Stockport boss Dave Challinor admitted his league leaders deserved no more than a point in their goalless draw at Bradford.

It was a competitive contest on a difficult Valley Parade pitch that had only passed referee Lewis Smith’s inspection 90 minutes before kick-off following the recent wet weather.

Challinor said: “You always want to win a game but I can’t stand here and say we deserved to.

“Three weeks ago, we went to Newport and I said to the players then, ‘if you’re not very good and going to stink the place out then go away with a 0-0’.

“I suppose to a certain degree we’ve done that tonight.

“It was tough with the weather conditions and the pitch was very tricky.

“Normally it’s going to be an unbelievable moment or mistake that decides the game. You always felt that was going to be the case.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to accept a point on the road is not the worst, especially at a difficult place to come.

“This isn’t a League Two place. That’s the biggest disappointment – that the game wasn’t on a Saturday afternoon when the weather’s all right and you maybe get 25,000 in here and a real good game where it’s more open.

“You were pretty limited in terms of what you could do tonight.”

Stockport’s best chance fell to Ryan Croasdale but he completely missed his kick when set up by fellow substitute Kyle Wootton.

Bradford, who stretched their own unbeaten run to eight games in all competitions, went closest through Andy Cook in the second half with a well-struck half-volley that Stockport keeper Ben Hinchliffe superbly turned away.

Wootton sent a late cross-shot wide but Stockport failed to score for only the third league game this season.

Bradford manager Graham Alexander said: “It was always going to be a battle. It was difficult for both sets of players with the quality moments when the mud was splashing up around your feet and trying to keep your balance.

“Both teams gave it a right good go and it was a game on tenterhooks all the way through.

“We had possibly the best chance of the game with Cooky’s strike and the keeper made a fantastic save.

“But it keeps the run going. It’s a clean sheet against a team who are top and we’ve had opportunities to potentially win it.

“We’ve shown it’s not just a one-off. We can go up against anybody and compete and look to win the game.

“We had to make a couple of changes with the injuries that we’ve got. But the players who have come in have given a great account of themselves.

“It was a great shift from the team in a difficult game, not just against the opposition but also the conditions.”

Mansfield manager Nigel Clough was delighted with his side’s festive points haul despite being held 1-1 at home by Doncaster.

Callum Johnson’s 21st-minute header was levelled by Joe Ironside’s fine 59th-minute equaliser but the Stags still moved up a place to second thanks to Wrexham dropping points.

“It was a good point on the back of the three wins to get 10 points out of 12,” said Clough.

“The effort from the players was brilliant tonight on the back of a third game in a week.

“One defeat in 23 and we have moved up to second with a game in hand. I don’t think we are in too bad a nick.

“The equaliser was unfortunate as it’s just hit Aden Flint and rebounded straight back to him and he’s scored from 18 yards.

“After that point it was all us and we just needed a break.

“We had an absolutely stonewall penalty. The referee was 10-15 yards from it and the assistant the same distance. It was very poor we didn’t get that penalty.

“There was a bit of tiredness in there tonight and Doncaster are on a poor-ish run so you know they will be fighting and scrapping, but it was us pressing for the winner.”

Right back Johnson buried a diving far-post header to put Mansfield ahead from Stephen Quinn’s cross.

But Rovers hit back as Luke Molyneux forced a save from Christy Pym while Harrison Biggins sent a six-yard header over and Jamie Sterry’s low shot deflected against a post.

After Biggins had shot wide on the restart, it was finally 1-1 as Ironside saw a shot come back to him off defender Flint and he buried it at the second time of asking.

Doncaster manager Grant McCann said: “I thought that was a good performance and a good point on the road.

“We had asked the players to be a bit braver and take more risks which we did today. We were much more in control.

“Mansfield changed their shape three times which was credit to us in how we played.

“We had some good opportunities before and after we conceded.

“Mansfield should have had a penalty too as Johnson was brought down and I think the referee was chasing the game a bit from there.

“We knew we had that performance in us.

“We played a diamond as we thought it was the best shape to play against Mansfield. We’ve watched them and they are a good team, very efficient, they work hard, they have got good players and they are dangerous.

“It has taken Nigel Clough three or four years to build this group he’s got and they will probably go on and achieve promotion.”

