Bolton boss Ian Evatt revealed Randell Williams saved himself an ear-bashing from team-mates by scoring the decisive goal in Wanderers’ mixed-bag display as they beat Northampton 2-1.

Williams scored for the first time since last February while the former Exeter and Hull player’s shot also led to Northern Ireland international Dion Charles opening Bolton’s account.

Sam Hoskins’ sixth goal of the campaign midway through the second half gave Town an unlikely sniff of a point, leaving both managers frustrated.

“It is a good job Randell did score,” said Evatt as Bolton climbed to fourth, albeit five points outside the top two.

“Had he rolled it across the face there were three strikers waiting to tap it in. They wouldn’t have been too happy (had he not scored).

“But credit to Randell, he finished it off well. For the first goal Dion sniffed the chance but Randell was in a good position taking the shot which we know he can do.”

Two-nil up in 16 minutes, the home side failed to capitalise as Evatt recognised.

“The first had was as good as we have played this season,” he said. “Some of our approach play was excellent.

“So, when we smell blood we need to finish the game off because 2-0 is a funny scoreline.

“We have to develop a ruthless streak but we are only going to get that stage by learning.

“All the messages we gave at half-time went out of the window because of the way we started and it spread throughout the team.

“We were loose and kept turning over the ball. It wasn’t just one player it was everybody.

“They got a momentum and there was a feel of nerves. We go back into ‘see the game out mode’ which isn’t really us.”

Town boss Jon Brady was left to rue his team’s poor start.

“Overall, it was frustrating we didn’t get a point from the game,” he said. “But you cannot start like we started against a high-quality side like Bolton.

“We were disjointed in the way we pressed but it was not meant to be that way.

“We came out of holes and they picked us off quite easily. It was too easy to get through both goals.

“It meant I had to make changes at half-time because I couldn’t accept the way we were playing. I felt the changes made a big difference.

“In the secondd half, it showed we can be competitive and the way we can play .

“You can credit them and Bolton play good football but we made it way too easy for them and that was the disappointing thing.”

Michael Appleton was delighted with the “killer instinct” of his Charlton team as they produced a second-half blitz to deepen Reading’s woes with a 4-0 rout.

Chuks Aneke, Tyreece Campbell, Alfie May and Miles Leaburn scored after the restart for the Addicks to ensure the visitors still have not collected a single point on the road this season.

Charlton are flying under former Blackpool, Lincoln and Portsmouth boss Appleton.

Since he was appointed they are unbeaten and have collected 12 points from a possible 18 to move firmly into the Sky Bet League One play-off picture.

“One of the questions we asked ourselves before the game was to make sure we had the same desire to want to go again and play on the front foot,” said head coach Appleton.

“Sometimes when you get teams in the position like Reading are and you go ahead then there can be a tendency to take your foot off the gas a little bit and allow them to get back into the game – we didn’t do that.

“We have to be ruthless and have that killer instinct, that when you see the opposition on the ropes you make sure you use it as a strength rather than a weakness.”

The only negative for Appleton was seeing Aneke forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury shortly after his goal.

The powerful forward netted for the first time in more than a year in the league.

“We will know in the next 48 hours whether it is a strain, a pull or just fatigue,” said Appleton. “We weren’t expecting him to get through 90 minutes today but we certainly were hoping we’d be able to bring him off with sufficient time to know he would be available for Tuesday.

“That still might be the case – I’d rather be positive than negative.”

There were no plusses for Royals manager Ruben Selles. They have drawn two and lost 18 of their last 20 matches on the road.

“The first half we showed what we can do,” said Selles. “The start of the second half was really good and then in one action we concede the goal.

“We still created chances to equalise. We didn’t and the second goal turned everything down and we weren’t able to stay in the game.

“I’m disappointed. The performance for 60 minutes was there but we need to be able to do it for 100 minutes.

“We go to every stadium to try and win the game – that’s what we showed today. Unfortunately when we concede that second goal we should be able to stay more in the game.

“We need to be more ruthless in both boxes and need to grow, be more strong with our mindset.

“We need to be better in the transition. For the first 60 minutes we were dynamic and aggressive with our pressure.

“It is now a good moment to play at home and build momentum – because we have been performing well there.”

Wigan ended a run of four-successive defeats in League One with a hard fought 2-0 win at Exeter.

It is now five-straight defeats for Exeter, who made a slow start to the game and paid the price for that as the Latics opened the scoring after eight minutes.

Pierce Sweeney came out second best in an aerial duel and the ball fell kindly for Stephen Humphreys, who advanced down the left and picked out Martial Godo. He side-footed the ball past Vili Sinisalo and into the net from 10 yards.

