Grant McCann insists nobody at Doncaster will be getting too carried away after they put their Christmas struggles behind them in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 win over in-form MK Dons.

Rovers suffered three consecutive chastening defeats over the festive period before stopping the rot with a well-deserved draw at Mansfield.

And first-half goals from Luke Molyneux, Joe Ironside and Tommy Rowe saw them sweep aside MK Dons in emphatic fashion for a first league win in six attempts.

But McCann says there is plenty of progress still to be made for Rovers to get their season back on track.

“I don’t think anyone is getting too overjoyed by it,” he said. “It’s a good result against a good MK Dons team that had been unbeaten for nine games in the league before this.

“It’s a nice reward for the hard work that we’ve put in over the last seven or eight days when we’ve had to bounce and rejig after the three disappointing results that we had.

“It’s a tremendous effort to go to Mansfield, who in my opinion are probably the best team in the division, and follow it up against another really good team and get the win.

“I thought we were very good in the first half. We played some really good football and created some great chances. We probably should have been six up rather than 3-0 up at half-time.

“I think we took the performance from Mansfield on into this one and the first half was excellent.”

MK Dons head coach Mike Williamson believes the defeat to Doncaster has delivered a stark reminder to his side that nothing will come easy to them in League Two.

The Dons had won their previous four matches and were unbeaten in the league since October prior to the heavy defeat.

“It was a disappointing 45 minutes and we were off our levels,” Williamson said. “We didn’t start well or play forward enough and were punished from two set-pieces and a long ball that we were caught out from.

“I wouldn’t say it was a wake-up call because we know how difficult this league can be, but I was pleased with the second-half performance and reaction, because everyone came out, took responsibility and we had chances to score.

“So, it’s a difficult one to take but there are plenty of positives to take away because I was pleased with the response to the first half and we just have to dust ourselves down and be prepared for the next game.

“We can’t afford too many lessons like that this season but, if we can learn from it, then that will be a positive.”

Walsall manager Mat Sadler praised the professionalism shown by his rampant side during their 6-1 League Two demolition of Grimsby.

Five goals in a breathless 29-minute spell, either side of half-time, did the damage with the Sadlers picking up a third straight league victory.

A double from Isaac Hutchinson – including one from the penalty spot – helped to settle the scores at Blundell Park to move Walsall up to 11th place.

Douglas James-Taylor, Jack Earing, Priestley Farquharson and Danny Johnson were also on target after Danny Rose had broken the deadlock.

Next up for Walsall is a break from League Two action as they get ready to meet Southampton in the FA Cup third round.

“There was a period where we blew them away,” said Sadler. “We looked like we could score at will at that stage.

“Probably the most important thing for me was coming from a goal behind.

“There were some brilliant performances right across the team. The work they put in was top drawer and they got rewards for their hard work.

“We have got that little break for the cup now. After what we put in for the Wrexham game on Friday night, which was for us an emotional game for lots of reasons, it says everything about them as professionals.

“I thought the performance warranted what we got in the end.”

Rose turned the ball home in the 29th minute, but Walsall hit back just nine minutes later when James-Taylor coasted past Luke Waterfall before smashing an equaliser into the top left-hand corner.

It was advantage Walsall by the 43rd minute, too, as Hutchinson netted with even more to come after the half-time interval.

Quickfire strikes from Earing, who turned sharply in the Grimsby box to finish, and Hutchinson from the penalty spot – after Kamil Conteh felled Earing – made it 4-1 with 35 minutes remaining on the clock.

Farquharson prodded in from a corner in the 67th minute before Johnson rubber-stamped a fifth win in six matches from close-range in added time.

Grimsby manager David Artell added: “Anger is the primary emotion.

“When you watch a game like that, it confirms things that you already know. You need to see it but would prefer it not to happen.

“The crazy thing is that for 35 minutes we were by far the better team. We shot ourselves in the foot not once but twice to go in behind.

“There was little in the game at half-time and we had the majority of that half.

