Gillingham remain in the League Two play-off hunt despite being held to a 1-1 draw against Walsall at Priestfield.

Conor Masterson earned the Gills a point after Walsall’s Isaac Hutchinson converted from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute.

An even opening half saw Walsall defender Priestley Farquharson produce a perfectly-timed block to deny Josh Walker a goal on his home debut as Oli Hawkins also headed wide.

Hutchinson, who scored a hat-trick in October’s reverse fixture, was thwarted by Jake Turner on the hour as he ended a Walsall break by shooting low at the Gills goalkeeper.

He finally put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot two minutes later, after Gills defender Shad Ogie had needlessly handled the ball in the box.

Defender Masterson fired an equaliser into the top corner from six yards after 77 minutes for his second goal in four games.

Ogie squandered the chance to make amends for the Gills, who last beat Walsall at Priestfield in September 2007, as he shot over the crossbar from close range late on.

Bradford’s winless run in League Two stretched to eight games after a goalless draw at home to AFC Wimbledon.

The hosts had the better of the first half on a difficult pitch at Valley Parade.

Wimbledon goalkeeper Alex Bass, who had a loan spell at Bradford in 2022, saved from Alex Gilliead and Harry Chapman.

Chapman also bent a free-kick just wide and then set up Richie Smallwood, only for his captain to volley straight into the ground and at Bass.

Wimbledon thought they could have had a penalty right on half-time but Omar Bugiel was instead booked for diving.

Gilliead sent another long-range effort past the post at the start of the second half as Bradford continued to push for an opener.

Calum Kavanagh, a deadline-day signing from Middlesbrough, nearly set up fellow substitute Bobby Pointon but again the Dons goal remained unbreached.

Bradford manager Graham Alexander had dropped top scorer Andy Cook to the bench but he replaced Jake Young after an hour.

Cook had one chance after being set up by Lewis Richards but the ball got stuck under his feet as he tried to get off a shot from close range.

Dominic Thompson’s equaliser secured bottom-placed Forest Green a thrilling 3-3 draw with Colchester in League Two.

Rovers went ahead in the 10th minute when Matty Stevens netted from the spot, after Tom Hopper had been adjudged to have fouled Jordan Moore-Taylor in the area.

The visitors extended their lead in the 27th minute through returning striker Christian Doidge, who converted from close range after the hosts had failed to clear their lines in the area.

Colchester halved the deficit in the 65th minute when Alistair Smith finished clinically from a tight angle, after being fed by John Akinde in the area.

Jayden Fevrier made it 2-2 two minutes later when he finished first time, from Harry Anderson’s pass.

Colchester completed their turnaround in the 70th minute when Anderson drilled home a low shot from the edge of the area from Hopper’s pass.

But Forest Green equalised in the 74th minute when Thompson’s long-range low shot squirmed past goalkeeper Owen Goodman, seconds after Doidge’s effort had been blocked on the line.

January loan signing Cole Stockton opened his Barrow account in style with the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over fellow play-off hopefuls MK Dons at Holker Street.

Barrow boss Pete Wild saw his side squander a host of presentable chances in front of their home fans before Stockton struck a 78th-minute winner.

Dons keeper Filip Marschall did well to tip Elliot Newby’s strike past the post in the first half and Sam Foley and Kian Spence both missed decent chances for the home side as they fired off target towards half-time.

After the break, Barrow striker Dom Telford fluffed his lines before the unmarked Foley missed the biggest opportunity of the lot when he volleyed Dean Campbell’s cross over at the back post.

However, with time running out and a goal still proving elusive, Barrow finally made the breakthrough.

Substitute Ben Whitfield, who was a handful after being introduced just before the hour, played in Stockton to fire home his first goal for the club.

The midfielder then produced a pin-point corner for Jamie Proctor to nod over as Barrow looked to finish off their opponents.

Whitfield himself was frustrated when Marschall kept his near-post volley out and Barrow were almost made to pay for their missed chances in stoppage time, when goalkeeper Paul Farman needed to produce a great stop to deny Joe Tomlinson.

Salford beat Wrexham 3-1 for their first home win under Karl Robinson.

The rejuvenated Ammies are now five games unbeaten since appointing their new head coach.

Goals from Theo Vassell and Elliot Watt put the hosts 2-0 up after 16 minutes, but Sam Dalby pulled one back five minutes before half-time.

