Teenage striker Freddie Draper completed his hat-trick in the sixth minute of stoppage time to earn Walsall a 3-3 draw at Newport.

County midfielder Bryn Morris thought he had won it for the hosts with goals in the fourth and 67th minutes, while in between Exiles striker Will Evans claimed his 12th goal of the season, but Draper had the final say with his third leveller of the night.

Morris’ first was a superb strike into the top corner after slick one-touch build-up play involving Evans and Omar Bogle.

Draper levelled for the first time in the 16th minute when he converted a Tom Knowles cross, but Evans curled into the corner to give the hosts a 2-1 lead in first-half stoppage time.

Draper grabbed his second eight minutes after the restart with a cool finish before Morris slammed the ball into the roof of the net at the other end.

And 19-year-old Draper, on loan from Lincoln, stabbed in Donervon Daniels’ centre to level for a third time at the death.

Doncaster’s recent League Two revival continued with a 2-1 victory over Tranmere at Prenton Park.

Rovers took the lead after 27 minutes when Harrison Biggins steered the ball home from the centre of the box after some fine work down the right by Zain Westbrooke.

Tranmere should have been level before the break but Harvey Saunders’ close-range header was brilliantly saved by Doncaster keeper Louis Jones.

The visitors continued to look dangerous in the second half and doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Mo Faal pounced on a defensive error to flick the ball home.

But Connor Jennings got Tranmere back into things on 70 minutes when he fired past Jones from the edge of the box.

The home side piled forward in search of an equaliser in the closing minutes and could have snatched a point when Jennings’ effort flashed narrowly over the bar.

However, Doncaster hung on to make it five wins from their last seven league games despite having manager Grant McCann sent to the stands for preventing Tranmere taking a quick free-kick in front of the dugout.

Crewe boss Lee Bell slammed missile-throwing fans who triggered a second-half hold-up before his side beat nine-man Tranmere 2-0 at Gresty Road.

Referee Ross Joyce stopped play for around five minutes as police and stewards dealt with objects hurled at the officials.

It came after Crewe’s Chris Long doubled his side’s lead when he blasted in a 52nd-minute free-kick, awarded after the dismissal of Tranmere goalkeeper Luke McGee for handling outside the box.

Bell said the break in action affected his team’s performance and after being in control of the game they failed to press home their numerical advantage.

Indeed, Crewe’s goal led a charmed life in the closing minutes and 13 of added time when Harvey Saunders lifted over from close range and rattled the bar with a header while Courtney Baker-Richardson cleared a header from Connor Jennings off the line.

Mickey Demetriou had put Crewe ahead early in the game before Tranmere finished with nine men after captain Tom Davies was sent off in stoppage time.

Bell said: “We can’t be seeing these sort of things, the officials are trying to do a job and people said coins were thrown.

“They were talking of calling the game off when we were 2-0 up. It was ridiculous and you can’t be doing these things.

“But we were exceptional in the first half and we should have been 3-0 up at half-time, although we didn’t handle playing against 10 men particularly well.

“The supporters wanted to see more goals but the players lost their way a bit and we should have done better.

“But we’d been exceptional before then. Shilow Tracey was outstanding considering he was at the training ground having a fitness test before the game.

“He gave it a go and if that is how he plays when he may not be match-ready then you can only wonder what he can do when he is.”

For Nigel Adkins it was the third defeat in six games since taking interim charge of Tranmere.

He said: “We started the game poorly but you have to give Crewe a lot of credit for that.

“I was very disappointed with the first goal as we should have been able to defend that.

“Then I challenged the players at half-time to do things the Tranmere way and we showed a lot of resilience in the second half.

“But we got a double whammy with the sending off and the goal but even down to 10 men we could have got something out of the game.

“We have to scrap and fight because where we are in the league. But the reality is that that first half wasn’t good enough.

“In the second half we did a lot of things well, winning our one v one duels and that gives me a lot of belief.”

Walsall boss Mat Sadler believes his Isaac Hutchinson-inspired Saddlers do not know how good they can become after the midfielder’s hat-trick helped them thrash high-flying Gillingham 4-1 in League Two.

Hutchinson scored three and set up Walsall’s other goal after Gills caretaker boss Keith Millen was sent to the stands for tripping winger Tom Knowles as he tried to take a throw-in.

