Tranmere made it four successive wins in League Two with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Notts County at Prenton Park.

Connor Jennings scored twice as well as missing a penalty for the hosts, who also struck through Kieron Morris and Harvey Saunders.

County had recovered from Morris’ early strike to take the lead through first-half Aaron Nemane and Macaulay Langstaff goals, but it was Tranmere who would emerge victorious against the play-off chasing Magpies.

Rovers took the lead after five minutes when Morris’ left-footed effort from the edge of the box found the bottom corner.

However, the visitors equalised in the 24th minute when Nemane popped up at the far post to prod home Jodi Jones’ centre, and four minutes later they were ahead when the division’s leading scorer Langstaff slid the ball home from close range for his 19th league goal of the season.

But two minutes before half-time Tranmere were level again when Jennings found himself unmarked six yards out to make it 2-2.

The home side took the lead 10 minutes after the break when Rob Apter’s shot squeezed under County keeper Aidan Stone and Saunders stabbed the ball across the line.

Tranmere had a glorious opportunity to extend their lead five minutes later when Regan Hendry was brought down in the box only for Jennings to have his spot-kick saved by Stone.

Rovers were again awarded a penalty in injury time and this time Jennings stepped up to convert from the spot and make the game safe.

Chris Long’s first-half penalty secured Crewe their first win in seven games as they edged out Bradford by a 1-0 margin.

The Railwaymen were ahead in the 13th minute when Long drew a foul from Jonathan Tomkinson inside the box and then stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, sending Harry Lewis the wrong way, for his second goal in consecutive games.

Lee Bell’s side defended their lead stoically with Bradford commanding possession and going close to securing a point, with Andy Cook hitting the bar with a late header.

In the first half, Alex Gilliead cut in and drove a low shot which Crewe keeper Tom Booth got down to save.

Tyler Smith went close on the half-hour mark when diverting Clarke Oduor’s ball into the box just past the far post. Then Oduor offered a fierce shot which Booth parried away.

After the break, Cook pulled a weak effort past the post after some determined work by Gilliead.

Cook’s celebrations were cut short after he rose highest to head home Richie Smallwood’s free-kick in the 69th minute, only for the referee’s assistant to adjudge the striker offside.

Crewe substitute Elliott Nevitt fashioned a good shooting chance for himself, but blasted way over.

Bradford substitute Vadaine Oliver went close with a header which crept past the post. And Cook went even closer to grabbing an equaliser when Booth tipped his powerful header from Bobby Pointon’s cross onto the bar.

Booth then got across to thwart a header from Tomkinson which was heading for the bottom corner in the final seconds of stoppage time.

Wrexham scored three times in first-half stoppage time as they came from behind to beat Barrow 4-1, with Steven Fletcher hitting a hat-trick.

Kian Spence put Barrow ahead in the first minute before Fletcher’s brace and Paul Mullin’s free-kick, all in 14 minutes of time added on at the end of the first half, gave Wrexham the advantage at the break.

Fletcher completed his hat-trick in the second half.

Barrow took the lead after just 33 seconds when Spence tapped home Elliot Newby’s cross.

Play was stopped for 10 minutes as Barrow’s David Worrall was taken off on a stretcher after a clash of heads.

Fletcher levelled nine minutes into first-half stoppage time by finishing off a slick move.

Paul Farman then could not keep out Mullin’s sublime free-kick before Fletcher nodded home from James McClean’s corner.

After half-time play was halted for six minutes when Barrow’s Luca Stephenson left the pitch on a stretcher after another clash of heads.

Fletcher completed his hat-trick with a pinpoint header from Anthony Forde’s cross.

Farman denied Elliot Lee and Forde before full-time, while Barrow’s Dean Campbell hit a post.

Second-half goals from George Maris and Davis Keillor-Dunn handed Mansfield a 2-0 victory at Stockport in the battle of League Two’s top two.

Thanks to a win in a game marred by a sickening head injury suffered by Stockport defender Kyle Knoyle in the second half, the Stags moved to within just two points of the leaders.

Stockport threatened early on when Odin Bailey was inches away from meeting Paddy Madden’s cross into the six-yard box. Ibou Touray then drilled a low shot just past the far post.

Early Mansfield substitute Lucas Akins saw a shot deflected behind, but back came the hosts with Callum Camps firing straight at a grateful Christy Pym.