Tranmere boss Nigel Adkins hailed his team’s “fantastic” first-half performance in a 2-0 triumph at Harrogate even though they failed to register a single shot in the opening 45 minutes.

The visitors secured a third successive win thanks to second-half goals from Charlie Jolley and Tom Davies but Adkins was just as impressed by the resilience his players showed before the break on a stormy night in North Yorkshire against a Harrogate side that had also racked up a hat-trick of consecutive victories.

He said: “The lads were fantastic in the first half because that was tough. Harrogate are in good form, are hard to get the ball off and are really threatening.

“We were also against the slope with the weather in our faces and it was blowing a gale, so it was all about showing resilience and staying in the game and I told the lads I was delighted with them at half-time.

“Then, the second half was brilliant – we scored a couple of good goals and could have scored a few more.

“Rob Apter had a couple of great chances, but I thought we showed great organisation and fitness levels. We also had players who made an impact coming off the bench.

“The lads showed spirit, desire, grit and determination in the first half and a nice bit of flair in the second half. That’s three wins on the spin now, including two on the trot away and we are building momentum and a belief by working our socks off.”

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver was left to reflect on a lesson learnt after his team’s first-half dominance was not reflected by the half-time scoreline.

“All the stats will point to a game that we dominated for long periods, although the second half was a lot more even,” he said.

“They were ruthless in front of goal when they got their chances, whereas we weren’t, so fair play to them.

“We could have been out of sight in the first half if we had turned our dominance into goals, but we didn’t and that might have deflated the lads, because we seemed to run out of steam.

“We lost a bit of composure and looked disappointed after conceding having played so well in that first half, but we have to move on quickly.

“We have been in fantastic form, as was shown in that first half when the confidence was flowing. It’s a lesson for us because, when you’re on top, you have to make sure you make the right decisions in front of goal and take your chances because, if we had, it would have been an altogether different story.”

Crewe manager Lee Bell saw his depleted side slip out of the League Two play-off places after a 1-1 draw at Newport but he was full of praise for their character and resilience at Rodney Parade.

Bell’s men drop to eighth in the table after a sixth game without a win in the league, but he was pleased to hang on for a draw after defender Zac Williams hobbled off with an ankle injury late on and could not be replaced as they had used all three substitution windows.

“I’m delighted to get a point in the end,” said Bell.

“To go down to 10 men and withstand everything they threw at us – it just shows the character of the players.

“It’s a group that’s sticking together.”

The visitors were 1-0 up three minutes after the break when Exiles defender Matt Baker and goalkeeper Nick Townsend got in a muddle trying to clear Courtney Baker-Richardson’s cross and Chris Long was on hand to tap in from close range.

But County were level on 64 minutes when substitutes James Waite and Matty Bondswell combined with Shane McLoughlan a minute after coming on to somehow work the ball to Will Evans, who slammed in his 17th goal of the season in all competitions.

“We just need that bit of luck,” added Bell. “I feel like I’ve done something wrong somewhere for this type of thing to be happening – injuries, illnesses and the poor goals we’re conceding.

“When teams cut you open you can accept it, but that was another avoidable goal.

“I thought for large parts of the game we were excellent. When we settled down, we produced some good football and I thought we’d go on to win the game – it was a scruffy goal to give away.”

Newport manager Graham Coughlan admitted it was not a great spectacle and blamed fatigue caused by the frantic festive fixture list.

“I would have liked three points, but I’m not 100 per cent sure we would have deserved it,” said the Irishman.

“It was two tired teams who lacked that little bit of energy and intensity – that’s a direct consequence of the number of games both sides have played over the Christmas period.

“We’ve got another one on Monday as well. It’s a tough period and it’s those who can dig deep and summon up that bit of energy from deep down who might come out on top.

“It wasn’t a great game, to be honest with you, and I think both teams looked flat.

“I think a draw was a fair result. I’m not sure either team did enough to win the game and both teams will take the point and move on.”

MK Dons manager Mike Williamson is encouraged by how his players found a way to defeat Crawley 2-0 despite not being at their best for long periods of the game.

The Dons’ superb turnaround in fortunes since Williamson’s appointment in October continued as they recorded their fourth win in a row to move up to sixth in League Two.

