Salford head coach Karl Robinson was delighted to end a four-game losing run with a last-gasp 1-0 win at Newport but knows the club’s owners will demand more next season.

Robinson’s men are 20th in League Two after Matt Smith came off the bench to hit a 92nd-minute winner at Rodney Parade and condemn the hosts to a seventh straight defeat.

Smith slammed in the rebound after fellow substitute Junior Luamba hit the post in stoppage time. And Robinson felt Luamba and Kelly Nmai, who also came off the bench, made the difference.

“I don’t think we’ve been that bad over the last four or five games,” said Robinson after the late drama.

“We’ve deserved an awful lot more than we’ve got, and it would have been criminal for us not to get all three points today.

“I was really pleased with the balance of the team. I think the injection of pace gave us the impetus late on against a team that looked like they were getting more and more tired.

“It’s pleasing to make the long journey back with three points in the bag, it’s a nice feeling and the players deserve it.”

Robinson has steered Salford to safety since taking over from Neil Wood in January, but he is well aware that the club’s owners – former Manchester United stars Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville – expect more.

“We’re still nowhere near the finished article,” he said. “I think there’s a lot more that we can do.

“When you’ve got owners like we have and they speak consistently about how much better they want to be, and the work that everyone puts in at this club – I think we’ve got a duty to pay that back.

“We have to be better in all areas of the football club, and I include myself in that.”

County manager Graham Coughlan hinted at a summer of change after another frustrating afternoon for his side in their final home match of the season.

“We weren’t good enough,” said the Exiles boss.

“We had a couple of good chances in the first half but there is a trend, we can go to 60 minutes but then don’t have the legs or the energy.

“The lads that have stepped into the team for those that are injured are just not able to cope at this level.

“You can only solve that with change. We need a different approach, a new mentality, fresh players.

“A number of those players have obviously gone as far as they can. It will be a tough and hard-working summer for us because we need to freshen the place up.”

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson was keen to focus on the positives despite seeing his side miss out on the League Two play-off places following a 3-2 defeat to Tranmere at Prenton Park.

Harvey Saunders put Rovers ahead in the 35th minute, racing clear and slotting the ball past Nik Tzanev after the Dons failed to clear the danger.

Rovers doubled their lead just before the break when Rob Apter netted his 13th goal of the season with a lovely strike from the corner of the box.

The Wombles halved the arrears 10 minutes after half-time when substitute Josh Kelly scored his first goal for the club, calmly placing the ball past Luke McGee in the Rovers’ goal.

But Jackson’s men faced an uphill battle when John-Joe O’Toole received a straight red card for a nasty looking challenge on Chris Merrie.

And with 20 minutes remaining, Rovers took full advantage when Connor Jennings restored their two-goal lead before Josh Kelly grabbed a consolation for the visitors in injury time with his second of the game.

Wimbledon boss Jackson said: “From our point of view it was two contrasting halves today.

“I thought we started the game alright but then gave away a soft goal, and after that I thought we were poor and lost our way a bit.

“We came out in the second half on the front foot and then got the red card, which I thought was harsh, but to be fair to the boys they kept going and we nearly got something out of the game.

“The season is done in terms of getting into the play-offs but, on reflection, we’ve progressed massively this season and we just couldn’t get over the line, but we’ve moved on considerably from last season.

“It’s my job in the summer to keep making those improvements and if we keep moving the club forward like we have, then next season we won’t fall short.”

Tranmere boss Nigel Adkins said: “It was a well-deserved victory today with five goals for the fans, but it should have been a lot more from our point of view.

“There was some good football in a competitive game and we created some good opportunities with Luke Norris playing up front as a centre-forward.

“What a super goal from Rob Apter while Connor Jennings scored a great team goal and Harvey Saunders was a real threat in the first half with his electrifying pace and deservedly put us in front.

“From my point of view we played some good football, scored some good goals and got a well deserved victory, so great credit to the players.

“We should have scored a few more, but we’re creating chances and we’re scoring goals. Obviously I’m disappointed with the two we’ve conceded but let’s not be too negative.

“We’ve finished the season off well at home and got a great reception from the crowd, who really got behind the team today.”

