Walsall boss Mat Sadler hailed veteran striker Jamille Matt’s impact off the bench after he became the Saddlers’ match-winner for the second time this week in a 1-0 victory over Tranmere.

Matt, mostly used as a substitute, had not scored all season until midweek in the FA Cup but coolly beat Rovers keeper Luke McGee to earn Walsall a third straight win in all competitions.

The 34-year-old has endured an injury-plagued time at Walsall since joining in January but Sadler believes Saddlers fans are beginning to see the best of him.

“I tell you, people hate playing against him,” said Sadler. “Their centre-halves had had enough by the end.

“He is horrible to play against. I’m just glad he’s getting the rewards now. He’s been hindered by a few bits and pieces, it’s been a bit stop-start.

“He’s had loads of little things which have curtailed his momentum, he has had to battle through that and he has done it.

“I always knew – and will maintain – what a guy he is at this level and I won’t be persuaded otherwise because I know what he can do.

“He gives us a platform and when he is on it like that, he is a handful. He was brilliant.”

A second successive league win moved Walsall 12 points clear of the bottom two and just five points off the play-offs.

“It’s been a good week, we know that, it was a week we had to fight, scrap, give everything – we had to show a hell of lot of different sides to us,” Sadler added.

Rovers, meanwhile, stay 21st, six points above danger after their winless away run was stretched to 17 games.

They suffered a first defeat since Nigel Adkins was made permanent boss as Walsall keeper Jackson Smith foiled Kristian Dennis and Kieron Morris, who also missed two other big chances.

“The shape and gameplan was working great first half – we had four or five really good chances,” said Adkins.

“At half-time we could have been 4-0 up – you’ve got to take your chances.

“That was the first time for a long time that we’ve not scored but we’ve created again.

“We kept going and could have got something at the end – it’s disappointing we haven’t got at least a clean sheet, disappointing we haven’t got the three points.

“We are up against it but we are having a go – and I think that’s an important thing. Slowly but surely there is a consistency about ourselves and on another day we could have scored four or five goals today.

“There were a few oohs and ahhs today – ultimately we didn’t get the result but I’m certainly seeing a performance from players who are grafting, working hard.”

Wrexham beat struggling Colchester 2-1 to remain in the top three in League Two despite playing for more than an hour with 10 men.

Wrexham took a fourth-minute lead through former Colchester loanee Elliot Lee, who fired home at the second attempt from eight yards after his first shot had been blocked by Zach Mitchell, following Ben Tozer’s long throw into the box.

But the Reds were reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute when George Evans was sent off for serious foul play following a bad challenge on Cameron McGeehan in the centre circle.

Paul Mullin was denied by Colchester goalkeeper Owen Goodman at his near post in the opening minute of the second half before Wrexham doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Mitchell sliced a James McClean cross into his own net from close range.

Jayden Fevrier pulled a goal back in the 89th minute when he converted at the far post after Mark Howard had denied McGeehan following Ellis Iandolo’s cross, but Wrexham held out.

Newport manager Graham Coughlan admitted he would have to strengthen in January after his side “chucked away” two points as Grimsby earned a late 1-1 League Two draw at Rodney Parade.

Omar Bogle looked to have secured a hard-fought win for the hosts when he poked in Shane McLoughlin’s cross from close range after 72 minutes.

But sloppy defending allowed Danny Rose to level six minutes later as he converted substitute Gavan Holohan’s centre.

Seb Palmer-Houlden had hit the crossbar for County before their opener, while Holohan wasted a glorious chance to win it for the visitors at the death.

And Coughlan was livid with his side for letting Grimsby back into the contest.

“We deserved to win it and should have won it but again our unreliability and lack of clean sheets (have cost us),” he said.

“There are one or two players that I want to be able to trust but they let me down. They don’t normally do that but that was a very soft goal against us.

“We are just chucking points away too easily and I’ve got to address that, one of two players will need to be changed to stop that.

“I know that my remit was to stay in League Two and survive but I want a little bit more than that and I think we can achieve a little bit more than that with one or two fresh faces.”

Coughlan’s men are 17th in the table – two points above Grimsby in 18th. Only four sides in the division have conceded more than their 39 goals.

“Whether it’s mentality, leadership or the same bodies playing week in and week out, there are a number of factors in there,” added the Exiles boss.

“We have played 30 games (in all competitions) and have only got six clean sheets. That is nowhere near good enough.

“If you want to win games in League Two then you need to keep clean sheets, you can’t make mistakes the way that we are making them.

“There does come a time when you have to look for that little bit more quality.”

New Grimsby manager David Artell was pleased with the way his side responded to going behind.

“We showed really good character and resilience and we’re six unbeaten (in the league) now and there’s a little bit of momentum,” said the Mariners boss.