Matt Smith scored a wonder goal in the second half to secure a well-deserved win.

The first chance fell to Smith, who met Luke Garbutt’s cross and forced Arthur Okonkwo to save.

From Garbutt’s resulting corner, former Wrexham defender Vassell headed home from a tight angle to give Salford the lead.

Wrexham conceded from another corner soon after, but this time Watt’s delivery flew directly in.

The visitors halved the deficit through Dalby, who headed in after Aaron Hayden set him up.

Paul Mullin and Declan John missed good chances for either side early in the second half.

Smith then produced the game’s standout moment on 56 minutes, sensationally volleying in Watt’s cross first time on the turn.

Joe Ironside rescued Doncaster a late point in a 1-1 League Two basement battle at Sutton.

The hosts seemingly boosted their survival hopes through Craig Eastmond’s second-half effort, only for Ironside to convert a penalty in stoppage time to secure a share of the spoils.

There was a controversial start to the game when Rovers striker Billy Waters was booked for simulation inside the first minute.

Lee Angol saw his volley saved by newly-signed loan keeper Timothee Lo-Tutala, who was then quickly off his line to deny Olly Sanderson.

Charlie Lakin fired a volley just wide for the hosts after the break.

But their dominance paid off when Eastmond converted Joe Kizzi’s low cross at the second attempt in the 78th minute.

Down the other end, Kyle Hurst scooped over as the visitors chased a late leveller.

But there was still time as they were awarded a spot-kick when keeper Dean Bouzanis was penalised when coming to collect a cross and Ironside held his nerve from 12 yards.

Striker Ged Garner scored twice as League Two play-off chasers Morecambe came from behind to beat Crawley 2-1.

Harry Forster gave the hosts an ideal start with an early lead, but Garner replied before the break and later won the match with a cool finish in the 86th minute.

This was the Shrimps’ sixth away league win, leaving them four points off the top seven, while Crawley have now lost four of their last five home league games.

Crawley boss Scott Lindsey went into the clash admitting his young side were “on track” to achieve the “in house targets” they have set themselves.

Former Bromley winger Forster gave the Reds an early boost by firing into the bottom corner to the left of keeper Archie Mair for his first Crawley league goal from an assist by ex-Morecambe forward Adam Campbell in the 17th minute.

Crawley keeper Corey Addai came to his side’s rescue by denying Garner in a one-on-one situation before Forster and Nick Tsaroulla both had shots saved at the other end.

Morecambe levelled 10 minutes before the break when Garner, on loan from Barrow, cleverly turned in a first time close-range shot after being set up by David Tutonda.

Crawley had a let off shortly after the break when debutant Julian Larsson crossed for Garner and his close-range effort was kept out by Addai.

Mair kept Morecambe level by producing saves from Campbell and Liam Kelly in quick succession.

Garner popped up to win it for Morecambe six minutes from time, scoring with a low finish from a tight angle.

Stockport’s lead at the top of the League Two table was reduced to four points after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to in-form Harrogate.

Connor Lemonheigh-Evans’ second goal in as many games cancelled out Dean Cornelius’ opener for the visitors, but County were unable to find the winner against a side now unbeaten in five matches.

Harrogate went ahead in the 17th minute when Matty Daly turned brilliantly on a pass played into him before crossing to Cornelius for a tap-in.

The Hatters drew level, though, on the half-hour mark, Lemonheigh-Evans finishing from close range from Macauley Southam-Hales’ pull-back.

Isaac Olaofe had two good headed chances for the hosts before half-time but there was nothing to separate the teams at the break.

Substitute Ibou Touray’s glancing header from Odin Bailey’s delivery forced an impressive save out of visiting goalkeeper James Belshaw just after the restart.

Lemonheigh-Evans came agonisingly close to putting County in front in the 71st minute, with his shot deflecting narrowly wide.

Belshaw was called into action again 10 minutes later, turning substitute Myles Hippolyte’s attempt from distance over the crossbar.

The home side continued to push for the winner, with Akil Wright’s effort in the dying moments deflecting just wide, but Harrogate held on to secure a valuable point.

Accrington missed a chance to close the gap to the play-off places as they were held to a goalless home draw by struggling Grimsby.

The draw left Stanley two points outside the top seven, while the Mariners, who came so close to snatching victory at the death, remain in 20th place.