Kyle Wootton’s double helped Stockport get their championship party up and running with a 4-2 home win against Accrington.

County, who wrapped up the League Two title in midweek with victory at Notts County, recorded their eighth straight win with Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Antoni Sarcevic also netting.

Wootton struck County’s first goal after an opening nine minutes of total dominance, Louie Barry’s neat reverse pass allowing him to beat Radek Vitek at his near post.

Accrington started to find their feet and went close through Jack Nolan, who fired narrowly wide after a searching ball from Tommy Leigh.

Leigh was also involved in Accrington’s equaliser after 16 minutes. He found Shaun Whalley in space and the veteran forward sent a fierce finish into the top corner.

However, Stockport led at the break thanks to Lemonheigh-Evans, who slid in to turn home Paddy Madden’s inch-perfect ball across the six-yard box.

Both goalkeepers made important saves at around the hour mark, County’s Ben Hinchcliffe getting to Leigh’s speculative snapshot and Vitek out quickly to save when Lemonheigh-Evans homed in on goal.

But Vitek was helpless in the 62nd minute when Wootton timed his run into the box to head in Myles Hippolyte’s cross from the left wing.

Nolan gave Accrington hope when he made it 3-2 13 minutes from time with a long-range strike that seemed to deceive Hinchcliffe.

Moments later Sarcevic dashed those hopes as he cashed in on an error in the Stanley defence to score the champions’ fourth.

Andy Cook returned to haunt his old club as Bradford kept alive their League Two play-off hopes and dented Walsall’s with a 3-2 win at the Bescot Stadium.

Walsall led through Ryan Stirk and Mo Faal before Cook pulled one back and set up two for Jamie Walker, who was later sent off.

The Saddlers went in front after seven minutes as Isaac Hutchinson put Stirk clear to slot home from 12 yards.

Faal added a second four minutes later, pouncing on a mix-up between Walker and Dan Oyegoke to loop home a header.

Bradford were back in it three minutes later as Cook headed home a deep cross.

Hutchinson hit a post for Walsall but Bradford levelled five minutes before half-time as another towering Cook header was nodded in by Walker.

Walker completed the turnaround after 53 minutes, thumping home from eight yards after Cook’s header was blocked, before seeing red 15 minutes later for two quickfire cautions.

But Bradford held on as Tom Knowles hit the woodwork late on for Walsall, who must win their final game and rely on several other results going their way.

Bradford are four points adrift of the top seven with two matches left.

Sutton’s League Two survival hopes were left hanging by a thread after being denied a priceless win by a last-gasp Crawley equaliser at Gander Green Lane.

United had looked on course for victory after goals from Olly Sanderson and Charlie Lakin saw them leading 2-1 heading into stoppage time.

However, Klaidi Lolos struck to salvage a 2-2 draw for Crawley, whose play-off hopes are also in the balance.

Second-bottom Sutton are three points behind Colchester and safety while Crawley are in seventh but only above in-form Doncaster courtesy of a better goal difference, having played a game more.

Sutton goalkeeper Steve Arnold made a number of good saves to keep out Danilo Orsi and Lolos as Crawley pushed for the opener.

At the other end, Corey Addai did well to keep out Sanderson twice and a Omar Sowunmi header before Liam Kelly put the visitors ahead just before the break with a fine curling effort.

Sutton responded soon after the interval when top scorer Charlie Lakin levelled with a deflected strike that looped over Addai.

Addai tipped away Deon Moore’s strike as the hosts threatened again, but he was left out of position as Harry Beautyman caught the visitors in possession and gifted Sanderson a tap-in to make it 2-1 in the 79th minute.

But Lolos rescued a dramatic late point for Crawley as he weaved through the Sutton defence before his strike was deflected in.

AFC Wimbledon’s slim hopes of claiming a League Two play-off spot came to an end with a 3-2 defeat to Tranmere at Prenton Park.

The first genuine chance of the match came for the home side in the 25th minute when Harvey Saunders’ effort from six yards was pushed wide by Dons goalkeeper Nik Tzanev.

But Saunders made amends in the 35th minute as he took full advantage of a defensive lapse before calmly slotting the ball just inside the far post.

