Cheick Diabate’s late own goal earned Charlton a 1-1 draw at Exeter as both teams edged towards League One safety.

Exeter started well and went in front after six minutes when Jack Aitchison’s cross was headed in at the back post by former Addick Ben Purrington – the first time the Grecians had scored in the opening 15 minutes of a home league game since October 2021.

Charlton responded with Karoy Anderson forcing Vili Sinisalo into a smart stop and the Finnish stopper had to be alert to keep out another effort by Thierry Small.

The Addicks thought they had levelled on the stroke of half-time when George Dobson shot goalwards but Purrington got back to make a brilliant clearance off the line.

Harvey Isted denied Exeter’s Yanic Wildschut, who turned and shot goalwards from 15 yards, before the Suriname international set up Luke Harris but he miskicked and the chance went begging.

Charlton drew level with three minutes remaining as a deep cross was headed across goal by Chuks Aneke and the ball diverted into the net off the unfortunate Diabate.

Alfie May should have won it for Charlton but struck a post after rounding Sinisalo while Exeter also had chances to nick it in a breathless finale.

Struggling Burton fought back in the second half to earn a deserved 1-1 League One draw at Wigan.

Sam Hughes’ own goal had given the hosts a half-time lead but John Brayford responded to earn a draw for the Brewers that left them a point clear of the relegation zone.

Wigan started well with a rasping drive from Scott Smith being well saved by Max Crocombe before Matt Smith sent the rebound wide of the mark.

And their pressure told two minutes before half-time when Smith looped over a cross from the right and Hughes bundled the ball into his own net.

Burton almost levelled within the opening minute of the second half when Joe Hugill’s shot beat Sam Tickle, only to rebound off a post.

But the equaliser did come after 54 minutes when a corner was not cleared and Brayford forced the ball home from close range.

Burton were in the ascendancy at this point, and Tickle made a fine save to deny Steve Seddon.

Wigan finished strongly, though, and Smith’s cross was headed against the bar by Thelo Aasgaard.

From the resulting corner, Wigan forced the ball home from close range but the flag was up for an alleged push.

And Crocombe made good late saves to deny Luke Chambers and Aasgaard to preserve what could prove to be a valuable point for the Brewers.

Jon Mellish scored a hat-trick as rock-bottom Carlisle stunned promotion-chasing Peterborough with a shock 3-1 success in Sky Bet League One.

Midfielder Mellish, who had only previously scored twice all season, did the damage as Paul Simpson’s basement boys bagged just a sixth win of a torrid campaign.

Mellish rose unchallenged to meet substitute Jordan Gibson’s cross after Posh switched off from a Dylan McGeouch short corner as Carlisle took a 27th minute lead.

The same man doubled their advantage three minutes into the second half when he struck an impressive volley past Posh goalkeeper Jed Steer, following a weak defensive header from England Under-20 defender Ronnie Edwards.

Mellish was not done there, completing a memorable treble in the 58th minute with another spectacular left-footed volley after the hosts failed to deal with a McGeouch cross.

Posh quickly hit back as captain Harrison Burrows slammed a 61st-minute shot through a crowd of players from the edge of the box but that was as good as it got as Darren Ferguson’s men flopped.

Substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris fluffed a glorious chance to cut the arrears further, before also being denied by the bar late on as the courageous Cumbrians stood firm.

Reading eased their Sky Bet League One relegation fears with a hard-earned 1-0 home victory over mid-table Northampton.

The Cobblers controlled most of the opening half, with Reading only staying in contention thanks to a series of fine saves from goalkeeper Joel Pereira.

But the home side struck in the 65th minute, with what proved to be the winner, when substitute Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan fired home from an angle after cutting in from the left flank.

Reading, buoyed by the recent news that owner Dai Yongge had agreed “exclusivity” terms with an as-yet unnamed potential buyer of the club, created little in a poor first-half showing.

Ben Elliott, Harvey Knibbs and Sam Smith squandered a string of half-chances before Northampton dominated the remainder of the period – and Pereira had to be at his best.

An alert and agile double save denied Town’s 15-goal top scorer Sam Hoskins, with Pereira also keeping out firm efforts from Ben Fox and Louis Appere.

