to-back wins here now and that’s against a team who have invested in the summer. I know they’ve got one or two out but they are going to be a candidate for promotion.

“This will be a really tricky place to come over this football calendar. We are still in the evolution stage ourselves.”

While Barton has had his skirmishes with officials it was opposite number Dean Holden who was booked by referee Charles Breakspear.

The Addicks boss was left fuming when Josh Grant was only cautioned for clipping Alfie May after he got in behind the Rovers defence not long before McCormick settled the fixture.

“He is ahead of the last defender when he gets fouled and he is through on goal – simple as that,” said Holden.

“I end up getting another yellow card for saying it is a disgraceful decision.

“We’ve done enough to win the game tonight, there’s no doubt about that. We’ve got to keep working in both boxes – be more clinical in their box and make sure defensively we show a bit more steel and see them attacks off.

“They have come for a point and got a smash and grab, good luck to them.

“We can’t hide away from the fact we’re missing key players. We’re still looking to add to the squad in certain areas – we know the profile of the players we need.

“Large parts of the performance were really good. But who wants to hear that when you’ve lost a home game? It’s for us to pick the bones out of it.

“We need to make sure we’re back ready for the next game and this place (The Valley) doesn’t become negative by any stretch. I have to say the supporters were excellent again. Even after they scored the first goal they kept driving the team.”

Northampton boss Jon Brady hailed his side’s “outstanding” performance and said a point was the very least they deserved after Tuesday’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Lincoln at Sixfields.

Reeco Hackett-Fairchild’s sweet first-half finish was added to by a Paudie O’Connor header as Lincoln moved into a 2-0 lead, but both goals came very much against the run of play.

Northampton dominated the majority of the game but had to wait until the final few minutes to get their rewards as Louis Appere levelled on 86 minutes before Sam Hoskins salvaged a deserved point deep into stoppage time.

“It’s a bit bittersweet because I felt we deserved to win the game,” said Brady. “But if you don’t defend your box right you’ll concede goals, and unfortunately we didn’t.

“The second goal was potentially offside, I’ll have to watch to back, but to play the way we played and to have the patience and dominate all the stats, it’s very pleasing.

“We had 19 shots to their six and we kept being patient even when a few fans were moaning and wanted us to go long. The boys stuck to our beliefs and kept playing the way we want to play. It was really good.

“We got into a lot of crossing positions, we hit the post, we have shots cleared off the line, and how the challenge on Kieron Bowie isn’t a penalty, I don’t know. He rolls the defender, he has the goal open to drive at and the defender lands on top of him.

“For some reason it’s not given, but that doesn’t take away from a spirited performance. I thought we were outstanding.”

Lincoln manager Mark Kennedy said: “I’m gutted, absolutely gutted. But you have to take the emotion away from the game and look at the bigger picture.

“You’re 15 seconds from being euphoric, seeing plenty of high-fives and back-slapping and what would have been an amazing start to the season, but when I get away from that I think it’s a good point on the road.

“Without sounding silly, it’s a good point after a good win at the weekend. We’ve had a tough start to the season with a lot of away games but to be honest I was really impressed with them tonight, really impressed.

“I’ve seen their previous games and they’ve actually played very well but haven’t come out on the right side of the results so good luck to them. Jon will say he deserved a point and I probably can’t argue with him.

“I thought we were very good with how we dealt with their pressure and I thought we looked dangerous on the counter-attack and we were very clinical.”