Shortly before the break another Stags sub – Louis Reed – saw a strike pushed onto the outside of a post by a brilliant Ben Hinchliffe save.

The Stags made no mistake four minutes after the restart when Maris dived in to head home Ollie Clarke’s precise cross.

Stockport almost replied when Camps’ shot was hacked off the line by Stephen McLaughlin, before substitute Keillor-Dunn slotted home to wrap up victory in the 102nd minute.

Scott Malone’s second-half strike was enough to secure Gillingham a 1-0 victory at struggling Colchester and register back-to-back wins in League Two.

Gillingham almost took a third-minute lead when Dom Jefferies burst into the area but was denied by Owen Goodman, who made a smart low save.

But Colchester squandered a great chance in the 14th minute when leading scorer Joe Taylor somehow missed the target at the far post from Noah Chilvers’ cross.

Max Ehmer’s header was pushed away by the diving Goodman and Gillingham went even closer just after half-time when Oli Hawkins’ header from Connor Mahoney’s delivery clattered the woodwork.

Gillingham went ahead in the 54th minute when Malone collected Jefferies’ pass and escaped Jayden Fevrier’s challenge near the touchline before advancing into the area and planting a shot past Goodman at his near post.

The Gills were a whisker away from doubling their lead four minutes later when Shad Ogie’s close-range effort hit a post but one goal proved enough for the visitors.

Tope Fadahunsi came off the bench to earn Sutton a well-deserved 1-1 draw against Newport.

Shane McLoughlin had fired the visitors ahead with 10 minutes to go before Fadahunsi’s dramatic 90th-minute effort secured a share of the spoils for the League Two strugglers at Gander Green Lane.

Sutton produced the two best moves of the first half, with Lee Angol heading just wide from a Dominic Gape cross and Dion Pereira sending a looping header against the post after Omari Patrick and Rob Milsom had combined on the left.

For Newport, Seb Palmer-Houlden saw a header scrambled just wide.

Palmer-Houlden went close again early in the second half when his shot was well saved by a diving Dean Bouzanis.

Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend was called into action as he saved a low shot from Pereira, who also saw an effort deflected just wide and had the ball in the net with a curling effort only for Aiden O’Brien to be ruled offside.

Townsend scrambled wide a deflected Josh Coley shot but with 10 minutes left Will Evans and James Waite set up McLoughlin to power a shot past Bouzanis.

Harry Beautyman almost replied immediately with a header that was well saved by Townsend, and Milsom had the ball in the net only for the referee to blow for some pushing.

The equaliser that Sutton deserved came when Fadahunsi turned in Milsom’s corner from close range.

Danilo Orsi scored twice as Crawley gained revenge for their 6-0 thrashing at Swindon at the end of August by easing to a 3-1 home victory.

The former Grimsby striker hit a goal in each half to put his improving side on 11 league wins for the season – matching the total they achieved in the whole of last term.

Crawley made an ideal start when leading scorer Orsi struck after only nine minutes, tapping in from close range in front of the travelling fans after a low cross by Adam Campbell.

Jack Roles marked his full league debut for Crawley by doubling the advantage after 26 minutes, giving goalkeeper Lewis Ward no chance with a half-volley from the edge of the area.

Swindon came to life late in the first half when Dan Kemp shot wide from a good position and in stoppage time keeper Corey Addai tipped a header from veteran striker Charlie Austin onto the bar.

Addai saved efforts by Williams Kokolo and Jake Young before Orsi made it 3-0 eight minutes after the interval with another simple finish after Ward could only parry a shot from Will Wright.

Addai later produced important saves as he parried a shot from substitute Jake Cain before denying Young, who should have found the target from close range.

Kemp, with his 16th of the season, grabbed a consolation for the Robins in the second minute of stoppage time with a low strike from 20 yards.

Managerless Salford slipped to their fourth successive defeat as Accrington cruised to a 3-0 victory at the Wham Stadium.

Shaun Whalley opened the scoring and Jack Nolan grabbed a brace for promotion-chasing Stanley, who had the game wrapped up by half-time.

The win keeps the Reds just outside the play-Off places, while City are just two spots above the relegation zone, without a win in 10 league games.

The home side took the lead after 14 minutes when a corner was half cleared to Dan Martin at the far post. His shot was deflected to Whalley in the area who rifled the ball home.