Two fine finishes came from playmaker Hutchinson’s left foot, either side of slipping Freddie Draper in to slot home, and he sealed his treble with a late header from a Ross Tierney cross.

“Isaac will undoubtedly get the plaudits because he’s scored three goals,” said Sadler.

“But for me, the game was won in the midfield three – Ross, Oisin (McEntee) and Ryan (Stirk) were brutal and relentless. They just continuously ran over them. The engine room really hummed today.

“Isaac is a constant goal threat. Even if he’s not having his best day, he always provides a threat for us. He’s constantly supplying a source of creativity.

“There have been challenges, we’ve had injuries and suspensions and it’s been difficult but it came together today.

“They’re still finding that belief of how good they are and how good they can be because they are a young group but they are desperate to do well and improve.”

Sadler also had sympathy for his opposite number Millen after his dismissal.

“He’s a top bloke, a proper football man and he will hurt from that result and incident because I know the sort of person he is – I’m sure he will be gutted,” Sadler added.

Macauley Bonne’s close-range finish gave Gillingham hope at 3-0 down but they slipped to a sixth-straight away defeat.

Acting assistant Mark Moss admitted: “We’re bitterly disappointed. We have fallen short of the standards the first-team group has set themselves this season.

“We’ve got to bounce back next week and we’ve got the perfect game to do it against Notts County, at home, where we’ve been generally very good.

“Obviously we’ve got to address the away form. We’ve got to be better on the road.”

On Millen’s dismissal, Moss added: “I didn’t see it at the time, I was looking down at the iPad. I wouldn’t have thought he deliberately tried to trip the player, I don’t think he would do that.

“The referee has got his own perspective of it and it looks how it looks but I can’t see Keith doing that personally.”

Former Gills player Steve Bruce has emerged as a surprise candidate to replace the sacked Neil Harris but Moss says the interim coaching group is happy to fill in.

He added: “I’m sure the club will take their time over someone. They want to get the right person in and that’s the right way to do it.”

Stockport boss Dave Challinor warned his “indestructible” side that there can be no letting up after a 3-1 win at Harrogate sent County top of League Two.

Antoni Sarcevic, a Warren Burrell own goal and Will Collar secured the Hatters an eighth consecutive win in all competitions, with Harrogate’s reply from George Thomson’s penalty nothing more than a consolation.

It was a comprehensive performance from the visitors, who also saw Odin Bailey hit an upright late on, with perfectionist Challinor also annoyed that the spot-kick decision deprived his team of a clean sheet.

“It’s a real, real good effort to win eight games in all competitions in a row,” he said.

“It does give you an indestructible feeling but we’ve just got to keep churning things out, whether that means steamrollering teams or digging in to get results.

“This was potentially a tough game because, with their gameplan, the back four and two central midfielders hardly moved, so it can be hard to hurt them in behind but, with the quality of our second-half performance, we should have won by more and it was never a penalty.

“We didn’t deserve to concede a goal, but that decision cost us that opportunity.

“Even at 3-1, it could have also flipped the game on its head because, if it had lifted them and they had got another goal, we could have been hanging on in a game that we were in absolute control of.”

Burrell’s own goal came after a brilliant run to the byline from on-loan Aston Villa attacker Louie Barry who ghosted past home pair James Daly and Liam Gibson.

Challinor added: “When he tiptoes along the touchline and byline like he did for the second goal, you think there’s no way he can stay up, but he has great balance.”

Harrogate boss Simon Weaver felt his team were defeated by a side destined for League One, but added that the hosts were still architects of their own downfall.

“We lost to a good team but, if you give them chances, they will take them,” he said.

“They were ruthless because our expected goals number was actually higher, so there’s reason to be optimistic moving forward because we looked quite creative and our front four worked really hard to prise them open on occasions.

“But two mistakes led to their first two goals. We started the game looking professional, solid and hard to break down but, just before 15 minutes, a fundamental error from a throw-in has given them a goal, as well as hope and belief.

“Josh March had already hit the bar for us by that point and we fought back with Matty Daly going close a couple of times but you can’t give away the first two goals in the way that we did against a team that I expect to go up with the quality that they have in their squad.”

Phil Parkinson praised Wrexham’s character as they came from behind to stun Salford with a 3-2 victory.