Rovers made it two on the stroke of half-time when Rob Apter curled a beautiful left-footed effort past Tzanev from 12 yards.

The Wombles reduced the deficit 10 minutes after the restart when substitute Josh Kelly fired home his first for the club from the edge of the area.

But the away side’s task was made all the more difficult when John-Joe O’Toole received a straight red card for a high tackle on Chris Merrie.

And Tranmere took full advantage with 20 minutes left on the clock when Connor Jennings fired the ball home from close range.

Kelly grabbed a consolation for the visitors deep into stoppage time but the damage had already been done.

Substitute Matt Smith’s stoppage-time strike earned Salford a 1-0 win at Newport, ending their four-game losing streak and condemning County to a seventh successive defeat.

Smith had headed against the post moments earlier but when fellow substitute Junior Luamba also hit the woodwork, the giant striker was in the right place to slam the rebound through a host of bodies on the line.

County had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but Salford ended the first half on top. Callum Hendry and Matthew Lund both missed the target with half-chances before Curtis Tilt and Adrian Mariappa had shots cleared off the line.

After the break, Nick Townsend saved from Lund and Luamba clipped a cross onto the top of the bar.

Omar Bogle also hit the woodwork with a free-kick at the other end.

Kelly Nmai was shackled by Matty Baker just as he was about to pull the trigger, and Callum Hendry was denied by Townsend before Smith won it in the 92nd minute.

Doncaster roared back from two goals down to beat play-off rivals Barrow 4-2 and secure a ninth successive win.

It appeared as though Rovers’ incredible charge from relegation danger to play-off contention had ended as goals from Emile Acquah and Rory Feely gave Barrow a two-goal advantage at the break.

But a Joe Ironside penalty reduced the deficit and set up a grandstand finish, with Hakeeb Adelakun and Harrison Biggins both netting in the final five minutes and Ironside adding a fourth deep into added time to secure a remarkable win.

Doncaster fell behind after 35 minutes when Acquah powered in a header from a Robbie Gotts cross and Barrow doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time when Feely headed in from a corner.

Rovers were presented with a way back into the game when Ironside was felled by Niall Canavan and found the bottom corner from the penalty spot.

Adelakun raced on to a ball over the top from Tom Anderson and finished calmly in the 85th minute, with Biggins heading home from a Tommy Rowe cross three minutes later.

Ironside tapped in from close range to seal it in stoppage time.

Two goals in three second-half minutes saw promoted Mansfield end visiting Gillingham’s outside hopes of making the play-offs with a 2-1 comeback victory.

Timothee Dieng almost gave the Gills a dream start but headed over the angle inside the first 30 seconds from Remeao Hutton’s far post cross.

However, Dieng did find the net after 19 minutes. Jonny Williams’ pass sent him to the left by-line where he managed to squeeze home the ball from the tightest of angles past Christy Pym.

Mansfield dominated possession but failed to trouble Gills’ goalkeeper Jake Turner. The closest they came was an overhead kick by Tom Nichols which flew wide from six yards after 38 minutes.

However, the Stags came back out with renewed purpose and within five minutes of the restart Turner had to save from Aaron Lewis.

Substitute Davis Keillor-Dunn came close after 74 minutes as he forced a reaction save from Turner at his near post from Stephen Quinn’s low cross.

But three minutes later Nicols headed on a long ball and Keillor-Dunn drilled a finish past Turner from 16 yards for his 22nd goal of the season.

The comeback was complete three minutes later as Stephen McLaughlin took possession on the left and smashed a missile-like finish across Turner and into the top right corner.

Turner denied Quinn a third goal for Mansfield with his knees in stoppage time.

Grimsby secured League Two survival with a 2-0 victory over Swindon at Blundell Park.

Cheltenham loanee Liam Smith and forward Donovan Wilson scored the goals in the final quarter of the game to clinch the win for David Artell’s side.

There was not much in the way of goalmouth action in the first half, with the best chance for the visitors coming inside the opening six minutes as Charlie Austin headed just wide from 10 yards.

Kieran Green had a close-range effort stopped by Swindon goalkeeper Jack Bycroft in the second minute of added time for the first period.