Captain Danny Rose’s header in the second minute of added time was superbly saved by on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vitek.

Grimsby keeper Harvey Cartwright tipped over a Ben Woods effort in the second minute and also pushed away a low angled drive from Jack Nolan on the half-hour mark.

Stanley’s Radek kept out Arthur Gnahoua’s long-range effort, their only shot on target in the first half.

After the break it was Grimsby who dominated the chances.

Former Stanley defender Harvey Rodgers headed wide from a corner, while substitute Kieran Green could not find the target following another corner.

Green headed a Denver Hume corner just over the crossbar in the 82nd minute before Rose came so close to earning Grimsby a first win of 2024.

Davis Keillor-Dunn’s 15th goal of the season proved enough as Mansfield edged a narrow 1-0 League Two victory over visiting promotion rivals Notts County to keep the pressure on leaders Stockport.

Stags had survived a second-minute let-off when Christy Pym had to block a David McGoldrick finish and Scott Robertson put a follow-up wide.

But after just eight minutes – when Notts failed to clear their lines – former Oldham midfielder Keillor-Dunn curled an unstoppable finish into the top-right corner from the edge of the box.

McGoldrick sent another low effort just wide and the woodwork then twice saved Stags in as many minutes as everyone missed a Jodi Jones cross and it hit the far post.

Moments later, Aden Flint headed an Aaron Nemane corner against the underside of his own crossbar, while Ollie Clarke blazed a good effort just over for the hosts before the break.

Stags had the better second-half openings and Aidan Stone made a good save to keep out a powerful Keillor-Dunn shot after 68 minutes, while – four minutes later – Clarke had a shot tipped over.

Six minutes from time, Stone denied Will Swan with his legs after the young striker broke away down the left but their early goal was enough as they completed the double over the Magpies.

Tranmere and Crewe shared the points in a 0-0 draw at Prenton Park.

In a first half where chances were few and far between, the visitors enjoyed much of the early possession but Rovers had their moments and could have opened the scoring through Connor Jennings, who was denied by Crewe goalkeeper Tom Booth.

At the other end, former Tranmere man Elliott Nevitt came close to breaking the deadlock before half-time but his shot was blocked by Brad Walker.

In a second half that very much mirrored the first, Alex continued to look the more threatening with Chris Long denied by Rovers keeper Luke McGee with the goal at his mercy.

It was not one-way traffic, however, with Rob Apter and Brad Walker also having opportunities to secure all three points for Nigel Adkins’ men late in the game.

The draw means that Crewe have now lost just once in seven League Two outings and remain two points outside the automatic promotion places, with Tranmere moving up to 16th in the table.

Newport manager Graham Coughlan hailed his side’s character as they put the Manchester United circus behind them to fight back from a goal down and beat Swindon 2-1.

County were fortunate to be level at the break and went 1-0 down just after the restart when Paul Glatzel struck for Swindon.

Coughlan blamed the flat start on the gruelling build-up to and hangover from last week’s FA Cup defeat against United.

But he was delighted at how his players responded as Will Evans levelled with his 20th goal of the season and Seb Palmer-Houlden sealed all three points with a well-taken second 16 minutes from the end.

“We’ve got to pat our lads on the back because there are not many teams who would be able to dish that out given what we have had over the last 10 days,” said Coughlan.

“The last 10 days was emotionally draining. We were so charged up last week, the accolades, media, getting family sorted for tickets.

“We were drained on Monday and Tuesday, and you could feel that. You could see in the first half we were flat, we didn’t have our usual press, there was no energy or legs.

“It wasn’t until we went 1-0 down and the crowd got right behind us that we rejuvenated.

“Fair play to the lads because I have been there before myself and it’s not easy, you can’t just switch it on and off. That game was a really stern test.”

It was a frustrating afternoon for Swindon’s interim manager Gavin Gunning, who saw his side dominate the first half and hit the woodwork twice – through Dawson Devoy early on and substitute Harry McKirdy at the death.

“The performance was very good,” said Gunning. “There was a 15-minute spell where we were really poor, but apart from that I thought we were fantastic. We were cutting them open, creating loads of chances and it just wasn’t meant to be.

“That’s football, if you don’t take your chances, you get punished. We’ve done enough to win that game, but sometimes you get punched in the face.

