Bradford manager Graham Alexander felt his side showed real courage to put their four-game losing streak to bed.

Second-half goals from Calum Kavanagh and Bobby Pointon earned City a 2-0 win over Tranmere at Valley Parade.

Alexander was pleased with the response to a slump that had seen them concede 13 goals and score just once in losing to Forest Green, Mansfield, Notts County and Harrogate.

He said: “We want to win and glad we did because we deserved to. But even if we hadn’t, I’d be just as pleased with how the players approached the game.

“We’ve had a difficult two weeks and had heavy criticism which has been justified because of our low performances in those games.

“But there was a big upturn from the players. It was a big challenge for them today.

“Sometimes when you’re in a dark moment, it’s about facing up to it and not hiding away. I thought they did that and showed brilliant courage on the ball on a really difficult pitch for both teams.

“The football we played, especially in the second half, was great testament to that and their work ethic for each other.

“They showed they cared for their team-mates and they showed their true character. Our challenge is to continue to do that.”

A small group of Bradford fans had protested outside the ground before kick-off against club owner Stefan Rupp, who had written an open letter on Thursday apologising for the club’s poor season.

After a goalless first half, the hosts took the lead in the 64th minute when Kavanagh converted Lewis Richards’ cross before Pointon added a spectacular second on his first start for two months.

Alexander added of 20-year-old Pointon: “Everyone will be telling me, ‘I told you so’ and that’s great. Let’s hope he does the same on Monday and next week.”

It was a second successive defeat for Tranmere, who had their chances from set-pieces.

Manager Nigel Adkins said: “It was an open game which made for a good spectacle. It was probably like a throwback to the old days with that pitch.

“We started the game really well with Joe Yarney going close from a corner and Tom Davies had another one with a header in the second half just over the bar.

“That came from a corner after their goalkeeper made a fantastic save from Harvey Saunders. It was 0-0 at the time and sometimes you’ve got to take those chances when they come.

“They have scored two good goals, to be fair.

“The first was a good cross from their player to put the ball in the box for them to go on and score.

“We were attacking for the second and then a bit of miscontrol on the pitch and they were able to break the other way.

“To be fair to the lad, he’s got the ball, drifted inside and put it in the top stanchion. It was a great finish.”

Salford boss Karl Robinson labelled his team’s performance a disgrace but took some responsibility for their 2-1 defeat to Sutton.

The Ammies lacked the quality needed to overcome relegation-threatened United and Robinson made his feelings clear at full-time.

“The lack of game understanding, lack of desire … it’s a disgrace,” a frustrated Robinson said.

“But credit to the opposition. I thought they outfought us. I thought they won more second balls. I thought they made it more difficult for us.

“I got the team wrong so I have to take responsibility for that but what I won’t take responsibility for is that lack of work ethic – it’s inexcusable.

“Their jobs aren’t safe. Some of them are playing themselves out of that shirt.

“There are areas we know we can work on and move forward with and different aspects of our game that we can look at and be slightly positive about.

“But I would only be deflecting from how bad the 90 per cent of that performance was. It will have to be a quick fix because we play on Monday.

“Don’t think this is all aimed at players, this is collectively as well and I got one or two things wrong and put faith in one or two I perhaps shouldn’t have.”

The first half lacked quality and Sutton eventually took the lead through a free-kick flicked on by Harry Smith and converted by Olly Sanderson.

Salford got back into the game after half-time through Ryan Watson but the visitors snatched the points with Sanderson grabbing his second.

Sutton boss Steve Morison was pleased with how his side dealt with Salford and praised his goalscorer.

“It’s nice to string a few wins together and I’m really pleased with the lads’ attitude today,” he said.

“We were excellent from start to finish. We knew that Matt Smith was their threat but I think our lads played him really well.

“We were looking to stop service to him but today wasn’t about Smith, it was about Sutton and how well we have done and we’ve put more points on the board.

“On the other side of that, we created some really good chances and could have won by more.

“I’m really pleased for Sanderson, he’s worked incredibly hard again today and he got his rewards for being in the right place at the right time with two excellent finishes.

“We have to make changes for Monday now, the squad comes into play and we have to be as fresh as we can.