They are also unbeaten in nine league games, although they sometimes rode their luck against Town and needed goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray to make several important saves after Joe Tomlinson’s early opener.

Williamson said: “He was excellent tonight. In previous games he’s done really well and tonight he was called upon more than we would have liked, but that’s what we need.

“We need players to step up and in games that aren’t so lively, they’ll do what they need to do, but when it comes to games like tonight, he was tested and he came through.

“[Getting the result tonight] is huge, a real testament to them and it’s a sign of a good team that when we’re not at our best we still find the way.

“I think the quality was there to see when we did dominate the ball and the territory, but we had to suffer and I think the boys dealt with that well.

“I think we could have had a few more, looking back, but with the whole thing taken into context we’re more than happy to take that result.”

MK Dons led after just two minutes when Max Dean’s superb pass put Tomlinson through and he finished confidently beyond Crawley goalkeeper Corey Addai.

The result was finally settled with eight minutes left when Alex Gilbey’s shot found the net via the post before Crawley defender Laurence Maguire was sent off for a second booking late on.

Crawley boss Scott Lindsey said: “I thought we played so, so well. The effort the lads put in was incredible.

“We’ve had illness through the camp, the coaching staff are ill and Nick Tsaroulla was prepared to play but fell ill and didn’t travel, so we had to make changes before the game.

“But the effort the players put into that game tonight was outstanding, the way we passed the ball, the way we pressed.

“The chances, we get into that final third and it’s just that last bit where we can definitely improve on.

“We got into that final area brilliantly, but then we sometimes tried to walk the ball over the line when I think we can pull the trigger and shoot and if the keeper spills it, someone else is there to tap it in.

“I think we can be a little more aggressive when we get in there.”

Walsall manager Mat Sadler saluted his “brave and bold” side after they sunk high-flying Wrexham 3-1 with goals from Jack Earing, Isaac Hutchinson and Taylor Allen at the Bescot Stadium.

Earing, starting his first game for a year after an ACL injury, put the Saddlers in front early on.

Paul Mullin soon equalised from the penalty spot but second-half strikes from Isaac Hutchinson and substitute Taylor Allen secured the Saddlers a deserved win.

Sadler was thrilled with the way his resurgent side overcame the promotion chasers.

He said: “We could have scored more than the three we did. We were brave and we were bold which is what I asked the guys to be and I thought we played some fantastic stuff.

“It is a great result for our belief because we were really good against a Wrexham side which will go up.

“They are a fantastic team with players from levels above. They will go up, no doubt about that, but tonight we showed what we are all about.

“This division throws you up against so many different styles and threats and, in the main, we dealt with the threats that were posed to us and then we played some great football.

“Most pleasing was the way we came out in the second half and dominated the first 20 minutes.”

The Saddlers opened the scoring after 16 minutes when Freddie Draper’s backheel sent Earing behind the defence and the midfielder slotted past Arthur Okonkwo.

The lead lasted just eight minutes as Wrexham equalised from the spot.

Tom Knowles’ block of Paul Mullin’s thunderbolt was adjudged handball and Mullin blasted the penalty straight and high into the net.

It was the first goal Walsall had conceded at home in 390 minutes.

Walsall regained the lead on the hour when Hutchinson curled a 20-yard free-kick into the bottom corner.

Mullin then blasted against the underside of the bar but Allen secured the points with a tap-in from David Okagbue’s cross seven minutes from time.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “Obviously we are disappointed to lose but it was a good game.

“There was some good football played from both teams. In the second half I thought their second goal just gave them a huge lift of energy.

“It was two teams who have played back-to-back games quickly and that goal gave them a lift of adrenaline.

“We found it difficult to respond and probably tried to force things after that instead of going about it in a more constructive way.

“But we enjoyed the win at Swindon and we will take this one on the chin together and move on to Barrow on New Year’s Day.”

Striker Ben Whitfield came off the bench to score a brilliant goal but Barrow had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Accrington in Sky Bet League Two.

The Cumbrians were heading for three points until Joe Pritchard netted a 71st minute point-saver.

Stanley’s Shaun Whalley went closest to scoring in a poor first half before AFC boss Pete Wild introduced top-scorer Whitfield.

The change had an almost instant impact as Whitfield twice went close before curling in his sixth goal in six games, and ninth of the season, after 52 minutes.