“For us to come and perform as we’ve done (in the second half) is indicative of the season and indicative of the inconsistency, even within games, at the moment.”

Crawley boss Scott Lindsey feels his improving side are on course to achieve their targets after matching last season’s tally of 11 league wins with a comfortable 3-1 home victory over his former club Swindon.

Striker Danilo Orsi extended his total for the campaign to 13 with a goal in each half and Jack Roles bagged the other on his full league debut as the Red Devils moved up to 12th and three points outside the play-off places.

Lindsey believes Crawley are making good progress after he saved them from relegation last season and feels they are now “miles away from where we were”.

The 51-year-old, who is coming up for his first year in charge, added: “I have a very good relationship with the fans, owners and the players and enjoy coming into work.

“We’ve come a long way since I’ve been here. We have private aims of where we want to get to and we’re on course so I’m really pleased.”

Victory was particularly sweet for Lindsey, whose side were thrashed 6-0 at Swindon at the end of August, and he felt a change of game plan made all the difference.

He explained: “We played in a different way and used a different tactic.

“We pressed differently for what I felt was needed. We pressed from the middle of the pitch rather than the outside and the players executed it to perfection.”

Swindon manager Michael Flynn confirmed striker Jake Young and attacking midfielder Dan Kemp, who scored their late consolation, will now be returning to parent clubs Bradford and MK Dons respectively.

The pair have stood out while on loan with the Robins, scoring 16 goals apiece, but Flynn is now turning his attention to getting players in.

He said: “One deal is on the brink of going through and there are two or three others in the pipeline. I’m going to be getting players in – it’s my job to improve the squad.”

Swindon, after an encouraging start to the season, have now lost 11 of their last 17 league games and Flynn questioned his players’ desire with the team now having conceded 50 goals.

He said: “The players need to look at this performance and tell me what they think they got out of it.

“We were too open at times, letting players go in the box and letting too many crosses come in too early.

“The players seem to have a lack of desire and understanding of the game at times.

“Even so, we still made some good chances but I’m not going to dress it up – this was not good enough for this club.

“We need new personnel. We need to sign players who have got a better work ethic than we showed today.”

Steven Fletcher showed his quality with a hat-trick in Wrexham’s 4-1 League Two comeback win over Barrow, according to Dragons assistant boss Steve Parkin.

The Bluebirds took a first-minute lead through Kian Spence’s finish before the hosts scored three times in 14 minutes of first-half stoppage time, played as a result of Barrow’s David Worrall being knocked out and leaving the pitch on a stretcher.

Fletcher’s brace and Paul Mullin’s free-kick all in the space of five minutes put Wrexham ahead at the break, with Fletcher completing his hat-trick after half-time with a pinpoint header, leaving Parkin to sing his praises.

He said: “It’s great for him. He’s had a long and illustrious career where he’s been a top player and he’s got off to a great start here and then sadly had that little knee injury that’s just held him back for three or four weeks.

“He’s been great in training over the last couple of weeks and he’s great around the dressing room and the lads and today he’s shown what a great player he is.

“We were delighted to get in at half-time in front. I think we needed a goal to give us a spark.

“I think the goal that they got shocked everybody a little bit, it rocked us on our heels a wee bit and we were just a little bit impatient with the football during the first half.

“But towards the end of the first half when we got the goals I always felt that we were going to come on strong.”

Barrow’s Pete Wild revealed Worrall was taken to hospital but was conscious, while his replacement Luca Stephenson was also taken off on a stretcher after being knocked out in an aerial challenge but did not need to go to hospital.

Wild said: “We’ve started brilliantly today. I thought for 40-odd minutes we were brilliant and we took it to Wrexham, like we’d spoken about we wanted to do.

“We end up having a mad 10 minutes and all three goals are completely avoidable.

“Wrexham are in complete control of the football match and they come out in the second half and have the ability with the players they’ve got to control the football match and they’re ruthless with the fourth.