The second half followed similarly to the first but the home side did manage to get ahead in the 75th minute through Smith, who finished off a quick counter from the Mariners.

Wilson’s strike came in the 85th minute to make it a more comfortable finish to the game for Grimsby – smashing in off a post from the edge of the box.

Relegated Forest Green ended their away season on a high note with a 2-1 League Two comeback victory over Morecambe at the Mazuma Stadium.

First-half goals from Charlie McCann and Kyle McAllister gave Steve Cotterill’s side a 10th league win of the season as Morecambe fell to an eighth defeat in 10 games.

The home side were gifted the opener after 30 minutes as Rovers goalkeeper Vicente Reyes failed to control a Jordan Moore-Taylor back pass and gave Charlie Brown the chance to slide in and put the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Cotterill’s side bounced back quickly and levelled seven minutes later with an excellent goal. McAllister cut in from the right and threaded a ball through to McCann, who calmly stroked the ball past Archie Mair from eight yards out.

The goal gave the visitors a lift and they took the lead just before half-time with another well-worked goal.

The lively McAllister was played in after a neat exchange of passes and squeezed his shot past Mair’s left hand from just inside the box.

Both teams traded chances at the start of the second half with Emmanuel Osadebe denied by David Tutonda’s superb block at one end and Gwion Edwards foiled by a superb low save from Reyes at the other.

Christian Doidge and McAllister wasted glorious chances to add to Forest Green’s scoreline in the final moments but the win was secured.

MK Dons extinguished Harrogate’s League Two play-off hopes with an enthralling 5-3 triumph at the EnviroVent Stadium.

The visitors, who went into the game with a top-seven spot already guaranteed, did not take their foot off the gas as goals from Alex Gilbey, Max Dean, Stephen Wearne, Emre Tezgel and Ellis Harrison secured maximum points.

In a thrilling end-to-end encounter, George Thomson (2) and Abraham Odoh netted for the hosts, who also hit the frame of the goal five times.

Harrogate forged ahead in the 33rd minute when Odoh converted the rebound after Matty Daly’s effort hit a post but MK Dons turned the tables with two goals in three minutes.

First, Gilbey levelled after receiving a return pass from Dean, who then grabbed his sixth goal in five games from close range.

Thomson made it 2-2 in first-half stoppage time with a superb 25-yard free-kick and Harrogate were back in front five minutes after the break when Thomson got on the end of Odoh’s left-wing cross from six yards for his 18th goal of the season.

MK Dons were back level two minutes later when a long ball forward by Michael Kelly opened up the home defence far too easily and Wearne ran through to beat an exposed James Belshaw.

The Sulphurites went on to throw the kitchen sink at the visitors in their search for a winner with Daly hitting uprights on two more occasions and Thomson thudding an effort against the bar.

But Tezgel made it 4-3 in the 80th minute, collecting Dan Kemp’s pull-back from the right byline before shifting the ball on to his left foot and beating Belshaw from six yards.

Two minutes later, Harrison then added a fifth, firing in from eight yards after the home side had failed to clear their lines, and there was still time for Thomson to strike another upright.

Macaulay Langstaff’s 28th league goal of the season worsened Colchester’s relegation fears as they lost 1-0 to Notts County.

The visitors almost took the lead early on when Ellis Iandolo’s speculative effort from distance almost caught Luca Ashby-Hammond off guard, the keeper tipping the ball onto the woodwork.

It was the Colchester full-back involved once again minutes later, producing a last-ditch tackle to deny Langstaff an opportunity to shoot inside the area.

Jodi Jones saw his effort clip off the crossbar, with Cameron McGeehan found unmarked inside the box at the other end but heading straight at Ashby-Hammond.

The hosts continued to create the better chances, as Crowley saw his effort blocked on the line by Riley Harbottle seven minutes after the restart.

But County’s pressure would pay two minutes later when good work between Aaron Nemane and Crowley was finished off by Langstaff, putting the ball in off the crossbar.

Harbottle almost secured the away side a point late on as his header came off the post, with Colchester now three points ahead of relegation rivals Sutton who conceded a late equaliser to Crawley.