Reading improved after the break and went ahead when Ehibhatiomhan exchanged passes with Jeriel Dorsett before curling a superb shot past Town keeper Louie Moulden.

It was the tall striker’s 11th goal of the season in all competitions.

Northampton tried hard to find an equaliser late on but Reading held firm to secure a vital win in their relegation battle, moving six points clear of the bottom four.

Ebou Adams scored his first goal for Derby to boost their automatic promotion hopes with a 1-0 win over Blackpool.

Derby went with an attacking formation but the first clear chance fell to Blackpool in the 29th minute, with George Byers scuffing a shot wide from 15 yards.

It brought an instant response from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, whose curling shot was touched behind by Daniel Grimshaw and the corner was almost forced in at the near post.

But Grimshaw could do nothing in the 40th minute when a cross was half cleared to Adams, who scored with a first-time shot from the edge of the area.

Derby should have added a second in the 55th minute when Mendez-Laing put Conor Washington through on the right but he failed to beat Grimshaw.

Blackpool almost took advantage in the 71st minute through a Sonny Carey free-kick which Rams keeper Joe Wildsmith clawed away.

There was another late scare for Derby when Kyle Joseph twice had goalbound shots blocked by Curtis Nelson and Eiran Cashin.

Substitute Jovon Makama scored a last-minute winner as Lincoln beat Leyton Orient 1-0 to move into the Sky Bet League One play-off positions for the first time this season.

Makama had been on the pitch for just a handful of minutes when he earned the Imps maximum points as they stretched their unbeaten run to 14 matches and dealt a major blow to Orient’s own play-off hopes.

Orient had the game’s first chance after six minutes, with Imps goalkeeper Lukas Jensen alert to tip Darren Pratley’s snapshot over the bar.

The game turned niggly, with little goalmouth action at either end, before Jordan Brown fired narrowly wide for the visitors after 29 minutes and then Ruel Sotiriou and Shaq Forde both fired straight at Jensen.

City finally managed their first shot of the match five minutes before the break when Joe Taylor ran on to Danny Mandroiu’s quick free-kick but blazed wildly wide.

It took 21 minutes of the the second half for either side to have an effort on goal, with Taylor stabbing an effort into the ground and wide.

Ollie O’Neill headed Rob Hunt’s inch-perfect cross narrowly over at the other end before Imps sub Freddie Draper finally had the hosts’ first shot on target after 76 minutes, his effort easily gobbled up by Sol Brynn.

Orient sub Ethan Galbraith nearly won it late on, his low drive bringing out an excellent diving save from Jensen.

But City did produce a winner when Makama did brilliantly to first block an attempted clearance and then collect the ball and curl a low shot into the bottom corner.

Jack Price’s stunning late strike helped relegation-battling Shrewsbury earn a 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing Oxford in League One.

Billy Bodin fired Oxford into a second-half lead but they dropped out of the top six after Price volleyed home an 83rd-minute equaliser.

In a quiet opening 15 minutes, Oxford had the first opportunity through Mark Harris, who was played through on goal but was denied by goalkeeper Marko Marosi.

Shrewsbury’s Aiden O’Brien received a low ball into the box from Dan Udoh on the half-hour mark, but his timid effort was parried clear by Jamie Cumming.

The U’s broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half.

Josh Murphy brought down a long ball, went around the keeper before getting pushed wide and sent in a low cross to Harris, who laid it off to Bodin to smash home.

But the hosts equalised through substitute Price’s 20-yard volley.

Oxford came close to retaking the lead from the kick-off as Bodin had an edge-of-the-box effort pushed away. Cameron Brannagan then had a follow-up shot, but Morgan Feeney made a last-ditch clearance to edge the Shrews a point closer to safety.

Stevenage boss Steve Evans admitted he “didn’t recognise” his misfiring team for an hour of their frustrating 2-2 draw with basement side Carlisle.

Daniel Butterworth’s fine brace put strugglers Carlisle on course for what would have been their first home win for nearly three months and only a sixth victory of the season.

But Alex McDonald’s 82nd-minute penalty – having been fouled by Dylan McGeouch – and Terence Vancooten’s injury-time equaliser stunned the hosts at Brunton Park.

“Over the 90 minutes, we’re probably the fortunate team to come away with a point,” admitted Evans.