The travelling Ammies raced to an early 2-0 lead thanks to Matt Smith’s ninth goal of the season and a Matty Lund strike.

An accurate Elliot Lee header halved Salford’s lead shortly before the interval and ignited an unlikely fightback.

Wrexham left it late to pull off a miraculous comeback with two substitutes proving to be the hosts’ heroes.

Steven Fletcher levelled with a simple tap-in and Jordan Davies notched the winner a matter of seconds after the restart.

“We’re so pleased with the win,” said boss Phil Parkinson, whose side stretched their unbeaten run to five games.

“It’s another great example about what the club’s about; the character and strength of mentality in the group shone through and we never ever give in.

“At half-time, I felt if we upped the quality in our play and decision-making that we’d have a great chance to go on and win the game.

“We had all the best chances and we felt if we got it to 2-2 then the momentum would be with us and we’d go and win the game.

“I owe a special mention to the subs because we needed a lift of tempo, energy and a bit of freshness, and they really gave us it.

“We put them under so much pressure in that second period and there was a spell where you thought whether the goal was coming.

“We had some unbelievable chances and once it got to 2-2, the whole stadium lifted and it felt like there was only one winner.

“The teams which are ultimately successful are the ones with strong squads because you’re going to have injuries and suspensions throughout the season.

“You’ve got to have a squad capable of dealing with that and you can never knock us in terms of the work ethic and desire of the team.”

It was a bitter ending to the afternoon for Neil Wood’s outfit, who let a fourth successive league victory slip through their grasps.

“We weren’t good enough, that’s the brutal honesty of it,” said the Salford boss.

“We didn’t keep the ball well enough, we weren’t sharp enough and two naive mistakes cost us the game.

“It’s really poor from our point of view; they’re schoolboy goals to concede and the minimum is that we leave here with a point.

“It’s very disappointing to lose the game and we should be able to withstand the pressure.

“We’ve got a major chance to make it 3-1 and that has to be a goal; it’s criminal to miss a chance like that and that was a massive turning point in the game.

“It would’ve taken the sting out of it and given us the chance to get back in control of the game.

“We showed a big lack of quality and a naivety to our play, so it’s a big learning curve.

“We just need players back and the squad is light as it is and it shows; we’ve got two first-team players on the bench.

“You almost don’t want to put our B team lads into that situation because it is sink or swim and a difficult environment to put them in.

“They could make three or four subs that are quality first-team players who can make an impact and that’s the difference.

“But our lads are giving their best and that’s all that I can ask for.”

Modest Kevin McDonald was not “getting carried away” after his winning start to life as Bradford caretaker player-manager continued away to AFC Wimbledon.

The former Scotland international was put in temporary charge following Mark Hughes’ departure earlier this month and has a 100 per cent record in the hotseat.

Bradford followed up last weekend’s home win against Swindon by triumphing at Grimsby in the EFL Trophy and then securing a third win in eight days in the capital.

City rode their luck at times against Wimbledon and Harry Lewis produced some key saves, with super sub Emmanuel Osadebe’s second-half effort securing a hard-fought 1-0 win.

“It’s a good result of course,” caretaker boss McDonald said. “To come away from home to a hard place to play – they don’t concede too many goals – and win 1-0, it’s a great result.

“There’s certain parts of the performance that were below par at times, but on the whole, especially second half and first 15 minutes, I thought we brought our own dimension of the game.

“To win 1-0 after a three-game week, it’s been a good week.

“It’s definitely not easy. We’ve played three games and won three games, but you’ll never see me getting carried away.

“I’ve never been carried away as a player and again as a caretaker manager.

“We’re here to do our job, obviously on behalf of the club, and that’s what we’ll do until told otherwise.”

McDonald says he has open, ongoing dialogue with Bradford chief executive Ryan Sparks over the managerial situation.

And, even if the 34-year-old does not take the role permanently, this experience has underlined his coaching ambitions.

“I think in a longer term it has always been maybe a potential plan to be going into coaching,” McDonald, the former Fulham and Wolves midfielder, said.

“Maybe now I have been involved in it, I don’t know if it has confirmed (I want to do it).

“Obviously I want to be a manager going forward in time to come, but that was kind of always on the radar for the longer term.

“I was thinking somewhere along the line of coaching and managing.