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

The third arrived after 41 minutes when Lewis Shipley got the ball on the left and played a cross to the far post, where Nolan’s initial effort was blocked, but the ball came back out to him for his eighth of the season.

Salford battled in the second half, with top-scorer Matt Smith denied twice in quick succession with superb saves from Stanley keeper Joe Walsh.

Swindon assistant manager Wayne Hatswell said that he will not be getting much sleep after the joy of their 2-1 victory over Forest Green.

Robins goalkeeper Lewis Ward saved Mathew Stevens’ penalty deep into stoppage time to earn the hosts a first win in five in League Two.

Daniel Kemp had scored a brace either side of Matt Taylor’s equaliser, while Rovers boss Troy Deeney was sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card as his wait for a first win in the dugout goes on.

Hatswell said: “I think the adrenaline will last until about three in the morning after that and then I will be up at four in the morning with my 10-month-old, so I won’t get much sleep tonight.

“I will have the day off tomorrow and I will be a lot happier than if that goal would have went in, I will put it that way.

“I have seen it back briefly and it doesn’t look like a penalty, he waited a hell of a long time to give it and I think he couldn’t wait to give it, if I am honest.”

Forest Green goalkeeping coach Dan Connor, conducting post-match media duties in Deeney’s absence, defended Stevens.

“We actually thought that was a great spectacle in terms of the derby, our fight amongst our players and how we tried to play was really, really good,” he said.

“And unfortunately, we actually believe that the evening was ruined by a few decisions that didn’t go our way.

“OK, it’s easy to vent at Matty but he’s been an excellent player and servant of the football club and what a great bloke too and look he will bounce back from that.

“I think it’s easy for players to go in and start pointing fingers and all the rest of it. But actually, the game should have been dead and buried long before Matty’s had to step up from 12 yards.

“And I think that’s the main message in the changing room, it’s easy to go for the penalty taker who misses in the 90th minute in a derby.

“It’s easy to do that, but actually the previous 94 minutes before the penalty is the difference in the game, not that moment.”

Luke Williams said Macaulay Langstaff is “adored” at Notts County after League Two’s leading scorer hit a first-half hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Morecambe.

The Magpies have bounced back from a four-match losing run by scoring eight goals without reply in wins over Doncaster and the Shrimps since Christmas, Langstaff with four of them.

And Williams said: “He is adored because imagine you are playing, and you are desperate to win, and you look around and you see Macca and you think ‘well, we definitely have a chance to win because Macca’s going to score’.

“But then if that guy is going to run for team, like he kills himself every week – running, tackling and now playing in three different positions like he has played there his whole career – and then you spend time with him and he is just the best guy as well, he is a really special guy.”

Despite the triumph, Williams was complimentary of the opposition.

“I think they are a good team,” he said. “I know that can sound unfair to say that after the 5-0 but they are, because we have played there before and they should have won the game in the last moments.

“We knew that they were a good team but we performed well and made it very difficult for them to show their qualities.”

Morecambe boss Ged Brennan was equally complimentary of County.

“You have to give them credit, they were outstanding today,” he said.

“We were not at our best and they were at their best but if you are playing against a team with a budget like they have got, whilst we have one of the smallest, it is going to show and that is what it looked like tonight.

“We will go again on Monday, and we will fight for every point from now on and we will try to do the best that we can.

“They had quality all over the pitch tonight. The lad who scored the hat-trick, his movement was absolutely unbelievable and never had to even break sweat tonight. He got three goals but could have got four or five.

“As I say, when you have a lot of quality like that, you are going to get a lot of goals aren’t you?”

Up next for County is a trip to Tranmere on New Year’s Day, where a win could move them within a point of the automatic promotion places. Morecambe will seek a swift response and a return to winning ways against Harrogate.

League Two top scorer Macaulay Langstaff netted his first ever EFL hat-trick in the first half as Notts County concluded their memorable 2023 with a 5-0 triumph over Morecambe.

County dictated the tempo of the game early on and took the lead in the 10th minute courtesy of Langstaff’s penalty.

The Magpies number nine did what he does best again in the 13th minute to give the hosts a deserved 2-0 lead and his 38th league goal of 2023.

Dan Crowley arrived at the back post to head home his 10th of the season and Notts’ third of the night.