“I can’t say ‘pleased’ because we didn’t win, but I’d say ‘satisfied’ with what we’ve shown in patches.

“We could quite easily have lost it, but we probably should have won.

“The best chance of the game was for Gav (Holohan) right at the end but, having said that, he was terrific when he came on.”

Johnnie Jackson feels his AFC Wimbledon side should have come away from Salford with all three points as they were held in a goalless League Two stalemate.

The Dons created several chances, having 20 shots at the Salford goal but were unable to break the deadlock at the Peninsula Stadium.

The result leaves Wimbledon in seventh place – where Salford finished last season.

The Ammies meanwhile, sit in 20th place which is just one spot above where Wimbledon finished in 2022/23.

Dons manager Jackson said: “How our team haven’t scored a goal is a bit of a mystery. We were outstanding the way we went about our performance, created a lot of good openings that on another day we take.

“We limited them to almost nothing. I’m really pleased for the performance and I’m just a little disappointed it didn’t get what it deserved.

“We’re playing really well. We’re a good team and we’re in seventh in the league in that play-off spot and deservedly so. We could be even higher and today is a great example of how we haven’t got what we’ve deserved.”

Ali Al-Hamadi had three opportunities to score in the second half, and he would have fancied his chances to do so having netted nine goals in seven coming into the game.

Despite this, Jackson was happy with the way the Iraq international played.

He added: “Ali is a goalscorer who prides himself on scoring. He’s had a couple of chances today that he was expected to take, the form that he’s been in.

“He’s been the hero in the last few games but today it wasn’t his day. He was part of a really good team performance.”

Salford have earned back-to-back goalless draws. But after conceding 18 in their previous six in all competitions prior to this, Neil Wood views it as a positive.

Ammies head coach Wood said: “The important thing for us is to not be conceding goals. That’s the positive we have to take.

“The strike force we came up against today was really difficult, really mobile and really strong strikers that are ready to make contact, run in behind and make something good of it.

“We knew it was going to be a test and the longer it was 0-0, the longer it went where you think we can get a chance and pull something out but unfortunately we couldn’t quite create the opening towards the end.

“They were a real handful and guys that like to be physical, run in behind and you can’t switch off at any moment. They can win it in transition and those guys are willing runners.

“We had to make sure we switched onto that and stayed solid and tried to build our way into the game from there.”

Pete Wild claimed Barrow showed off their promotion credentials in their 3-0 win at Swindon.

The visitors are now 11 games unbeaten and sit second in the table, six points behind leaders Stockport with a game in hand.

Wild said: “It was a really mature performance today, we had to make sure we controlled them. We let them have the ball deep and we didn’t start chasing them and going after him. They’re very good if
you go chasing them.

“So we want to try and sit in, let them come on to you and then hurt them from there and we knew set-pieces would be a massive part of the game. And it’s proved to be. Generally, if you’re are up there with set-pieces, you get promoted.

“Any point on the road is a good point. So to go come here and get three at what I think is in the top five toughest grounds in the league is outstanding.”

On his side’s run of form, which has seen them win six league games on the bounce, Wild added: “The lads have been outstanding and they’re having a great season so far and long may that continue.”
today, that’s fantastic.”

In a cagey first half, Dan Kemp almost gave Swindon the lead as his free-kick from range flicked off the top of the wall, totally wrongfooted Paul Farman and grazed the top of the bar as it went over.

Kian Spence put Barrow ahead as, when he was unmarked from a wide free-kick, David Worrall played the ball into him and he was able to bury his shot in the bottom corner.

Barrow found a second after 58 minutes as a cross from the corner came to the back post and a towering header from Sam Foley sent the ball beyond Murphy Mahoney and into the bottom corner of the net.

Another set-piece was poorly defended by Swindon as James Chester was given absolute freedom at the far post from a deep free-kick to pick a spot with his header and give Barrow a three-goal advantage.

Michael Flynn felt Swindon’s extensive injury list caught up with them in their performance.

He said: “The performance has got to be better. For me the injury list has taken its toll and January can’t come quick enough.

“Yes [we were down to 11 players], the performance has got to be better, because the players I did pick are better than what they showed today.

“I am not here to cry and make excuses about it, I am open and honest about it.

“The injury list has taken its toll as it is a huge ask to ask the same players to play week in week out for 90 minutes.

“Like you have seen, the effort was there and they didn’t stop working today, but we are just too easy to score against.”

Elliott Nevitt struck in the eighth minute of a dramatic stoppage time to earn 10-man Crewe a 3-3 draw at home to Accrington.

Stanley had twice fought back to lead 3-2 with goals from Ben Woods and Josh Woods before Nevitt found the top corner for Crewe, who had skipper Luke Offord shown a straight red card in the 80th minute for violent conduct.