“Emotion has to go out of the window and people have to deal with the fact you played today and scored two goals but won’t on Monday.”

Colchester boss Danny Cowley admitted his side made life difficult for themselves but was delighted with the way they fought back to claim a crucial win over Newport.

The relegation-threatened U’s were without a win in eight matches and looked set for more frustration in a game where Cowley felt they had ‘total dominance’ after falling behind to Offrande Zanzala’s 42nd-minute opener.

But Ellis Iandolo drew the hosts level with 15 minutes to go before Jay Mingi struck in the second minute of stoppage time, securing a dramatic 2-1 victory that keeps Colchester a point above second-bottom Sutton in League Two.

Cowley, speaking after his first home win as U’s boss, said: “It was probably the best way for us to win a game when we haven’t won for so long.

“To win it that late on, it didn’t give us that much time to think – we don’t make it easy for ourselves, do we!

“It was a really good win for us.

“We had total dominance of the game and total control.

“In the first half, we were the only team taking the game and they obviously sat very deep and made it very difficult for us.

“We had to have good emotional control and we did that but then conceded a goal from nowhere.

“It’s a bad habit that we have and we made life difficult for ourselves but credit to the players.

“To come in at half-time behind to a team that pretty much hadn’t had a shot on target is tough but I was pleased with the second-half performance.”

Colchester’s Alistair Smith hit the crossbar in the first half while Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend denied John Akinde minutes later.

Newport took the lead through Zanzala when he scored after a mix-up between U’s goalkeeper Owen Goodman and Connor Hall.

However, Iandolo equalised in the 75th minute, netting at the far post from Cameron McGeehan’s corner, before Mingi slammed home from Noah Chilvers’ pass to seal Colchester’s victory.

Newport boss Graham Coughlan said: “The performance wasn’t great and nor was the result.

“I thought their bench won them the game – it’s a very, very strong bench and we just don’t have that.

“At this moment in time, we’re missing too many players to be competitive and we’re not strong enough or good enough, at this moment in time.

“We’re coming up short in games and I just think the season is catching up with us.

“We’ve asked a lot of this group of lads and a number of those lads on the pitch have played 51 games – that’s a big, big ask.

“You can see that physically and mentally, we look a team that has played 50-odd games and I just don’t have the strength in depth to impact the games the way they did.

“They (Colchester) are third from bottom and they’re bringing those type of players off the bench and we can’t do that.”

Phil Parkinson insists Wrexham will keep their feet on the ground following their important 2-0 win in the League Two promotion race against Mansfield but admits the Dragons are relishing the top-of-the-table fight.

Paul Mullin’s brace, including a second-half penalty, ensured victory for Wrexham to go level with the Stags and both sides are just a point behind leaders Stockport, who have a game in hand.

Parkinson praised his players’ determination as he admits his squad are enjoying each game at the business end of the campaign.

He said: “It was a hard-earned win, gritty, determined performance. The out-of-possession work I thought was outstanding.

“We respected Mansfield because of the season they’re having but the way the lads worked, starting with the front two and all through the team, restricted a very good Mansfield team to very little.

“We’re not going to get too high after today. It’s another game chalked off, six to go and a win against one of our rivals, but now it’s about preparation for what will be a terrific game at Doncaster on Tuesday.

“It’s a very competitive division but we knew that at the start. There’s lots of teams who’ve been in the division for a long time and have been building – like Mansfield, who have been building for years to have a season like this – so it’s competitive but we’re enjoying it, the lads are relishing every single game and they take a lot of heart from today.”

Mansfield’s Nigel Clough believes two key second-half refereeing decisions by Lewis Smith decided the game, as Davis Keillor-Dunn’s goal was disallowed for robbing Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and the penalty was awarded for Jordan Bowery’s challenge on Luke Bolton.

He said: “I thought there were two key decisions in the second half that made the difference in the game.

“I can’t see if he’s (Okonkwo) just got the ball in his hands or he’s just dropped it, he’s very close to the edge of the box anyway and you’ve seen them let go, the referees sometimes let those go and you get an equaliser.