“It was a game too far, I think. We’ve worked ever so hard across the Christmas period. We’ve given everything we’ve got for the football club.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t our day today. We’ve gone 14 unbeaten, we’ve been unbelievable, they’ve been unbelievable, they’ve given everything they’ve got for the football club.

“I think there’s been so many good things across this run, it was going to come to an end at some point.”

Graham Alexander says Bradford did not get their just rewards for a dominant performance at Crewe, for whom Chris Long’s first-half penalty proved decisive in a 1-0 home win.

The Railwaymen were indebted to two stunning saves from young keeper Tom Booth which thwarted Andy Cook and Jonathan Tomkinson in the closing minutes. Cook also had a second-half set-piece header chalked off for offside as the Bantams went down to their first defeat in seven games.

“I don’t think we got what we deserved from that performance. It’s a disappointing result as we dominated and created the best chances in the game,” said Alexander.

“Crewe have got a decent home record, but the penalty is the only shot they had on target – Harry Lewis didn’t have a save to make for the rest of the game.

“I’m gutted, although it was a penalty and we just switched off for 10 seconds in the game. We kept Crewe far away from our goal and created a lot of opportunities. We were a bit careless with our deliveries at times when we got up there, but when we showed that quality we should have scored.

“I was struggling at half-time to find a way to improve it. They had scored, but we’d defended exceptionally well apart from a 10-second spell when they got the penalty and when we lost focus. But I thought we could have had a couple of penalties ourselves with the way Andy Cook was manhandled throughout the game.

“We did create chances, we hit the bar and their keeper has made a couple of good saves.

“All in all we should have got more points over the holiday period, but we have won games previously when we haven’t played as well as we have today.”

Since Alexander’s appointment as manager in early November, Bradford had won four times and drawn twice, including a morale-boosting home draw with leaders Stockport last Friday.

But they were behind in the 13th minute when some panicked defending from Norwich loanee Tomkinson offered Long the opportunity after he was tripped to send keeper Lewis the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick.

The Bantams responded to the early setback in a direct fashion, but failed to muster much in the way of clear opportunities in the first half, save from when Tyler Smith found some space to connect with Clarke Oduor’s cross, only to divert the ball just past the far post.

After the break, though, Bradford ramped up the pressure. The offside flag went up against Cook as the striker got above Booth to head in Richie Smallwood’s free-kick.

Crewe sub Elliott Nevitt blasted over in a rare home attack. But after Alexander made a raft of changes the chances kept coming. Substitute Vadaine Oliver went close with a header which crept past the post.

Cook went even closer when Booth tipped his powerful header from Bobby Pointon’s cross onto the bar. And the home keeper dived across to keep Tomkinson’s header from hitting the bottom corner in the final seconds of stoppage time.

Crewe boss Lee Bell said: “I’m delighted with the win and for the players as they’re top fellows who want to do well for the club. We had to battle for it, but we knew we had to do that as you can’t stop the ball being thrown towards your box.

“We played the game properly and we tried to play in the right moments – our professionalism and game management was excellent. It was a lovely move to get up there and Longy took the penalty really well.

“We’ve got players who want to do really well as they’re an honest bunch of hard-working lads. Courtney Baker-Richardson worked his socks off and put his body on the line. Their centre-halves had a tough time against him and it is such a big help to us when he performs like that.

“And Luke Offord was the best player on the pitch, he loves getting stuck in and he enjoys every side of the game.”

Troy Deeney hailed a “dominant” and “imposing” performance after seeing his Forest Green side battle to a 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing AFC Wimbledon.

Matty Stevens’ headed opener was cancelled out by Ali Al-Hamadi’s close-range finish in an action-packed first-half.

Rovers’ threat on the counter-attack was notable and Deeney was pleased with his team’s determination to get a point.

“We dominated and physically we were a lot more imposing,” said Deeney. “We were good value for a win but it’s a momentum mover again.