“I didn’t know how I would take to it, I didn’t know how I would do, I didn’t know how well I’d take to it, but I’d say I’ve taken to it all right, at times.”

McDonald is seeking further improvements when his side return to West Yorkshire, while Wimbledon counterpart Johnnie Jackson was left to reflect on a frustrating afternoon.

The Dons boss said: “We feel like we should have won the game, let alone come away with nothing.

“As far as balance of play, we created chances, so it’s really frustrating.”

Bradford’s winner came just moments after Armani Little went close on a day when the hosts’ struggles at home this season continued, having managed just one League Two victory at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

“The performance level, the disparity doesn’t match the results,” Jackson said.

“And again today we have done well enough to win a game of football. One has come back off a post, we’ve not been given a stonewall penalty.

“Today is just one of those days when everything has gone against us.”

Manager Grant McCann hailed his on-song Doncaster side as a collective after they swept past Sutton 4-1.

A Joe Ironside brace, including a penalty, plus strikes from Zain Westbrooke and Mo Faal secured the points, with Harry Smith netting a late consolation.

It was a third straight home league win for Doncaster and McCann feels there is even more to come from his side as they continue to climb the League Two table.

He said: “It was more of a team performance. Luke Molyneux was involved in all the goals for us but I think it was a team performance, which is really pleasing.

“We just want to keep building and improving. We’ve definitely turned a corner in how we play.

“It’s nice to win but the performances have been there for a long time. We’ve maybe not got the wins we’ve deserved.

“But we turned it around in this one. I thought we were excellent in the second half and could have scored more goals. We limited a team that scored four last week to not many attempts.

“There’s definitely things in there that we can learn from but there’s definite positives as well.

“We raised our game in the second half and got into good areas. We were maybe a bit softer than what I think we can be – I think we can be more clinical.”

Manager Matt Gray is relishing the prospect of time on the training ground with his players as he looks to ignite Sutton’s season.

Gray bemoaned a busy schedule hampering his ability to work with his squad but feels he will now have the opportunity to get some much-needed work into the group as they seek an about-turn in form.

“It’s the ninth game we’ve had in four weeks and I just feel that I haven’t had enough time to work with the lads because it’s been play, recover, play, recover,” Gray said.

“We need to get some training sessions into them. The schedule eases off slightly now so it flattens out and we can get some valuable work into them.”

Defeat at Doncaster was a 10th from 13 league matches this season and Gray was frustrated Sutton failed to build on their 4-0 win over Walsall, which was followed by a clean sheet in the EFL Trophy.

“It was a great performance last weekend, with a great result and we backed it up with another one in the week but it’s a disappointing result for us,” he said.

“We started well in the second half but the second goal comes from a cross that I’d expect us to deal with and it took the sting out of us.”

Forest Green boss David Horseman praised his side’s ‘intense and ruthless’ performance after a 5-0 demolition of 10-man Colchester.

Rovers moved off the bottom of the League Two table with goals from Callum Morton, Kyle McAllister, Matty Taylor and Matty Stevens (2).

Jay Mingi’s red card for a second bookable offence two minutes after the break left the visitors with it all to do but Rovers pounced with four second-half goals.

Horseman said: “We knew it was a massive game, if it wouldn’t have gone the way it did I’m sure people would’ve been calling for my head.

“We understand where we’re at. It’s a massive thank you to the fans because it hasn’t been easy. The last time we scored five goals was back in 2018.

“The system requires athleticism and I don’t want to morph into any coach who is scared of losing and changing who you are as a coach just to win.

“Once these players come back, we’ll be even more of an exciting team.”

A neat one-two on the edge of the box between Jacob Maddox and McAllister opened up an opportunity for the former but his effort blazed over the crossbar.

Dom Bernard was then adjudged to have back-passed to Rovers shot-stopper James Belshaw but Cameron McGeehan’s drive was blocked on the goal line.

But Tyrese Omotoye’s curling effort was parried by Smith into the path of the oncoming Morton, who hammered home from six yards just before half-time.

Morton almost doubled his tally when he was played through by Omotoye but Smith made amends for his earlier error.

U’s midfielder Mingi was sent off for a second bookable offence just two minutes after the break.

Forest Green doubled their lead after 65 minutes when McAllister received a pass from Omotoye and smashed a left-footed effort into the far corner of Smith’s goal.