The home side regrouped and had plenty of possession, but they rarely looked like scoring.

Wigan were happy to sit in and soak up the pressure and look to hit Exeteroin the counter attack and rarely looked like scoring themselves.

The hosts had more urgency after the break and the closest they came to an equaliser was in stoppage time when substitute Yanic Wildschut struck the base of the post from a narrow angle.

Wigan then wrapped things up right at the death when Jordan Jones advanced from deep and beat two men before his shot unfortunately deflected off Will Aimson and squeezed in at the near post.

Tom Shaw secured his first win in interim charge of Lincoln with a 1-0 League One victory against Fleetwood.

Alex Mitchell handed the Imps an early lead at Highbury and it proved crucial, as Fleetwood were reduced to 10 men late on through Toto Nsiala’s red card.

Fleetwood’s Jack Marriott fired wide on the turn in the opening phase, but the visitors took a sixth-minute advantage when Mitchell stabbed the ball home from close range after connecting with Reeco Hackett’s overhead kick.

Ted Bishop headed over after 25 minutes as the visitors remained in control, though Xavier Simons tested goalkeeper Lukas Jensen at the other end, moments later.

Ethan Hamilton took aim from distance for the Imps but Jay Lynch was equal to it, while Marriott drew Jensen into action early in the second half.

Junior Quitirna blasted the ball over before the hour mark and Bosun Lawal later fired wide as the Cod Army sought an equaliser.

Nsiala was dismissed deep in injury time for clumsily bundling over Lincoln’s Jovan Makama.

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley thought his team thoroughly deserved their point from the 1-1 draw at second-placed Oxford, even though Jordan Rhodes left it late to grab the equaliser.

Rhodes, who had missed two previous opportunities in a stirring second-half fightback by the Tangerines, glanced home a header in the second minute of stoppage time from James Husband’s headed cross.

Jamaica international Greg Leigh had scored his fifth goal of the season to put a dominant Oxford in front in the 36th minute but Blackpool responded well after the break and finished very strongly.

Critchley said: “A point was the very least we deserved from the game after that second half.

“I just don’t think we were close enough in the first half. We allowed a good team with good players to control the game.

“They didn’t really have a good chance except for their goal – they didn’t really get to our goal – but we were just a little bit passive, a bit too far off.

“The goal epitomised the first half for us – we didn’t get close enough to stop the cross and we switched off and didn’t defend the ball into the box well enough. That’s the reason we were 1-0 down.

“In the second half we came out with a lot more aggression to take the game to Oxford and we stopped them from building up and controlling the game, and we pushed them right back.

“Then we were the dominant team and we created a number of chances.

“If we had scored with maybe 10 minutes to go we could have gone on and won the game possibly.

“We could easily have thought it was not going to be our day, but this team never give up.

“It was the first time we have come from behind this season to take something – that’s really important – and that second half is exactly how I want a Blackpool team to play – dominating the ball and possession… sometimes you have to go sideways and backwards to then go forward.

“I felt we had them, the substitutes made a difference. Oxford are at home in great form and not many teams could have come here and done what we’ve done to them today.

“Jordan is actually disappointed coming off the pitch. He said, ‘I could have had two or three goals really’, but it was a great goal, and a brilliant header from Hubby across the box, and Jordan does what he does, he gets across his man and glances it in from the six-yard box.”

Blackpool’s equaliser denied the U’s what would have been a sixth straight league win, but they stay second in the table, behind Portsmouth.

Oxford head coach Liam Manning said: “The lads are obviously disappointed because of the timing of when the goal was conceded.

“But I was delighted with the football we played and our play in possession in the first half, and the goal was outstanding.

“Yes, we have to manage the game better and you do that by getting out wide to stop them getting crosses in – but it takes a lot of running.

“The bigger picture to me, though, is that the first half showed the huge progress we have made. There was some terrific football from us.

“We had a certain structure out of possession today that was different to us in possession and I think the players did that well.

“The goal we scored had some great moments of interplay in the build-up, and the finish was a moment of real quality from Greg.

“What we have to remember is that it was a major transition with the players in the team in the summer.

“The most pleasing thing to me was that the first half showed the progress we have made with the players taking on board what we’re trying to do – because to do that in possession takes a long time normally.”

Charlton extended their unbeaten run in Sky Bet League One to seven matches as they thrashed Reading 4-0 to ensure their horrendous away form continued.

The Royals have not collected a single point on their travels this season and last won on the road in the league nearly a calendar year ago – November 12, 2022.

Charlton sparked into life after a low-quality first half and scored three goals in the space of 20 minutes – with a hat-trick of assists from Corey Blackett-Taylor.