“I didn’t recognise our team for 60 minutes. Carlisle are much better than where they are, so I knew it would be tough.

“But then I think the players realised we might not get anything here and reacted. When we got the penalty I thought we might win it.

“I’ve always said our ethos is built on spirit, what we lack we make up for in desire and fight.

“Even with one arm we fight, so it’s credit to the players as much as I’m disappointed we’ve taken a point.

“But here we are, we’ve got seven games to go and we’re a point outside the play-offs and in amongst giants of clubs.

“And you know what, we deserve to be there with what we’ve contributed all season.

“We’re missing big players at the moment, but getting a point makes the journey more palatable.”

Carlisle manager Paul Simpson could not fathom how his side squandered a healthy two-goal advantage.

“I’m massively disappointed,” said Simpson.

“I thought we showed some good stuff for the majority of the game, but I just don’t think we showed the composure to see the game through in the end.

“We knew what to expect against Stevenage, we knew they were going to load the ball on top of us.

“For the majority of the game we actually dealt with it really well. We defended the box well, cleared our lines and we’ve had opportunities to put the game to bed which we’ve not been able to take.

“If you don’t do it in both 18-yard boxes then you’re going to struggle. That’s been the absolute story of our season.

“I’m hugely disappointed for everybody involved today that we’ve not been able to get a victory.

“But you’ve got to do it [perform] for 95-100 minutes – and they scored their equaliser in the 96th minute, so I’m massively disappointed.

“However, that’s not the first time this season that has happened.”

Darren Moore was delighted to be able to celebrate a first win as Port Vale boss as Ryan Loft struck late on to secure a 1-0 victory at Burton.

Moore, appointed as Vale manager on February 13, had failed to win any of his opening eight games in charge but Loft’s 83rd-minute effort earned a vital three points.

“I am delighted,” Moore said, reflecting on a performance which pulled the Valiants to within three points of safety after a first win of 2024.

“It has been a long time coming and we have been close but getting it over the line today, to get those three points, at a time when we really need it, which was today, was excellent.”

Loft was able to pounce late on to fire into the roof of the net from close range when Ethan Chislett saw his shot come back off the post.

“Lofty scoring was brilliant,” added Moore. “We are pleased for him because he never let the one in the first half affect him and I thought his all-round game was huge for the team.

“He gave us a target man up front for us to hit and he drove the team forwards so for him to get the goal in the manner that he did earned us a huge three points.”

Vale began to dominate in the second half, particularly after the introduction of Tom Sang and Moore knows that more of the same will be required in the remainder of the season.

“There were some huge performances out there. Collectively I thought the team were good and a good understanding with them. In and out of possession we were good and driven on by an away support that was excellent today. We are going to need all of that for the rest of the season.”

Burton boss Martin Paterson could only watch on as his side suffered a fifth straight home league defeat, a run in which they have only scored once and dragged them firmly into the relegation scrap.

“Today leaves us in a real dogfight,” Paterson said, with his side 19th in Sky Bet League One.

“At the moment we are missing so many opportunities. I can’t stress enough to the players the magnitude of what is going on. At the moment we look like a group that just think they are going to be OK.

“We need to put the results and performances in. It was always going to be a tight game today and yet again we have come out on the other end of it and it is not good enough.

“We need performances, especially at home, and the worrying thing is I thought they [Vale] wanted it more in all facets. Running, tackling, second contacts, I thought they shaded us.

“We need to show them that it is not good enough and it is unusual for a Burton side to be outfought and outrun but they were today.”

Derby boss Paul Warne was frustrated by his side’s narrow 1-0 League One defeat to Northampton on Saturday.

The Rams saw their promotion charge hit a major stumbling block at Sixfields where Sam Hoskins scored the only goal of the game.

Derby also had defender Sonny Bradley sent off for a straight red card in second-half stoppage-time.

“It’s obviously frustrating and disappointing,” admitted Warne. “I didn’t think we were amazing but I still felt we created enough chances to win the game.

“We had a bit of control in the first half, not a lot, but the goal we conceded was farcical and credit to Northampton, I congratulate them for the win.

“The chance they took was harder than the chances we missed and sometimes it’s determined on that and you need those moments to go your way but they didn’t today.