But Stanley, smarting from a Boxing Day loss at Harrogate, stuck to their task.

And when Josh Woods played in Pritchard, his captain did the rest from the edge of the area.

Barrow pushed for a winner and manager Wild was convinced his team should have had a penalty when Emile Acquah was brought down.

However, Stanley also could have snatched victory only for Jack Nolan to see his stoppage-time shot hit the crossbar.

Scott Malone’s superb second-half winner earned out-of-form Gillingham a hard-fought 1-0 victory against 10-man Sutton.

After U’s striker Harry Smith was dismissed midway through the first half, Gills substitute Malone finally broke the visitors’ resistance 18 minutes from time as the home side claimed a first win in four.

Sutton goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis produced a brilliant fingertip save to deny Ashley Nadesan after the striker went through on goal early on, before Oliver Hawkins headed wide from the resulting corner.

The struggling visitors’ best chance of the opening half came when Smith headed wide from Dion Pereira’s cross after 25 minutes.

However, a minute later and Smith was making his way off the pitch after being shown a red card by referee David Rock for a foul on Gills captain Max Ehmer.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Sutton almost went ahead approaching the hour, but substitute Lee Angol’s goal-bound effort was blocked by Conor Masterson.

The Gills, who had failed to score in taking just one point from their three previous league games, missed further opportunities through Hawkins and Ethan Coleman.

But Stephen Clemence’s side finally broke the deadlock when Malone spectacularly volleyed into the top corner after Connor Mahoney’s corner was only partially cleared.

Walsall halted Wrexham’s promotion charge as goals from Jack Earing, Isaac Hutchinson and Taylor Allen earned a 3-1 victory at the Bescot Stadium.

The Saddlers opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a high-quality goal.

Freddie Draper’s backheel sent Earing behind the defence and the midfielder, making his first start after a year out with an ACL injury, slotted past Arthur Okonkwo.

The lead lasted just eight minutes as Wrexham equalised from the spot.

Tom Knowles’ block of Paul Mullin’s thunderbolt was adjudged handball and Mullin blasted the penalty straight and high into the net.

It was the first goal Walsall had conceded at home in 390 minutes but another should have followed two minutes later.

Saddlers goalkeeper Jackson Smith lost control of the ball in the six-yard box but Mullin hoofed it over the bar.

Walsall regained the lead on the hour when Hutchinson curled a 20-yard free-kick into the bottom corner.

Mullin then blasted against the underside of the bar but substitute Allen secured the points with a tap-in from David Okagbue’s cross seven minutes from time.

Josh Davison and Joe Lewis’ doubles helped AFC Wimbledon move into the League Two play-off places with a thrilling 5-3 win over Colchester at Plough Lane.

The visitors had led halfway through the opening 45 minutes but succumbed to a fifth successive away league defeat after finishing the match with 10 players.

Both teams scored inside the opening seven minutes during an enthralling first half as Davison confidently finished from Ali Al Hamadi’s low cross after four minutes.

But Colchester levelled through Cameron McGeehan just three minutes later after some good work from the recalled Matt Jay.

The away side then took the lead after 25 minutes when Joe Taylor’s low drive beat Alex Bass.

Wimbledon found an equaliser just before half-time as Lewis turned Jake Reeves’ corner home with an expertly placed glancing header.

The hosts regained the lead seven minutes into the second half as Davison smartly found the far corner from a tight angle.

And Al Hamadi scored Wimbledon’s fourth when he beat Owen Goodman at his near post 15 minutes later.

McGeehan was shown a second yellow card late on as Lewis netted a second in stoppage-time.

Tom Dallison then scored the eighth goal of the evening but it proved little more than a consolation for the away side.

Grimsby claimed a first away win of the season with a 3-0 victory over managerless Salford at the Peninsula Stadium.

Harry Clifton’s strike sent the Mariners in a goal up at the break before Toby Mullarkey and Danny Rose struck in the second half.

Salford’s Matthew Lund and Grimsby’s Niall Maher both hit shots against the woodwork in the early stages.

Clifton then came up with the first half’s decisive moment after 39 minutes when he controlled Abo Eisa’s cutback and thrashed the ball home.

He nearly doubled his tally two minutes later, heading Anthony Glennon’s cross inches wide.