“We clicked back into bad habits after scoring and maybe that’s my fault as a coach, maybe the message wasn’t clear enough.

“It’s a frustrating day, but at least we can see that we’re going in the right direction. We just have to eradicate that sloppiness.”

Newport fought back from a goal down to beat Swindon 2-1 after an action-packed second half at Rodney Parade.

Paul Glatzel put Swindon ahead just after half-time, but Will Evans levelled from close range before his strike partner Seb Palmer-Houlden sealed a hard-fought victory for the Exiles with 16 minutes left on the clock.

After dominating the first half, with Dawson Devoy hitting the post and Glatzel, Jake Cain and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy all going close, the visitors took a deserved lead within 50 seconds of the restart.

A long ball over the Exiles defence from Udoka Godwin-Malife found Glatzel, who coolly slotted past Nick Townsend for his first goal for the Robins.

But the hosts were level in the 53rd minute when Shane McLoughlin drilled in a low cross and Evans diverted it in from close range for his 20th goal of the season in all competitions.

And the turnaround was complete in the 74th minute when Palmer-Houlden raced onto Aaron Wildig’s lofted pass and found the bottom corner to silence the 1,400 travelling fans behind Jack Bycroft’s goal.

Swindon could have snatched a late point when Harry McKirdy, who returned to Town on loan on transfer deadline day, struck the post with a left-footed effort in stoppage time.

Simon Weaver was delighted as his Harrogate side recorded their first ever win at Sutton with a 2-1 victory.

Jack Muldoon’s second-half brace did the damage at Gander Green Lane. Ryan Jackson scored late on for the relegation-threatened hosts, but it proved too little too late as Harrogate travelled home with an eighth away league win this season – the most in the division.

“It’s a very satisfying result for us,” admitted Weaver.

“We’ve had some hard times here. (Ex-Sutton manager) Matt Gray’s team, when he was here and whenever we played them, got the better of us. To turn the tables tonight was satisfying.

“Another three points have lifted us again and it’s a good journey home.

“I thought it was a deserved win. I thought it was a tight game. We did well to get into a 2-0 lead and despite a couple of opportunities they had, I thought we tried to play some good football.

“When we did, we cut through and two fantastic goals like that made it so we did deserve the win.

“We would like to keep building. We have to stay level-headed but there’s a desire to keep improving with each and every one of us.

“Away from home is never going to be easy when you’re a club of this size and it’s been proven over the last couple of years. But these players have grown in stature and are able to handle these situations.”

Steve Morison’s Us are winless in their last six and have won just once in 13 league games.

And Morison, whose side are seven points off safety, said: “I’m disappointing with the goals Harrogate scored, but we’re not here to dig people out. We’re here to stay positive, we know what we’ve got to do.

“It’s a big ask, but we’re working very hard every single day to give ourselves the best opportunity to stay up.

“We’ve got 17 games left, it’s not over. It’s nowhere near over. We’ve got to start winning some games.”

The hosts were made to rue their missed chances after hitting the woodwork twice.

And Morison added: “We’ve created more chances than we have done all season and still lost the game so it’s very frustrating.

“I thought we were excellent for the first half-hour and we couldn’t get the goal. We should have been 1-0 in the second half before they go and score. That’s football.

“We should have been winning and we weren’t. The (half-time) changes worked. It’s frustrating because you should be leading the game and you find yourselves 2-0 down very quickly.”

Harrogate recorded a first ever win at Sutton and moved to within a point of the play-off spots thanks to two second-half goals from Jack Muldoon in a 2-1 victory.

The hosts had the first big chance as James Belshaw superbly tipped Omari Patrick’s deflected header over the bar.

But as the half went on Harrogate posed more of a threat and Bouzanis saved well from Matty Daly before Muldoon was sent clear but shot wide of the post as Bouzanis came out.

Patrick went close again at the start of the second half when his deflected effort hit the post but it was Harrogate who struck first when Muldoon turned in Daly’s low cross in the 58th minute.

Sutton had a clear chance to equalise when Olly Sanderson scuffed an effort wide – and Kayne Ramsay slipped Muldoon through to double the lead with 15 minutes left.

Substitute Lee Angol hit the bar for the hosts before Ryan Jackson pulled a goal back with a low 20-yard strike in the 87th minute.

But Sutton were unable to find a late leveller as Harrogate saw out the closing stages.