Chuks Aneke was left with a simple close-range header from the winger’s cross in the 54th minute.

Aneke was forced off shortly afterwards with a hamstring injury but it did not prevent the Addicks from opening the floodgates.

Substitute Tyreece Campbell smashed a stunning second 14 minutes later.

Reading keeper David Button tipped over Miles Leaburn’s shot as Charlton began to go through the gears.

Alfie May pounced at the near post for his eighth goal of the campaign before Campbell sent Miles Leaburn racing through in stoppage time to clinically finish past Button.

Barnsley’s hopes of securing a club-record sixth successive away league win were thwarted by an in-form Leyton Orient side in a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Road.

Joe Pigott gave Orient a first-half lead from the penalty spot before a superb 20-yard strike by Herbie Kane levelled matters.

The visitors ended the match with 10 men following the dismissal of substitute Sam Cosgrove.

Orient nosed ahead in the 27th minute when referee Peter Wright ruled that a shot by Ruel Sotiriou had been handled by Jamie McCart in the penalty area.

After vehement protests from the Tykes players, Pigott stepped forward to calmly slot the ball home.

The Tykes should have levelled a minute into the second-half when Devante Cole picked out Max Watters at the far post with Sol Brynn stranded but the Barnsley forward stabbed the chance wide from five yards.

The visitors deservedly levelled, however, when Kane exchanged passes with Cole before drilling his shot into the roof of the net from 20 yards out.

Cosgrove was booked in the 89th minute for a foul and two minutes later was again shown the yellow card for dissent, resulting in his dismissal.

Shrewsbury had Conor Hourihane to thank as they secured a 1-0 home win over Derby.

The only goal came from the former Aston Villa midfielder, who headed into his own net from a Taylor Perry cross.

Just before half-time, referee Martin Woods pointed to the penalty spot after Curtis Nelson brought down Max Mata but Tom Bayliss took the effort and blazed the ball over the bar.

Shrewsbury went close again a minute later when Mata went through on goal but his effort was denied by Joe Wildsmith’s foot.

The home side were in the ascendency after the break and Perry floated a cross into the box in the 56th minute.

It looked to have first been met by Bayliss but Hourihane was the last player to get contact before the ball rustled into the back of the net.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing went on a darting run through a crowd of bodies with just over 20 minutes to go before laying it off to Louie Sibley in the box but his effort went over the bar.

Burton made it four straight League One wins with a comprehensive 4-1 win over 10-man Bristol Rovers.

Bez Lubala grabbed a first-half brace after Antony Evans had headed Rovers in front but, after Ryan Woods was dismissed midway through the second half, Albion rammed home their advantage with goals from Joe Powell and Kwadwo Baah.

Rovers went in front just moments after Albion’s Powell had hit the woodwork direct from a corner. The Gas went up the other end and good link-up play between Chris Martin and Aaron Collins saw Evans stoop to head in unmarked at the back post.

It took Albion a while to properly settle into the game but Lubala put them in control by the break.

The Congolese striker got the touch ahead of defender Connor Taylor to convert Tom Hamer’s low cross midway through the half before turning sharply into the box to capitalise on Mark Helm’s cross and finish beyond Matthew Cox from close range.

Rovers began to press in the second half looking for an equaliser but they were reduced to 10 men on 64 minutes with Woods dismissed for his aerial challenge on Helm.

Powell lashed home a 25-yard screamer to make a 3-1 on 81 minutes before Baah completed the rout with an angled drive three minutes later.

Ephron Mason-Clark scored at both ends as Peterborough and Wycombe served up a four-goal thriller that ended 2-2.

The game burst into life late in the first half with Brandon Hanlan slotting Wycombe into a 35th-minute lead after fine footwork from Joe Low in a packed penalty area.

The advantage was short-lived with Joel Randall striking direct from a corner in the 40th minute to grab his second goal in as many games.

Darren Ferguson’s men completed a rapid turnaround in the first minute of stoppage time when Mason-Clark curled a terrific finish past Max Stryjek after being picked out by David Ajiboye.

A stunning Nicholas Bilokapic save prevented Dale Taylor from pulling Wycombe level 30 seconds into the second half before former Chairboys defender Josh Knight cleared a Killian Phillips shot off the line.

But it was a Posh man who applied the final touch when Wycombe did eventually level in the 61st minute as Mason-Clark headed a Luke Leahy free-kick into his own net.

And it took another brilliant Knight block to keep out a goalbound Phillips effort to ensure Wycombe did not leave with all three points.

Port Vale halted a three-match losing streak with a 0-0 draw away at Stevenage.