Salford, who sacked manager Neil Wood on Wednesday after eight league games without a win, started the second half brightly and Mariners goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright denied Ryan Watson before Lund missed a chance.

Mullarkey would have made it 2-0 were it not for a terrific save from Alex Cairns but he wasn’t to be denied again as he cut inside and placed neatly into the bottom corner with 20 minutes left.

It went from bad to worse for Salford when Rose curled one into the corner six minutes from time to complete Grimsby’s double over the Ammies.

Troy Deeney is still awaiting his first win in charge of Forest Green after Mathew Stevens missed a stoppage-time penalty in their 2-1 defeat to Swindon in League Two.

Daniel Kemp’s brace had the Robins ahead going into eight minutes of added time.

And they held on for a first win in five games as goalkeeper Lewis Ward saved Stevens’ spot-kick.

Swindon took the lead 11 minutes into the second half when Jake Young’s deflected cross came to Kemp
on the edge of the area and he lashed the ball into the net.

Rovers equalised in the 75th minute when a low ball into the near post was flicked home by substitute Matt Taylor.

But the lead only lasted seven minutes. Tyrese Shade darted in behind the visitors’ defence and
drilled a low ball in towards the near post where Kemp arrived to thump home.

Rovers had the chance to earn a point when Young conceded a penalty in the sixth minute of added time.

Stevens went down the middle with his spot-kick but Ward stood firm to earn Swindon victory.

League Two leaders Stockport made it back-to-back away draws over Christmas with another point at Bradford.

Dave Challinor’s side have now lost just once in 20 games after a goalless stalemate at Valley Parade in front of a 19,657 crowd, the match going ahead after passing an early-evening pitch inspection.

Nick Powell saw two shots charged down from Stockport’s first corner before Ibou Touray shot over the bar for the visitors.

Bradford forward Clarke Oduor, another scoring substitute from Boxing Day like Powell, replied for the hosts with a 20-yard drive that flew past the post.

Alex Gilliead just cleared the Stockport bar from the edge of the penalty area but chances were at a premium in the testing conditions.

Bradford made a positive start to the second half and Tyler Smith’s near-post flick was saved by Ben Hinchliffe.

Stockport substitute Ryan Croasdale swung and missed at a chance but the home side were growing in momentum as Andy Cook twice shot over the bar.

Hinchliffe came to Stockport’s rescue with a superb save to keep out Cook’s half-volley from a knockdown by substitute Vadaine Oliver.

Newport and Crewe shared the spoils after a largely uninspiring 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade.

Chris Long put the visitors ahead three minutes after half-time but Exiles top scorer Will Evans’s 17th goal of the season earned the hosts a point.

Evans was denied by his former team-mate Mickey Demetriou, who blocked his goalbound effort, early in the first half.

And Matt Baker headed wide from a corner just before the break, while home goalkeeper Nick Townsend did well to keep out a Zac Williams header at the other end.

Crewe opened the scoring with a scrappy effort when Baker and Townsend got in a muddle trying to clear Courtney Baker-Richardson’s cross and Long was on hand to tap in from close range.

County substitutes James Waite and Matty Bondswell combined with Shane McLoughlan a minute after coming on to allow Evans to slam home the equaliser on 64 minutes.

Promotion-chasing Mansfield had to be content with a point as visiting strugglers Doncaster hit back for a 1-1 draw.

But Wrexham’s loss at Walsall meant the Stags still edged up into second place.

Mansfield dominated the opening stages and were rewarded with the opener on 21 minutes. Stephen Quinn floated over a great cross from the left and Callum Johnson buried it with a powerful diving header.

Davis Keillor-Dunn was inches wide two minutes later but Rovers began to grow into the game and Luke Molyneux cut in from the right on 25 minutes and forced Christy Pym to save on his near post.

Harrison Biggins should have done better just after when he planted a header over from six yards from Tommy Rowe’s left-wing cross.

And on 33 minutes Jamie Sterry’s powerful shot came off a home defender and hit the far post.

Seconds after the restart Biggins almost caught Stags cold as he curled narrowly wide from 20 yards.

But on 59 minutes Jack Senior set up Joe Ironside and, after Aden Flint blocked his first shot, he curled home a great follow-up to enable the visitors to frustrate and hold on for a point.