Crewe took a fourth-minute lead through a fine finish from Aaron Rowe into the bottom corner but Jack Nolan levelled two minutes later from Joe Pritchard’s ball across the six-yard box.

Mickey Demetriou rose highest to plant a downward header past a crowd of players into the net in the 29th minute before Accrington profited from some poor goalkeeping from Liverpool loanee Harvey Davies to draw level again in the 87th minute.

Ben Woods’ drive from 25 yards looked an ambitious effort but the shot slipped past the keeper to find the corner of the net.

Davies then spilled a cross-shot and Josh Woods pounced to poke the ball home from close range in the sixth minute of time added on for what looked like a winner until Nevitt’s dramatic intervention.

Danny Rose cancelled out Omar Bogle’s opener to earn Grimsby a 1-1 League Two draw at Newport.

Both goals came in the final 20 minutes of a tight mid-table contest at Rodney Parade.

County striker Bogle went closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when he chipped a free-kick onto the top of the net from 20 yards out.

Bogle was also integral to another big chance nine minutes into the second period when his cross from the right was met on the half-volley by the outstretched boot of his strike partner Seb Palmer-Houlden, who diverted it onto the crossbar.

The breakthrough finally arrived after 72 minutes when a ball into the box was half-cleared by the Grimsby defence and returned into the danger zone by Shane McLoughlin for Bogle to poke home from close range at the near post.

But Grimsby frustrated their hosts with a quick response as Rose turned in Gavan Holohan’s cross six minutes later to earn a point.

Paddy Madden scored a hat-trick as League Two leaders Stockport ruthlessly thrashed bottom side Sutton 8-0.

Ryan Croasdale’s brace plus Kyle Wootton and Madden’s efforts put County four ahead by half-time.

The rout was completed afterwards by Madden and substitutes Joel Cotterill and Isaac Olaofe, plus the former’s injury-time penalty.

The Hatters went ahead when Croasdale headed home Odin Bailey’s sixth-minute free-kick from close range.

Stockport doubled their lead when Wootton tapped home Kyle Knoyle’s cross in a flowing move.

Dean Bouzanis denied Croasdale, but the latter made no mistake after being picked out by Callum Camps for County’s third after 20 minutes.

Stockport ruthlessly punished Sutton again when Bailey found a free Madden to slot home.

Madden’s second came after meeting Ibou Touray’s 53rd-minute corner, while Cotterill netted Stockport’s sixth following Bouzanis’ poor pass out before 70 minutes.

Stockport top scorer Olaofe netted County’s seventh as full-time approached after earlier hitting the crossbar.

County won an injury-time penalty for handball, which Madden slotted home for his hat-trick.

Mansfield moved up to fourth in Sky Bet League Two with an impressive 3-1 win at 10-man Crawley.

The Stags, pegged back by a penalty from Danilo Orsi after Baily Cargill’s opener, stepped up their game in the second half to clinch their first victory in three league matches.

Scott Lindsey went into the contest believing Crawley have come “a hell of a long way” since he took over as boss 11 months ago and said turning their fortunes around is giving him more enjoyment than he had while at Swindon.

However, the hosts suffered an early blow when defender Cargill gave Mansfield the lead after 12 minutes with a thumping header from a fierce cross by Rhys Oates.

Stags goalkeeper Christy Pym went down bravely to claim a dangerous cross by Kellan Gordon before Oates wasted a quick Mansfield counter-attack by hastily firing over from a good position.

Crawley equalised nine minutes before the break when Orsi powered home his 11th goal of the season from the penalty spot. The former Grimsby striker made no mistake after referee Scott Simpson had ruled that Lucas Akins had fouled Adam Campbell.

Mansfield had a let-off 10 minutes into the second half when a rasping drive from Will Wright struck the post.

However, the Stags took the lead a minute later when Davis Keillor-Dunn netted his 12th goal of the season from close range following a cross by substitute Stephen Quinn.

George Maris wrapped up the points in the 64th minute with a first-time shot from the edge of the area after good work by Akins.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 69th minute when defender Jay Williams picked up two yellow cards for fouling Quinn and then showing dissent.

Morecambe emphatically ended a five-game winless run in League Two as they strolled to a 5-0 victory at Doncaster.

Ged Brannan’s side had taken just one point from the previous 15 available but looked anything but strugglers as they swept past lacklustre Rovers, with Michael Mellon netting twice along with goals from Eli King, captain Jacob Bedeau and David Tutonda.

King gave the visitors the lead after seven minutes when he cut inside from the left and hammered a low shot into the far corner.

Doncaster had the better of possession but struggled for inroads.

They were caught on the break as Morecambe doubled their lead after 34 minutes when Mellon was released by King and slotted beyond Louis Jones at the second attempt.