“We got more and more frustrated in the second half. There were a lot of stoppages and a lot of lying down and we just didn’t look very cohesive, that’s the honest truth.

“Northampton literally got every player behind the ball apart from one but we played too slow at times and we moved the ball side to side with no purpose.

“We should have moved it quicker but I felt like we wasted the first half and then in the second half, we’re always chasing it.

“We lost Nathaniel (Mendez-Laing) to injury, he’s done his hammy (hamstring), which is horrific news and Sonny’s been sent off at the end so as bad days go, it’s right up there.”

Northampton manager Jon Brady dedicated the win to the club’s chief executive James Whiting, who is currently recovering from illness in hospital.

“I’m so proud of the boys for that performance,” said Brady. “We’ve been through some tough moments recently but that win today was for James Whiting and we send him our best wishes.

“We’re a close-knit club and I’ve just texted him saying that one was for him today.

“We needed one or two blocks on the line and yes, they missed a good chance in the first half but we’ve scored a magnificent goal, a great cross and a brilliant finish – and we’ve also hit the post and we were also denied a stonewall penalty.

“Considering what’s happened with the players we have out and what people have said about us, that we’re on holiday, it’s one of our best wins of the season.

“You saw the commitment the players showed today, they worked so hard and it’s a really, really good performance.

“To beat Derby County with 10 players out is remarkable and everyone to a man was absolutely brilliant.”

Ryan Loft scored late on to give Port Vale a crucial 1-0 victory at Burton to end their 14-game winless run.

The striker pounced seven minutes from time to give Vale a first win of 2024 and pull themselves to within three points of Sky Bet League One safety.

Vale’s James Wilson fired the first effort of the game into the side netting and Burton keeper Jamal Blackman had to tip Nathan Smith’s goalbound header from a corner over the bar.

Albion’s best moments came from Mark Helm, the midfielder agonisingly wide with a curling effort while Connor Ripley had to come out of his goal to block him after an exchange of passes with Joe Hugill.

Burton captain John Brayford poked wide early in the second half before Vale’s Ben Garrity struck the post from Tom Sang’s corner.

The decisive moment came on a counterattack, Loft initially crossing for Ethan Chislett and, when the striker’s shot bounced back off the post, he was there to smash the ball in from close range.

Derby’s promotion hopes were dealt a major blow as they suffered a narrow 1-0 League One defeat at midtable Northampton.

The Cobblers’ first win in six games – and their first ever over Derby – came thanks to Sam Hoskins’ first-half strike, his 15th goal of the season.

Derby dominated possession early on and they should taken a 20th-minute lead but Martyn Waghorn side-footed the ball over with the goal at his mercy.

Northampton struck against the run of play midway through the first half when Louis Appere chased down a long ball and showed brilliant vision to pick out Hoskins, who volleyed first time into the bottom corner.

The visitors responded well but they could not find a leveller before half-time despite Ebou Adams twice going close, first denied by Sam Sherring’s goal-line clearance and then heading over when well placed.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing almost converted Kane Wilson’s cross after the restart before Manny Monthe hit the post at the other end.

Derby applied plenty of late pressure but could find no way through Northampton’s resilient rearguard and their misery was compounded by a straight red card for Sonny Bradley in stoppage-time.

Stevenage boss Steve Evans has been charged by the Football Association for failing to comply with a touchline ban.

Evans has until Thursday to respond to an allegation that he breached the terms of an existing punishment – social media users suggested he was too close to the pitch – during his side’s 3-1 League One defeat at Peterborough on March 13.

An FA spokesperson said on the governing body’s official X – formerly Twitter – account: “Stevenage’s Steve Evans has been charged for allegedly failing to comply with the terms of an automatic touchline suspension.

“The manager allegedly breached the terms of his suspension at their EFL League One game against Peterborough United on Wednesday 13 March. Steve Evans has until Thursday 21 March to provide a response.”

Former Peterborough manager Evans was serving the second game of an automatic suspension at the Weston Homes Stadium after being cautioned during his side’s goalless draw at Lincoln earlier this month.

FA guidance on touchline bans says those affected must not “position themselves in or behind the area of the dugout, or any barrier adjacent to the touchline or goal line” to prevent them communicating directly with players during a game.

Evans, who was appointed in March 2022, last month agreed a new, improved contract to remain with the Hertfordshire club until June 2026.