“But you’re still in at 1-0. The second one, he’s two yards outside the penalty area, there’s absolutely no excuse whatsoever for getting that one wrong.

“A young referee today who has had Premier League experience I believe – maybe he was waiting for VAR, I’m not sure! I wish we’d have had it today, it would have ruled the penalty out and we’re still in the game.

“I thought generally we played well, played some good stuff, didn’t have much of a threat. I thought the front three in the first half didn’t make the most of the situations.”

Dave Challinor hailed defender Ibby Touray after he silenced his critics with a dazzling display in a 3-0 win at Forest Green that hoisted Stockport back to the top of the table.

The former Salford stalwart had faced the wrath of Hatters fans but was outstanding against the league’s basement boys, setting up one goal and tying opposite number Fankaty Dabo in knots.

Boss Challinor said: “If you asked any manager in League Two who was one of the best full-backs last season it would have been Ibby Touray and he’s not reproduced that form this year. I’ll take the blame for that in terms of the position we have asked him to play.

“His performances haven’t been consistent enough because he is a very good player. I get that this is a different animal to what he has been used to – a new environment and a new changing room – but there was some really good stuff today and let’s hope he gets a boost from that.

“It was probably as complete a [team] performance as we’ve had. To create the chances we have and the fact that they have not had a shot on goal is pleasing. We started in a manner that played the will and the fight out of them. We had control in good areas.”

Stockport dominated throughout and opened the scoring after 19 minutes when Callum Camps let fly with a 25-yard effort that soared into the top right-hand corner.

It was 2-0 in the 28th minute when Touray broke down the left and crossed for Rico Richards, who fired home.

Forest Green keeper Vicente Reyes pulled off good saves to deny Paddy Madden and Kyle Wootton before the break but was beaten again after 51 minutes when frontman Wootton got the better of his marker and squared to Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, whose shot was going wide until it hit Rovers defender Jamie Robson and flew into the net.

Disappointed Rovers boss Steve Cotterill said: “That was the toughest one to take for me since I’ve been here because whatever we could have done today, they were just better than us and they would have picked holes in it.

“The players kept going and that takes a lot of courage but with a few of them I have seen that there’s a confidence issue. It then looks like they are not trying or not getting involved in the game and that’s very difficult.

“When you look at the 90 minutes, it would be easy to go in and shout at them but that’s not what they need from me at the moment, they need supporting through this. It is very difficult for them, they are young men.”

Notts County boss Stuart Maynard bemoaned a pair of “horrendous” defensive errors after his side were beaten 2-1 by Swindon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ged Brannan is delighted his Morecambe side are now back in the promotion mix after their 2-1 win over Lancashire rivals Accrington.

Bolton loanee Nelson Khumbeni fired home his first Shrimps goal in the 55th minute before a Charlie Brown free-kick was seemingly turned home by Chris Stokes from close-range after 62 minutes – although the Shrimps are appealing it as they believe it curled straight in from Brown’s set-piece.

Lewis Shipley headed home for Stanley after 89 minutes to set up a grandstand finish, with Morecambe keeper Archie Mair making a couple of saves in added time, but 10th-placed Morecambe held on for the win to keep them within three points of the top seven.

“It was a fantastic finish by Nelson, his first goal for us. He has worked so hard for it and he is buzzing in the changing room,” said Brannan, who left his under-23s job at Accrington in November to become manager at Morecambe and is great friends with Stanley boss John Doolan.

“Charlie Brown bent in the second and, after four defeats, we had to get some type of result from this game for our own pride, it was a make-or-break game for us, so it’s great to get a win.

“It keeps us right in the mix with a game in hand on some teams.

“There were nine minutes of added time and they felt like two hours but we made a few blocks, we dug deep, and we showed great character to stick at it to the end.

“Now it’s onto Barrow on Monday and we have to see if we can take something from that game too to make it a good Easter period.”

Doolan’s Stanley side have slipped to 18th in the Sky Bet League Two table.

“I didn’t think there was a lot in it in the first half, both keepers had one save to make and then the first goal is always going to be crucial,” Doolan said.

“We felt it was a foul to us in the build-up but their lad has finished well.