“Fans will be leaving happy feeling like the lads have given everything. Other than the goal which was falling back into old habits – it was too easy on our part.”

Rovers made the perfect start after four minutes when Kyle McAllister drifted an inviting cross for Stevens who glanced into the bottom corner.

AFC Wimbledon levelled soon after when Connor Lemonheigh-Evans found Al-Hamadi who rounded goalkeeper Luke Daniels and finished into the open net.

Dons boss Johnnie Jackson said: “It’s a good point. It was really tough conditions out there, there probably wasn’t loads of quality but the conditions didn’t help and it was fairly even on the balance of play.

“It’s the worst I’ve known the schedule of fixtures, it’s a bit crazy. I’ve asked a lot of my players as I haven’t made wholesale changes because we’ve been playing well.”

Forest Green have been linked with a move for Sutton’s Harry Smith and Deeney admitted he was a fan of the striker.

“I think he’s a very good player,” he said. “He would offer a completely different skill-set to what we currently have but we have to be respectful that he’s at Sutton now.”

Tranmere assistant manager Neil Danns believes his players got what they deserved after Rovers made it four League wins on the bounce with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Notts County at Prenton Park.

The home side took the lead after just five minutes through Kieron Morris, only to be pegged back 20 minutes later when Aaron Nemane steered the ball home from a Jodi Jones cross.

Four minutes later the Magpies were ahead when the division’s top scorer Macauley Langstaff slid home his 19th league goal of the season, but Tranmere then hit back on the stroke of half-time to make it 2-2 through Connor Jennings.

Rovers were in front once more 10 minutes after the break when Harvey Saunders followed up Rob Apter’s shot which had squeezed under County ‘Keeper Aidan Stone.

Jennings could have extended the lead four minutes later but his penalty was well saved by Stone, but the Tranmere forward made the game safe in stoppage time when he successfully converted another spot-kick.

The only blemish on Tranmere’s day was manager Nigel Adkins being shown a red card for venting his frustration at the referee with 10 minutes left.

Danns said: “I’m so proud of the lads, it was absolutely unbelievable out there today.

“The lads have been fantastic over this Christmas period and we knew this was going to be a tough one and to end this run against one of the best sides in the division was very pleasing.

“We’ve seen over this festive period the best and sometimes the worst of us, but we are a team that’s constantly improving and everyone is working so hard for each other and they got what they deserved out there.

“We’re disappointed to let in the goals we did today, but today was all about celebrating the victory and that sort of performance typified how hard the lads have been working.

“We just want to keep this momentum going that we’ve got now and we’ll enjoy tonight and tomorrow, then it’s back to work and we go again.”

Notts County manager Luke Williams rued his side’s “horrible” start to the match and admits they struggled to contain Tranmere midfielder Apter.

He said: “It wasn’t the start to the game I was hoping for today, let alone the new year, it was very disappointing.

“It was a horrible way to begin, being undone like that so early on, but we battled back and going into the break we looked comfortable but we fell into traits that we’ve seen too often.

“We stopped playing with the same intensity and concentration and the opposition didn’t, they stayed focused and I thought Rob Apter was incredible, he destroyed us and caused us endless problems and we couldn’t cope with that.

“We had a number of opportunities but just lost a grip on the game because we didn’t have the same focus and concentration.

“Then we became a bit emotional and out of control and we’re just not the same threat when we’re like that.

“I think it would have been different if we’d gone in at half-time ahead, but Tranmere were so well organised and so together and they won the battle of wills in the end.”

Morecambe boss Ged Brannan was full of praise for his side as they twice came from behind to earn a point against Harrogate at the Mazuma Stadium.

Jacob Bedeau sealed the point with a stoppage-time header after a late goal from George Thomson looked to have given the visitors another excellent away win.

Harrogate took the lead in the 44th minute when a Matty Foulds cross was only half-cleared by the Morecambe defence and Jack Muldoon was well placed to score from close range.