And that man Langstaff delightfully curled in his third, still with just 36 minutes on the clock.

The game resumed after half-time and within a minute County had a fifth, courtesy of the in-form Jodi Jones.

An evening that the home side dominated from start to finish, racking up a total of 75 per cent possession, ended with them fifth in the table but just four points behind the automatic promotion places. As for Morecambe, they remain 16th and winless in three.

Matty Etherington insists his Colchester players “let themselves down” after suffering a chaotic 5-3 League Two defeat at AFC Wimbledon.

Josh Davison and Joe Lewis both grabbed doubles for the hosts at Plough Lane as Asian Cup-bound Iraqi international Ali Al Hamadi also netted.

Cameron McGeehan, Joe Taylor and Tom Dallison all scored for the Us, though McGeehan was sent off in the closing stages for a second bookable offence.

Colchester have now suffered five away league defeats on the spin and Etherington criticised his players for their character in the capital.

The former West Ham and Stoke winger said: “I have been a player, they don’t want the manager coming out and saying they have let me down – but I think they have let themselves down.

“What will be will be with me, but they have let themselves down.

“If they play like they did second half it is going to be a long season, if they play like they did in the first half, they will be absolutely fine.

“It was a fairly even game first half, but for some reason we decided to come out in the second half and be really naive in our first few moments.

“It set the tone for the second half – it was poor. There was no excuses for it, it was really poor second half.

“Maybe fatigue set in a little bit and maybe poor decision-making.

“We have lots of young players in the team, really good young players but they need to grow up at this level. The whole team does.”

Both teams scored inside the opening seven minutes as Davison and McGeehan got the game off to a thrilling start.

The away side took the lead when Taylor beat Alex Bass before Wimbledon found an equaliser when Lewis headed home.

Davison fired the hosts back into the lead before Al Hamadi scored their fourth.

McGeehan was shown a second yellow card late on as Lewis netted a second in stoppage time, with Dallison’s goal nothing more than a consolation.

Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, whose side now sit in the play-off places, said: “I’m delighted – I thought we were brilliant from nearly start to finish.

“There was a period of the first half where they were slightly on top, but I thought we gained in control towards the end of the first half and in the second half we have been completely dominant in the game and scored five goals.

“We could have and should have scored more and looked a real threat all night.

“Coming here off the back of a difficult day three days ago and get the response that I have got, I cannot ask any more.

“I thought both lads (Davison and Lewis) were brilliant and delighted that they have got the goals. I have been asked for defenders to chip in more, hats off to Joe for that.

“Obviously, you want your strikers to be scoring the goals and for Josh to get his brace tonight, and I’m delighted for him.”

Gillingham boss Stephen Clemence hailed his team’s mentality shift after League Two’s lowest scorers carved out a 1-0 win over struggling 10-man Sutton.

Substitute Scott Malone’s screamer with 18 minutes remaining proved the difference after Sutton’s Harry Smith was sent off midway through the first half at Priestfield Stadium.

It is the first time the Gills have found the net in three games and Clemence hopes it will inspire a commitment to improving their goal return in the new year.

He said: “I thought we were absolutely fantastic, even when they had 11 men, we’ve had enough chances today to probably win three football matches.

“It could have become difficult against 10 men, but we kept going after them, moving the ball around, and we’ve got to do that regardless of who we play.

“That’s the mindset I want us to have. I’m starting to see a shift in the players.

“The goal we scored was probably one of the hardest chances we had tonight. It was an excellent finish from Scott, so well done to him.

“We need to be more clinical. We’ve had a number of opportunities in the past couple of games, but we’re still the lowest scorers in League Two.

“I’m sure there’s been lots of criticism out there at us for not winning the last three games but the group always give their all.

“I don’t look at the table too much, it only matters come the end of the season.”

Three points bumped Gillingham up to 10th but it was a different story for interim Sutton manager Jason Goodliffe as United’s performance was a reminder that old habits die hard.

After a derby win against Wimbledon, Smith’s early sending-off for a challenge on Max Ehmer in the 26th minute stacked the odds against Sutton and, for Goodliffe, proved to be the turning point.

He said: “It was a hugely frustrating evening. I thought we were under the cosh for the first 10 minutes, as they came out of the traps well, but we managed to withstand it.