The advantage was increased six minutes into the second half when Bedeau ghosted into the box to finish a low centre from Adam Mayor.

Young striker Jack Goodman went closest to netting for Doncaster after sending a shot across goal agonisingly wide.

But Tutonda lashed a shot in off the crossbar from 20 yards on 80 minutes before Mellon netted his second from close range in stoppage time.

Salford and AFC Wimbledon played out a goalless League Two stalemate at the Peninsula Stadium on Saturday.

The visitors had 20 shots at the Salford goal, but could not make it count.

Armani Little was the main goal threat for either side in the first half. The Dons midfielder had several efforts, the first of which he hit just off target from 25 yards out.

Little tried his luck again from the edge of the box and fired just over on the half-volley before his next attempt went inches wide.

Josh Neufville had a good chance early in the second half, but Alex Cairns rushed out to close the angle down.

Both sides then came close to breaking the deadlock in a matter of minutes. Conor McAleny’s powerfully struck free-kick was saved by Alex Bass and – at the other end – the in-form Ali Al-Hamadi twice hit the side netting.

Al-Hamadi had the best chance of the game in stoppage time, but he dragged his shot wide of the post as Wimbledon were left frustrated.

Barrow extended their unbeaten streak in League Two to 11 matches as they saw off Swindon with a 3-0 victory at the County Ground.

In a cagey first half, Dan Kemp almost gave Swindon the lead as his free-kick from range flicked off the top of the wall, totally wrongfooted Paul Farman and grazed the top of the bar as it went over.

Kian Spence put Barrow ahead (34) when, as he was unmarked from a wide free-kick, David Worrall played the ball into him and he was able to bury his shot in the bottom corner.

Barrow found a second after 58 minutes as a cross from the corner came to the back post and a towering header from Sam Foley sent the ball beyond Murphy Mahoney and into the bottom corner of the net.

Another set-piece was poorly defended by Swindon as James Chester was given absolute freedom at the far post from a deep free-kick to pick a spot with his header (73) and give Barrow a three-goal advantage.

Jamille Matt’s first league goal of the season gave Walsall a 1-0 win over terrible travellers Tranmere.

Rovers’ winless away run stretched to 17 games as Nigel Adkins suffered a first defeat since taking permanent charge.

An error from Walsall’s David Okagbue presented Tranmere with the game’s first chance but Kristian Dennis’ shot was foiled by Saddlers keeper Jackson Smith.

Walsall skipper Donervon Daniels should have put the hosts ahead but shanked his volley badly wide six yards out.

Smith’s superb stop thwarted Rovers’ ex-Walsall winger Kieron Morris before Rob Apter dragged a shot just wide for the visitors.

Rovers keeper Luke McGee pulled off a stunning stop right on half-time as he clawed Liam Gordon’s curler out of the top corner.

But he was beaten on 64 minutes as half-time substitute Matt latched on to Daniels’ long ball to hook beyond the advancing keeper.

Ryan Stirk should have sealed the points but headed Gordon’s cross wide from six yards and Rovers, who stay 21st, almost nicked a point deep in stoppage time when Morris fired wide on the volley.

MK Dons stretched their unbeaten league run to six matches with a 2-0 win over struggling Forest Green.

Max Dean put the Dons in front and Jack Payne extended the advantage as the hosts won the clash between two teams who were relegated last season.

Rovers had failed to win any of their previous four Sky Bet League Two games and nearly fell behind early on when Payne’s free-kick narrowly cleared the bar.

The hosts then opened the scoring as Dean controlled Joe Tomlinson’s cut-back, evaded a defender and fired a shot across Luke Daniels into the bottom corner.

Conor Grant fired wide when well placed but the Dons doubled their lead when Tomlinson’s cross picked out Payne, who hit a firm strike into the back of the net.

Troy Deeney and substitute Matty Stevens missed the target with chances either side of the break and Deeney saw another late effort cleared off the line as the visitors failed to score for the third league game in a row.

Goals from Jamie Walker and Andy Cook earned Bradford a comfortable 2-0 win away to Gillingham that gave Bantams manager Graham Alexander his fifth victory in a row.

The home side thought they had taken the lead from a set-piece on 15 minutes when Macauley Bonne flicked Connor Mahoney’s near-post corner towards goal, only for Harry Lewis to palm the effort away.

Bradford took the lead in the 32nd minute when Gills’ Scott Malone was dispossessed deep inside his own half by Alex Gilliead, who squared the ball for team-mate Walker to pass the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out.

Gillingham offered little in the way of attack for the rest of the half, but they applied more pressure after the break when Mahoney delivered a succession of set-pieces and Max Ehmer headed over when well placed.

The visitors held firm, however, and then doubled their advantage in the 74th minute when Cook fired a free-kick from 25 yards underneath the Gillingham wall in front of the Bradford supporters.