“For the second goal we know Radek (Vitek) has to do better and we have talked to him about this.

“We then showed great character to come back and we came to life but we can’t afford to give teams goals like we have.

“We asked questions and I was happy with the way we finished, and we came so close to an equaliser, but it wasn’t to be.

“It’s a learning curve with a young side but we can’t keep giving sides a lead.”

Jay Mingi scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure relegation-battling Colchester a vital 2-1 comeback victory over Newport.

Mingi slammed a shot into the roof of the net from Noah Chilvers’ pass in the second minute of stoppage time to earn a first win in nine matches for the U’s.

Colchester, who had drawn six of their previous eight matches, came close to scoring in the 24th minute when Alistair Smith’s brilliant effort clattered the underside of the bar.

Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend bravely denied John Akinde minutes later as the hosts threatened again.

But it was Newport who would took a 42nd-minute lead through Offrande Zanzala, who took advantage of a mix-up between U’s goalkeeper Owen Goodman and team-mate Connor Hall following Matt Baker’s long ball forward.

Colchester pressed for an equaliser in the second half and Townsend made excellent saves to thwart both Akinde and Smith.

The hosts equalised in the 75th minute through substitute Ellis Iandolo, who scored from close range at the far post from Cameron McGeehan’s corner.

Goodman denied substitute Seb Palmer-Houlden while at the other end, Baker cleared Chilvers’ effort off the line before Mingi won it to leave Colchester a point clear of second-bottom Sutton in League Two.

Bradford ended a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Tranmere at Valley Parade.

A small group of Bradford fans had protested outside the ground before kick-off against club owner Stefan Rupp, who had written an open letter on Friday apologising for the club’s poor season.

But Graham Alexander’s side returned to winning ways thanks to second-half goals from Calum Kavanagh and Bobby Pointon.

Luke Norris shot just wide for Tranmere as the visitors looked to add to Bradford’s problems before Bantams captain Richie Smallwood sent a curling free-kick over the wall and against the bar.

Harvey Saunders nearly put Tranmere in front with a cheeky back-heel that Sam Walker smothered on the line.

Bradford struck the woodwork for a second time when Pointon’s low drive hit the inside of the post while Tranmere continued to create chances as well, with home keeper Walker needing to tip over from Saunders’ free-kick.

But Bradford took the lead after 64 minutes when Kavanagh turned home a low cross from Lewis Richards.

Kavanagh then set up Pointon for a thumping second goal five minutes later to ensure a three-point haul for Bradford.

Ronan Curtis scored and was sent off as AFC Wimbledon had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Harrogate at Plough Lane.

The result did little to help either team’s Sky Bet League Two play-off charge.

Matty Daly’s cool opener was cancelled out by Curtis, who was sent off for a reckless challenge only three minutes later.

The Dons lie one point outside the play-offs, while their visitors are left with a five-point deficit to make up.

Within eight minutes the Sulphurites had the lead, George Thomson teeing up Daly after nice work down the left by Jeremy Sivi.

A toothless first period was quickly improved upon by Wimbledon, Curtis and James Ball both missing the target from close-range headers early in the second half.

Soon after another lofted ball into the box got them level, Harrogate failing to deal with a Jake Reeves free-kick and Curtis happily firing the loose ball home before being sent off for a late tackle on Levi Sutton just after the hour-mark.

Harrogate failed to capitalise on the man advantage with the Dons looking most threatening from set-pieces, though neither side was able to grab a winner.

MK Dons thumped Walsall 5-0 to keep the pressure on in the race for automatic promotion from League Two.

Emre Tezgel put the hosts ahead, before Max Dean’s brace and further goals from Alex Gilbey and Joe Tomlinson gave them an emphatic victory.

The result keeps the Dons three points off the top three, while Walsall are now without a win in four.

Walsall earlier missed two good chances when Mo Faal twice failed to score from one-on-one opportunities.

MK Dons punished their visitors’ profligacy when Tomlinson’s cross was flicked on by Gilbey for Tezgel, who converted from close range.

The Dons moved further clear after scoring their first league penalty of the season. Dean was fouled by Walsall goalkeeper Jackson Smith, and the substitute fired past Smith from the spot.