Steve Evans bemoaned refereeing standards and pleaded for an “equal chance” following Stevenage’s disallowed goal in their 1-0 loss to Leyton Orient at Broadhall Way.

Max Sanders netted the only goal of the game in the 16th minute and moved Orient to within five points of the League One play-off spots.

Stevenage thought they had equalised but Jamie Reid’s equaliser was ruled out due to a handball against Jordan Roberts – much to Evans’ ire.

The Boro boss, whose side now sit two points off sixth-placed Oxford albeit with a game in hand, said: “We are only trying to achieve what Portsmouth are, what Peterborough are, what Barnsley are. Just give us an equal chance to achieve that.

“It has knocked all the stuffing out of me.”

Evans claimed Stevenage have received 17 letters from the FA apologising for previous decisions.

He said: “I have lost all honesty and all faith; I’ve lost it all in referees. I said my piece before but I have lost all heart by the standard.

“I am not questioning the integrity but if that is the standard it is pretty painful.

“My job is to make sure that these young men are full of confidence. They still have great things to go home to, they still have families, they still have little kiddies.”

It was a result that damaged Stevenage’s play-off hopes but appeared to boost Orient’s own bid, leaving them just three points behind their opponents.

However, with games running out, boss Richie Wellens does not believe things will fall in his side’s favour.

He said: “Five points is fine, but it is the seven games (which) is too little and we are chasing too many good teams, and they won’t lose enough points. There is no chance.”

After the win, Wellens hoisted an imaginary trophy in front of the Stevenage fans, which did not please home defender Dan Sweeney.

It caused a post-match scuffle between the two teams but the Orient boss claimed he did not show any malice.

He said: “The fans were giving it and if they want to give their money and abuse me, I love it when come back at you.

“It was only a little trophy lift, and Sweeney came at me. If I do it with the supporters, they laugh at me and I laugh at them.

“I didn’t need to do it, but we have come here on the bare bones and given our supporters a good day out, so why shouldn’t we do it?”

Neil Critchley felt his Blackpool side deserved a point at Wigan after suffering a 1-0 defeat that dented their Sky Bet League One play-off aspirations.

An away win would have seen Blackpool climb to sixth in the table on goal difference ahead of the international break.

But Scott Smith’s 26th-minute goal – his first in senior football – proved to be the difference at the DW Stadium, as Wigan climbed to the 50-point mark.

Blackpool had chances to go home with a point, but England Under-21 goalkeeper Sam Tickle denied Shayne Lavery in the first half, before Wigan Academy product Kyle Joseph headed just wide for the visitors after the break.

“Yes, it was a fine line today, and we knew it was going to be like that,” said Critchley. “Looking at some of their recent results, most of them have been low-scoring games, and we knew the first goal would be decisive.

“They got it, from a really great cross but, from our point of view, a poor goal to concede.

“In the second half we were by far the more dominant team, we pinned them back, and it’s not easy to break down 11 men, but we created some decent chances.

“When you do that, you have to take one of them, and we couldn’t do that.

“You’re not going to come here and dominate for 90 minutes, they’re a good team with some good players.

“They play a really good brand of possession football, they overload the middle of the pitch, and they make it really difficult for you.

“I’ve watched a lot of them this season, and they cause a lot of teams a lot of problems with how they play.

“But there was nothing in the game…they got the first goal, and we dominated the second half.

“Overall I thought we deserved to get a point from the game, but it wasn’t to be.”

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney said: “It was two very different halves.

“Blackpool are one of the better teams in the league without the ball, and when you don’t get your build-up play right, they can quickly create chances.

“I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half was the complete opposite.

“We had to defend, and they had a couple of good chances, one a header and one that hit the side-netting.

“But I get just as much pleasure from watching that second-half performance as the first half.

“In the first half, we went very aggressive with the line-up, but we had to play under great pressure – and we did.

“Blackpool are a very good side, they’re going for the play-offs, and the more attacking they went in the second half, the more we had to defend.

“We’ve had to rely on Sam Tickle a lot in these kinds of matches, but I thought we defended pretty well.

“We gave up two chances in that second half, but in other matches we’ve given up a few more.

“In that sense, it was pleasing that we restricted them to that number of chances.”