“We started to create some moments for ourselves, had a great chance through Smith and the game turned on the red card.

“I can’t fault the effort of the players, the boys gave it everything they could tonight. Deano (Dean Bouzanis) didn’t have a lot of saves to make and we defended our box extremely well. It’s taken an unbelievable strike into the top corner to beat us.

“From where I was, it didn’t look like a red card, I felt it was very harsh. From then on it was backs-to-the-wall stuff.

“It’s typical of how the season is going. We don’t seem to get the right decisions nor the right side of the luck.”

Barrow boss Pete Wild was unhappy with the officials after seeing his team held to a 1-1 draw by Accrington.

Stanley’s Joe Pritchard cancelled out Ben Whitfield’s opener to earn a battling draw but Wild was convinced his team was denied a late penalty for a challenge on Emile Acquah.

“Acquah was brought down in the box for a clear penalty,” said Wild. “It is not subjective, it is clear and obvious.

“(Referee) Simon Mather’s performance raised a lot of question marks and I will be raising them with the powers that be.

“Everybody in the ground knows the decision that should have been made.

“There are so many words I could say but what is the point in getting fined.

“It leaves a sour and bitter taste in my mouth.”

Wild was also unhappy with his team’s first-half display, culminating in three interval substitutions including Whitfield’s arrival.

Leading scorer Whitfield’s sixth goal in six games and ninth of the campaign was, however, cancelled out by Pritchard 19 minutes from time.

“I was annoyed in the first half because it has been a long time since a team worked harder than us,” added Wild.

“I was frustrated how we played first half. We are far better than that

“It wasn’t personal for the three players that came off. I could have taken seven off.”

Accrington boss John Coleman said: “The game was there to be won.

“We were good in the first half against a very strong wind and driving rain.

“Barrow came out for the second half and scored a cracking goal which sometimes you have just got to clap them.

“But we regained our composure, got back on top and limited them to spasmodic attacks.

“I have got to take my hat off to this side. The character in them, the willingness to run, to work, to challenge, to block.

“I am disappointed we got so many bookings but it showed the intensity we wanted to play. There is a belief in this side and you can’t help but warm to them.”

On Pritchard’s equaliser and later substitution due to injury, Coleman added: “It was a fantastic goal and we know Joe has the composure to finish like that.

“We need Joe fit between now and the end of the season because he delivers that moment of brilliance.”

Grimsby head coach David Artell described his side’s 3-0 win at Salford as a “professional performance”.

Harry Clifton put the Mariners in front after 39 minutes before Toby Mullarkey and Danny Rose sealed the points with second-half strikes.

It was Grimsby’s first away win since April.

Artell said: “We controlled it from start to finish, scored three really good goals, kept a clean sheet. It was a professional performance and it probably flattered them more than us.

“We’ve got to make sure this isn’t a flash in the pan. It’s a nice feeling but let’s not carried away.

“We were making good decisions, playing on the front foot, playing football in the right areas. It was unpredictable football for the opposition.”

Grimsby go into their home game against Walsall on New Year’s Day in 19th but Artell is hoping to climb the table come May.

He added: “We’ve got to go up the table. That’s the end result of numerous decisions we have to take.

“We’ve got to make sure our game model and style of play brings out the best in the players. It’s got to be their style of play so they can produce more performances like tonight.

“We’ve got to make sure we continually improve and we will get better. If they want to improve, then we’ll get better.”

Salford are winless in their last nine league games.

Head coach Neil Wood lost his job after the 5-1 Boxing Day defeat against Tranmere.

Interim head coach Simon Wiles said: “We got a few half chances but unfortunately it hasn’t happened and we’ve ended with a defeat.

“There are moments we can take out of it but there are things we need to address.

“We’re going through a tough time at the moment but there will be a moment that falls to us. That will come.”

Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Ryan Giggs are some of the names in the frame to take over from Wood but for now Wiles is the one seeking to motivate the group and is set to take charge against Accrington.

Wiles added: “The owners will be speaking to managers, I’m fully aware of that, but I’m ignoring all that. All my focus and concentration is on is that group of players.

“I’ve been at the club a long time, I’ve got a really good understanding of what the club is about.

“I’ve got to continue to motivate these players and get them in a position where they believe in themselves.

“I just need to keep doing what I’m doing so we can get these players into a position to get the result we’re screaming out for.”