After a slow first period, Morecambe hit back after 57 minutes when Jordan Slew beat James Belshaw with a superb low strike from the edge of the area.

The home side then looked the more threatening, but were undone on the break when George Thomson curled an effort past Adam Smith from 20 yards.

The Shrimps hit back again and levelled in the second minute of stoppage time when Eli King’s far-post corner was headed back into the danger area for Bedeau to score from close range.

There was late drama when Muldoon hit the crossbar five minutes later, but both teams had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Morecambe boss Brannan said: “You could see the lads were dead on their feet at the end and that was because they had given us everything which is all I can ask for.

“They could have let their heads drop after we lost three players to injury during the first half and going 2-1 down so late in the game, but they kept going right to the death and fully deserved to get the equaliser.

“Not much is going our way at the moment on or off the field, but when your team runs 13 kilometres a game, like most of our lads did today, you know that things will turn for us.”

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver said his side were disappointed not to hang on for a seventh away win of the season.

He said: “When you concede so late it is disappointing, especially as we had taken the lead so late in the game, but it is still a valuable point for us and fair play to them for showing their gritty side and coming back twice to keep going to the death.

“I thought we were excellent in the first half especially. We kept the ball really well and although it didn’t manifest itself into goals, there were a lot of positives and I come away proud of the lads’ performance and their creativity.”

Delighted Mansfield boss Nigel Clough saluted an “outstanding” effort from his players after they won 2-0 at promotion rivals Stockport.

George Maris and Davis Keillor-Dunn bagged second-half goals which moved the second-placed Stags to within just two points of leaders Stockport.

“It’s a perfect start to the new year for us,” beamed Clough, whose side have still lost just once in the league this season.

“I felt we fully deserved to win. From start to finish I felt we were on top. It really was an outstanding performance away from home.

“I felt we needed a few fresh legs in there after the draw the other day, and changing the front four really worked I thought.

“We needed that bit of extra energy and that’s worked for us today.

“We should have scored after 20 seconds, but there was so much more from my team in the second half.

“It was a great header from George to get us in front, and that really gave us a big lift at a big time.

“We knew we wouldn’t have been able to let a team like Stockport settle, especially here, and our game-plan regarding that worked brilliantly.

“The season is far from over of course, but this is a huge result for us.”

It proved to be a largely uninspiring opening half at a packed Edgeley Park, not helped by three significant injuries between the two sides.

Mansfield came closest to a breakthrough when early sub Louis Reed’s low strike was brilliantly palmed onto the post by County keeper Ben Hinchliffe.

The Stags made the breakthrough just after the restart when Maris headed home Ollie Clarke’s precise cross.

Substitute Keillor-Dunn then wrapped up a big win for the Stags in the 102nd minute.

Stockport boss Dave Challinor was clearly concerned for the welfare of defender Kyle Knoyle, who was rushed to hospital following a sickening clash of heads with team-mate Ibou Touray in between the two goals.

Challinor said: “Kyle’s gone off to hospital.

“Obviously all of our thoughts are with him at this moment, but I’ve been banging the drum for a long time about our players talking.

“Now we’ve lost another player after two of our players have smashed into one another. That’s a horrific injury which has come about as a result of players not talking.”

On the defeat, Challinor added: “It looked to me like two teams who didn’t want to lose.

“Maybe we were playing it a bit too safe due to that, and in the end the game is decided by mistakes – that’s how it proved to me.

“It was just the top two teams playing each other with three points at stake as far as I’m concerned. Maybe too many players are getting too carried away – too many people are going into their shells.

“We’re not learning enough, but that could also be down to me not learning enough about the players too.”

Head coach Stephen Clemence was pleased with Gillingham’s performance and result after they won 1-0 at Colchester to record back-to-back wins in League Two.

Scott Malone grabbed the all-important winner in the 54th minute when he collected Dom Jefferies’ pass and escaped Jayden Fevrier’s challenge near the touchline before advancing into the area and planting a deflected shot past Owen Goodman at his near post.