Andy Crosby’s men arrived in Hertfordshire on the back of three straight defeats and no win in five and Connor Ripley kept Jake Forster-Caskey and Jamie Reid’s efforts out either side of half time to ensure a point for the visitors.

The away side started well as Ben Garrity saw his shot blocked and Funso Ojo’s well-struck shot from range was saved by Taye Ashby-Hammond from the resulting corner.

Boro started to come into the game before the half hour mark when Forster-Caskey’s effort was well-saved by Ripley before Nick Freeman’s follow-up was blocked.

Dan Butler’s pinpoint cross then picked out Forster-Caskey, who fired over from close range.

Ripley had to be on hand once again after the break, standing firm to deny Reid after he was out through on goal.

Stevenage kept up the pressure as they tried to force a winner, but Jason Lowe was on hand to block Elliott List’s effort late on.

Dion Charles returned from international duty to help high flyers Bolton to a 2-1 Skybet League One win over struggling Northampton.

But it was Randell Williams’ first goal of the season that separated the teams after Wanderers failed to capitalise on a quickfire 2-0 lead.

Top scorer Sam Hoskins’ sixth goal of the season after 66 minutes gave the Cobblers an unexpected lifeline.

However, the Trotters stayed ahead, returning to winning ways after a shock 3-1 home defeat to Carlisle last time out.

Northern Ireland international Charles took only eight minutes to register his ninth of goal of the campaign after Williams’ shot came back off a post.

Williams had not scored since Valentine’s Day but arrowed in a right-footed effort to double Bolton’s lead eight minutes later.

Bolton’s biggest concern was complacency as skipper Ricardo Santos’s sloppy pass allowed Hoskins to test keeper Nathan Baxter.

And the result was back in the balance when the Cobblers’ captain headed in Manny Monthe’s cross for what ultimately proved just a consolation .

League One leaders Portsmouth beat Carlisle 1-0 thanks to a Conor Shaughnessy header in added time at Fratton Park.

The first half was nearly all Pompey as they laid siege on the club in 20th place in the table, but Carlisle held firm.

Colby Bishop had a header easily gathered by Tomas Holy and another sailed over the bar.

The easiest chance for Pompey saw a Jack Sparkes cross somehow sliced wide by Bishop from six yards.

Carlisle almost took the lead on 20 minutes, but the ball was scrambled away from a Sean Maguire cross-shot.

And they nearly went ahead again in the first minute of the second half when a weak shot from Alfie McCalmont hit the post.

The visitors continued to threaten and almost snatched it in the final minute but a Dan Butterworth strike was pushed around the post by Will Norris.

Portsmouth made them pay as Shaughnessy rose highest to head in and stretch their winning run to six matches.

Jordan Rhodes glanced in a stoppage-time header to earn Blackpool a 1-1 draw at second-placed Oxford in Sky Bet League One.

Left-back Greg Leigh netted his fifth goal of the season to give Oxford a 36th-minute lead.

The Jamaica international volleyed in a Stan Mills cross from close range at the end of a flowing move from the U’s, but Blackpool mounted a strong finish to salvage a point.

Oxford dominated possession with their crisp passing in the first half but the Tangerines stayed disciplined to deny them many clear openings.

Leigh escaped his marker at the back post from a free-kick but could not direct his downward header past Dan Grimshaw.
However, he made no mistake with his unerring volley a few minutes later to break the deadlock.

Pool’s first effort on goal came 10 minutes into the second half when Rhodes tried to lob the keeper – but James Beadle saved comfortably.

Shayne Lavery headed over, James Husband nodded a corner wide and Rhodes volleyed over as Blackpool pressed hard for an equaliser late on.

Beadle also saved with his legs from Rhodes but the striker eventually beat him.

Liam Sercombe’s early goal was to enough to sink Cambridge 1-0 and earn Cheltenham their first win of the season.

The midfielder beat goalkeeper Jack Stevens with a deft chip from 20 yards in the fifth minute.

It was only the bottom-placed Robins’ second league goal of the season, but they are already showing signs of improvement under new boss Darrell Clarke.
They had picked up a creditable 1-1 draw with Derby County in their last league outing.

Cheltenham started well against a Cambridge side who were winless in six.

Liam Smith forced a save from Stevens a minute before Sercombe’s goal and Tom Bradbury was also close in the 11th minute.

Rob Street’s header from Sean Long’s crossed drifted just past the far post before half-time.

James Olayinka tested Stevens early in the second half, but Cambridge were close a leveller when Michael Morrison’s close-range header cleared the bar in the 70th minute.

Street saw another headed effort turned over by a flying Stevens three minutes later and Smith was denied by Morrison’s block late on, but Cheltenham had done enough to end their 175-day wait for a win.