A third arrived 12 minutes later as substitute Taylor drilled past Smith despite his best efforts to save.

Stevens made it four by slotting home Sean Robertson’s low cross and also added a fifth in stoppage time when he controlled and finished Harvey Bunker’s lofted pass to complete the rout.

On the back pass, Horseman added: “It would’ve changed the game with the way our form and confidence is at the moment. That was a big turning point – people put their bodies on the line.”

Colchester manager Ben Garner could not hide his frustration.

He said: “My last words at half-time to the two players on yellow cards were ‘don’t do anything reckless’.

“I didn’t think there was anything in it the first half and we edged it, we made two mistakes early in the second half and it got away from us.”

Manager Graham Coughlan took the blame for Newport’s 2-0 League Two defeat at Swindon.

Dan Kemp and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy were on target as Swindon returned to winning ways.

Coughlan said: “I think that this is a team sport and to just stand here and blame players is not right.

“I will not accept that my players are to blame for the goal – if anyone is to blame for the first goal.

“I have a golden rule not to blame the players, I picked them, I selected them, so it is on my head if things happen.

“For someone to come to me and blame it on one individual, that does not help.

“That is not how Newport County works and that is not how we are going to be addressing things.

“You are going to get a goal from class and quality and that is what we have got and that is where we are and we just have to keep believing and keep fighting.

“But this has happened a few times this season where we are getting beaten when we were the better team.

“We have definitely been worth something today and we have come away with nothing.”

It took the hosts just eight minutes to find the back of the net as Charlie Austin played a perfect through ball for Kemp, who beat goalkeeper Jonny Maxted to the ball, took it around the goalkeeper and slotted it into the net.

Poor play on the ball from Swindon saw Newport with a spare player in attack, Omar Bogle looked to take a shot on himself from the edge of the area, but Robins stopper Murphy Mahoney tipped his fierce effort over the crossbar.

Swindon almost added a second when Kemp played Jake Young through on goal, but with George McEachran square, he decided to go it alone and tried to send a low shot into the corner, only for Maxted to flick the ball round the post.

With Newport searching for an equaliser, Swindon countered quickly and Saidou Khan’s powerful drive proved to be too hot to handle for Maxted and Hepburn-Murphy tapped home the rebound.

Michael Flynn was very pleased with how his side managed to respond to a disappointing first half and put in a much-improved performance after the break.

He said: “In the second half I thought we were excellent. We dealt with their direct play, kept a clean sheet, and should have scored more goals.

“In the first half I thought we were very sloppy. We gave away too many balls without any real pressure on us and we let them in a few times through our poor play.

“But the second half was a lot more professional from us and a lot more pleasing.

“I said at half-time that we were going to let them back in if we were not careful. We kind of played into their hands and gave them a bit of a lift.

“The one chance just before half-time, you can’t give Omar Bogle that much space.

“We had some words at half-time, but they responded excellently and I am really proud of the players.

“We stepped up everything in the second half – our decision making and concentration on the pass.

“We played some unbelievable football, honestly, I am really enjoying watching us at the moment.

“We are a good team, even in the Crewe game we gave that one away and if we took our chances at Bradford then we would have won the game.

“Today I still thought we should have scored more goals, but it was a pleasing performance and we can still improve.”

Graham Alexander questioned the “resilience” of his misfiring MK Dons players and their desire to improve after their winless run hit eight Sky Bet League Two matches with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Barrow.

Emile Acquah’s stunning late leveller salvaged a point for the visitors at Stadium MK as the hosts threw away a 2-0 lead in stoppage time.

Max Dean’s first-half double looked to have set the Dons on the way to their first league win since August, but after substitute Ben Whitfield’s strike teed up a nervy finale, Acquah curled home to extend their rotten run and trigger loud boos at full-time.

Former Scotland international Alexander, 52, said: “It should be three points in the bag without a shadow of a doubt.

“But we have unbelievable ways of shooting ourselves in the foot. We’re making basic errors of judgement and bringing it on ourselves.

“The game should be done. We’ve have opportunities to see the game out and we’re not making good decisions.

“And then at 2-1, it’s a blind panic. I’m not going to lie, after the first one I could see it coming.

“It’s not a bunch of kids who have never played football before, it’s lads who have played 300 or 400 games.