Gillingham had struck the woodwork through Oli Hawkins’ header before half-time and Shad Ogie’s close-range effort hit a post after Malone’s goal but one strike proved enough for the visitors.

Clemence said: “The performance level was really good again. It’s been like that for a number of games now.

“I just felt we had to lift our urgency a touch and I told them that at half-time, even though we had three really good chances in the first half.

“To be fair to them they had a good chance too but at the start of the second half I thought our intensity levels went up again and we really got on top of them.

“Thankfully, we scored when we were on top and there were a number of opportunities where we probably could have won more comfortably.

“I’m really pleased and it gives us something to build on.

“I’m really starting to see a shift and improvement in our play now and we’ve got to keep it going now and keep that consistency and we’re looking forward to the next game.”

Colchester’s defeat was their eighth in their last nine league matches and they were left to rue Joe Taylor’s 14th-minute gilt-edged miss at the far post from Noah Chilvers’ cross.

The result leaves the U’s five points above the League Two relegation zone and boss Matty Etherington said: “We’re on a poor run, what can I say?

“Between both boxes, I thought we more than competed with Gillingham. I thought we defended a lot better but we’re not taking those key moments.

“The quality and decision-making isn’t right and that’s what’s holding us back.

“The game became open, especially at the start of the second half. They had a little spell when they got their goal and I thought our players reacted to the goal well.

“For the remainder of the game, we were the team that was pressing, we’re just lacking the quality.

“(Malone) was crossing the ball and it’s taken a deflection off that and ended up in the back of the net, beating Owen at his near post and that’s the way it’s going at the minute.

“It’s a tough time. I’m getting on with it one foot in front of the other but it’s not easy.”

Salford caretaker manager Simon Wiles said his players were “devastated” by the manner of their 3-0 loss at Accrington.

Wiles has overseen successive 3-0 defeats since the sacking of Neil Wood five days ago and the Ammies are now 10 league games without a win.

City were 3-0 down by half-time, with Stanley taking the lead after 14 minutes through a Shaun Whalley volley.

It was two after 33 minutes when Luke Bolton fouled Joe Pritchard in the area and Jack Nolan blasted home the penalty.

Number three arrived after 41 minutes when Lewis Shipley’s cross found Nolan and he buried his finish at the second attempt.

Salford battled in the second half, with top-scorer Matt Smith denied twice by Stanley keeper Joe Walsh.

Wiles said: “We got the response we wanted in the second half, but Accrington had a three-goal lead so, even though there was a response, which was great, they were probably just trying to see it through.

“I am disappointed in the manner of the goals. The lads are devastated, it seems to be everything that can go against you when you are near the bottom of the table does.

“We have to try and take the positives from the second half but make sure we start like that against Forest Green.

“It’s down to us, there is only us in the dressing room who can turn a corner and we have to find a way to stick together and get it right.

“For me, I will prepare for Forest Green until I am told any different.

“I do believe I have seen a change, but it’s tough with the run we are on.”

Stanley are in ninth place in League Two and hope to mount a promotion charge after relegation last season.

Manager John Coleman said: “I am delighted with the win. It was a nice start to 2024, but there is a long way to go, a lot of games to play.

“We know we can play better. There are lots of different ways to win a football match, but today we had to dig in and do the ugly stuff in the second half and we did that quite well.

“The clean sheet was the most rewarding aspect, but I was delighted to get three in front.

“I didn’t feel like we had hit top gear, but the goals came at the right time and the saves came at the right time in the second half as they did get up a head of steam.

“We showed we can stand up and defend.

“They are young lads and we are proud of them, they are a joy to work with, they are honest and they look like they we can go places.”

A blistering first-half performance saw Doncaster roar to a first league win in six matches as they beat in-form MK Dons 3-0.

Goals from Luke Molyneux, Joe Ironside and Tommy Rowe saw Rovers race out of sight by half-time against a Dons side that had won their previous four matches and were unbeaten in the league since October.