Gilbey extended the Dons’ lead just three minutes later as he received Dean’s pass and beat Smith.

Tomlinson then struck a fourth when he found the bottom corner from Dean’s through ball, before Dean himself bundled home the fifth 11 minutes from time to round off Dons’ biggest win of the season.

Aaron Drinan scored his third goal in four games as two pieces of comedic defending helped Swindon break a four-match winless streak by beating Notts County 2-1.

Swindon had the lead after 19 minutes in calamitous circumstances as Scott Robertson tried to play the ball back to his goalkeeper but it hit the post and rebounded for Drinan to net.

Sean McGurk then drifted out to the right and picked out Paul Glatzel in space with a whipped cross after he had run off the back of the defender, but his header rattled the crossbar and bounced over.

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

Substitute Alassana Jatta scored a stoppage-time consolation goal for the visitors from an acute angle but it proved too little too late as County’s slide down the table continued.

Goals from Hakeeb Aselakun and Max Biamou gave 10-man Doncaster their fourth successive victory with a 2-0 win at the Broadfield Stadium as Crawley slipped out of the play-off places.

Rovers battled for the last 24 minutes with 10 players after defender Tom Anderson picked up a straight red card.

Crawley went into the game with assistant boss Jamie Day in charge in the technical area, supported by first-team coach Carl Laraman and injured skipper Ben Gladwin, as manager Scott Lindsey served the second of a two-match touchline ban.

Goalkeeper Corey Addai produced a save to deny Rovers midfielder Luke Molyneux in the 13th minute, flinging himself to his right to divert a goalbound shot around a post.

Crawley should have gone ahead just before the half-hour mark when Jeremy Kelly put Klaidi Lolos through, but his shot was parried by keeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala and Danilo Orsi’s attempted follow-up was blocked by Richard Wood.

Adelakun, on loan from Lincoln, forced Addai to parry his shot shortly after the interval before striking to put Rovers ahead after 57 minutes.

The forward was on target for the sixth time for Doncaster with a shot from an acute into the roof of the net in front of the travelling fans.

Rovers were reduced to 10 men after 66 minutes when defender Anderson was shown a straight red for bringing down the on-rushing Orsi.

Substitute Biamou should have increased Rovers’ lead after an error by Addai, shooting wide with the goal at his mercy, but sealed victory in the eighth minute of stoppage time from close range after keeper Addai’s attempted clearance was charged down.

Olly Sanderson’s brace gave relegation-threatened Sutton a 2-1 victory over Salford in League Two.

The first half between two struggling sides lacked quality but Sutton scored the opener just before the break from a free-kick flicked on by the towering Harry Smith and met by Sanderson on the goal line.

Salford’s best chance came from Conor McAleny, who beat several men but failed to bury a shot from the edge of the box.

They got the equaliser just after half-time – a shot from substitute Callum Hendry was parried straight to Ryan Watson who scored from 12 yards out.

Sutton regained their lead after a Josh Coley cross eventually found Sanderson who drilled home his second of the game.

A late onslaught from Salford did not result in an equaliser as the visitors remained strong at the back and defended their lead successfully.

The win was not enough to move them out of the bottom two and they still sit a point behind Colchester.

Play-off chasing rivals Gillingham and Crewe played out an entertaining 0-0 draw at Priestfield Stadium.

The Gills went close early on when Timothee Dieng’s powerful header was superbly tipped around a post by Crewe keeper Tom Booth.

The visitors responded midway through the first half when Elliott Nevitt met Aaron Rowe’s cross, only to see his effort bravely blocked.

The Gills were on top in the run-up to the interval.

George Lapslie missed a terrific chance when he somehow fired off-target from close range following some smart work from Remeao Hutton.

Crewe began the second period brightly, with Rowe going close after meeting Josh Austerfield’s cross.

Nevitt then fluffed a one-on-one chance as Gills stopper Glenn Morris saved well.

At the other end Booth saved superbly from Josh Andrews as, despite being held, the Gills’ unbeaten run extended to three games.

Crewe remain six points ahead of their hosts, but they continue to stutter somewhat thanks to just one win in their last six matches.