Crewe boss Lee Bell was livid that James McClean was allowed to stay on the pitch after the winger’s part in a first-half dust-up in Wrexham’s 3-0 win.

Bell accused the officials of failing to take action against the Irishman, who reacted angrily after a late challenge by Aaron Rowe which ended with Red Dragons goalscorer Ollie Palmer acting as peacemaker.

Referee Seb Stockbridge handed out yellow cards to both McClean and Rowe, but after the break pulled out a red to send off Alex defender Ryan Cooney, which killed off any hopes Crewe had of a fightback after they had fallen behind to first-half efforts from Palmer and Paul Mullin.

“I’m bitterly disappointed to lose at home again as we had looked much better and with a lot more energy,” Bell said. “It was a very even game but then there was a flash-point in the first half which was absolutely ridiculous and I’m quite kind to referees.

“I know James (McClean) but he should have been sent off – but Wrexham aren’t bothered and the referees aren’t bothered.

“When I got sent-off recently I was told that I wasn’t being aggressive, but when you start putting fingers in mouth and putting your head towards people you should be sent off.”

Crewe have lost their last three home games 3-0 and may still need a point from their final-day trip to Colchester to guarantee a play-off berth.

Wrexham, meanwhile, were chalking up a sixth success in the last seven games.

Palmer glanced home Mullin’s cross for the first in the 24th minute. The frontman reciprocated when he flicked on Tom O’Connor’s free-kick and Mullin lifted the ball over goalkeeper Max Stryjek in first-half stoppage time.

Cooney was given a straight red card in the 54th minute for a handling offence which prevented Mullin from running in on goal.

Andy Cannon drilled in Wrexham’s third in the 61st minute. Further goals could have followed with both substitutes Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher going close, while Crewe sub Charlie Finney was close to heading in a consolation at the far post.

Bell added: “We will take the defeat but at 1-0 down Wrexham should have been down to 10 men. Straight from what went on with that we conceded and that made it a really difficult task against a really good team.

“But we’ll go to Colchester and myself and the players will meet the challenge head-on and make sure we don’t come off the pitch with any regrets.”

Phil Parkinson emphasised the importance of the size of Wrexham’s squad as club captain Luke Young returned to play a key part in the victory.

“Luke came in and was outstanding and that has been our strength, that the group of lads out of the side have been so important to us when they have played,” said the Wrexham boss.

“The last nine away games have seen us take 17 points, so we have been excellent on our travels which I am pleased about. Also for the integrity of the division it was important we performed as there will be teams looking at this game today needing us to come and play well.

“Our mentality has got stronger and we have been very good.

“After their lad got sent off – I was expecting a yellow card – we then went 3-0 up and it was just about controlling the game after that.

“We are happy with the promotion and if we get second then that will be great, but it’s more about finishing the season and getting to the summer and regrouping.

“There are some decisions to be made then and that will be about us sitting down as staff and making the right ones.”

Already-promoted Wrexham eased to a 3-0 victory at Crewe, who played most of the second half with 10 men following Ryan Cooney’s red card.

Ollie Palmer headed the visitors in front with his seventh goal of the campaign and first since the start of December.

The prolific Paul Mullin took his tally to 24 in the league when he doubled Wrexham’s lead just before the interval and Andy Cannon added a third as the Red Dragons made it six wins from their last seven games.

Crewe started the game brightly and Aaron Rowe scooped an early effort into the arms of goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

But when Mullin fired the ball across the six-yard box, Palmer got ahead of his marker to glance a header into the corner for a 24th-minute opener.

Max Stryjek dealt with a volleyed effort from Palmer, but Mullin caught him out in first-half stoppage time with a lobbed finish. Wrexham’s leading scorer was left unmarked to lift the ball home after Palmer flicked on Tom O’Connor’s free-kick.

Stryjek stretched well to prevent Elliot Lee from picking out the bottom corner before Cooney was shown a straight red card in the 54th minute for handling a through ball under pressure from Mullin, with the wing-back ruled as the last line of defence.

Cannon put the game out of reach after 61 minutes, with the midfielder twisting and turning his marker before firing into the corner.