Molyneux opened the scoring after eight minutes when he found the bottom corner from the edge of the box after being sent clear by an Ironside header.

Striker Ironside got in on the act himself in the 14th minute when he diverted a fierce drive from Harrison Biggins beyond Dons keeper Craig MacGillivray.

The hosts continued to push for more with Biggins and Jamie Sterry going close before Max Dean fired wide for Dons after going clear.

But Rowe did extend the Doncaster advantage after 42 minutes when he turned in a Ben Close corner at the near post.

The second half was a much more tame affair with Rovers keeper Louis Jones denying Dean and Warren O’Hora late on, ensuring Doncaster’s first-half efforts did not go to waste.

A late Jacob Bedeau goal earned Morecambe a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw against Harrogate at the Mazuma Stadium.

The Morecambe defender scored in stoppage time as he bundled over a Farrend Rawson assist to deny another away victory for Harrogate.

Simon Weaver’s side looked like they had done enough to seal the three points after goals from Jack Muldoon and George Thomson either side of a Jordan Slew strike.

The telling moment of the first half came as the visitors took the lead in the 44th minute.

Matty Foulds crossed from the left and, after a goalmouth scramble, Muldoon bundled the loose ball from close range.

Despite losing JJ McKiernan, Adam Mayor and Michael Mellon to injuries, the Shrimps looked much sharper after the break and pulled a goal back after 57 minutes.

Slew took the ball on the left and cut inside before unleashing a low right-footed drive from 25 yards that beat James Belshaw low to his right.

As the home side powered forward, they were undone on the counter attack. Levi Sutton played the ball out to the right and the cross was coolly dispatched by Thomson.

Morecambe fought back bravely and scored a deserved equaliser one minute into time added on when Bedeau bundled the loose ball from close range from a King corner.

Harrogate almost snatched victory in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Thomson clipped an effort against the crossbar.

Mid-table Walsall came from behind to make it three-straight wins in League Two with a resounding 6-1 victory over Grimsby.

A double from Isaac Hutchinson – including one from the penalty spot – helped to settle the scores at Blundell Park.

Douglas James-Taylor, Jack Earing, Priestley Farquharson and Danny Johnson also scored after Danny Rose broke the deadlock.

Rose turned the ball home in the 29th minute, but Walsall hit back just nine minutes later when James-Taylor coasted past Luke Waterfall before smashing an equaliser into the top left-hand corner.

It was advantage Walsall by the 43rd minute, too, as Hutchinson netted with even more to come after the half-time interval.

Quickfire strikes from Earing, who turned sharply in the Grimsby box to finish, and Hutchinson from the penalty spot – after Kamil Conteh felled Earing – made it 4-1 with 35 minutes remaining on the clock.

Farquharson prodded in from a corner in the 67th minute before Johnson rubber-stamped a fifth win in six league matches from close-range in added time.

Forest Green battled to 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing AFC Wimbledon but remained bottom of League Two.

Matty Stevens’ headed opener was cancelled out by Ali Al-Hamadi’s close-range finish in an action-packed first half.

Rovers made the perfect start on four minutes when Kyle McAllister drifted an inviting cross for Stevens who glanced into the bottom corner.

AFC Wimbledon levelled soon after when Connor Lemonheigh-Evans found Al-Hamadi who rounded goalkeeper Luke Daniels and lifted over a last-ditch challenge.

Al-Hamadi then produced a fine solo effort but his low-driven shot thundered back out off the upright.

Callum Morton was denied a certain goal by Huseyin Biler’s block just a couple yards from goal following Stevens’ low cross as Rovers threatened on the counter-attack.

Jake Reeves teed up substitute James Tilley whose low strike from the edge of the penalty area was parried wide by Daniels as Dons pressed for a winner.

But it was Forest Green who were denied a late winner when Matty Taylor struck into a goal-saving block before Fankaty Dabo’s goalward effort was scrambled off the line in stoppage-time.