“We have an issue in our heads, we should know exactly how to see this out. We can’t win a game of football that we should have won and we have to eradicate it.

“It’s not in the whole team. I can see the ones who can take on instructions and tactics and make decisions at the right time.

“And I can forgive young players who are 18, 19 or 20 for making mistakes in the game.

“I can see the ones that are not showing the improvement and resilience to improve our results. That’s the cold fact.”

The Dons seized the lead when Dean rifled home on the turn from the edge of the box via a slight deflection.

But Barrow rallied and could have grabbed a leveller as Robbie Gotts, Dean Campbell and Ged Garner all went close.

Dean punished their profligacy when he doubled the home side’s advantage 10 minutes before the break by reacting quickest to Paul Farman’s reaction stop to nod home from close range.

The Dons wasted multiple chances to put the game to bed in the second half before Whitfield and Acquah’s late intervention rescued Barrow a point.

Beaming Barrow boss Pete Wild said: “I honestly think that’s the least we deserve, we’ve had some really good passages of play.

“We passed the football like we had belief, but just didn’t hurt them enough in their box.

“Those two late goals are brilliant and the least we deserved.

“Emile has a really good finish about him and finished that really well.

“We dominated the football really well, but have still got work to do in both boxes.”

John Coleman praised Accrington for conjuring up game-defining moments in defence and attack during a 2-0 win over 10-man Grimsby at Blundell Park.

Stanley substitute Shaun Whalley and frontman Josh Andrews settled the game after Grimsby captain Luke Waterfall saw red for two bookable offences in what was a catalyst for the eventual result.

Coleman, whose side moved up to ninth in the League Two table, said: “I was delighted with the result and our clean sheet.

“I think we can play better. It was a very scrappy game with the wind, the sun and it was difficult for both teams to play football.

“We needed to pass the ball better and we did that in the second half.

“Jay (Baghuelou) stopped a certain goal that’s nearly on our line, and that’s as good as a goal. (Matt) Lowey did the same. They are big moments and they are as good as goals. We kept ourselves in the game.

“I think that we then got ourselves on top in the second half and got our goals at the right times, as well.”

A superb block from Accrington defender Jay Baghuelou denied Harry Clifton in the early stages, while his Grimsby team-mate Harvey Rodgers glanced over the crossbar after meeting an out-swinging Jamie Andrews corner.

At the other end, Josh Andrews went close with a tame header before Abo Eisa saw his shot clawed away by Accrington goalkeeper Jon McCracken.

Grimsby striker Danny Rose prodded goalwards upon the restart from a set-piece as Eisa then passed up a golden opportunity – on the hour mark – when the winger fired over right-footed from inside the six-yard area.

Waterfall handed Accrington an advantage when he was sent off with 18 minutes to play and they instantly seized control with Whalley and Josh Andrews both scoring in quickfire fashion to help their side to a sixth victory so far this season.

Grimsby manager Paul Hurst said: “I think the sending off has had a big impact, but before that it’s a case of us missing chances.

“We didn’t have loads, but there were situations in my mind where we should have been in front in the game.

“We didn’t take them and that costs us in terms of having a chance of really getting something positive from the game.

“I thought we were the better side and had the better moments (until the red card). We had an open goal, then there was another piece of defending nearly on their line to stop Eisa.

“Rose was also inches away from a good goal, so no I didn’t feel the need to change things earlier.”

Tranmere had goalkeeper Luke McGee and defender Tom Davies sent off as they went down to a 2-0 defeat at local rivals Crewe.

Jack Powell floated over a 40-yard free-kick and Mickey Demetriou drifted free to plant a header into the bottom corner in the 11th minute to give Crewe the lead.

Seven minutes into the second half, McGee left Tranmere in the mire when he was stranded several yards outside the penalty box as he handled Chris Long’s goalbound attempt to earn a straight red card.

Long deepened Rovers’ troubles when blasting the resulting free-kick into the bottom corner, with veteran keeper Joe Murphy’s first action off the bench being to pick the ball out of the net.

After a lengthy stoppage following an incident in the crowd, the visitors rallied and went close to reducing the arrears when Connor Jennings glanced the crossbar with a thundering drive.

Crewe’s goal led a charmed life in the closing minutes and 13 of added time when Harvey Saunders lifted over from close range and rattled the bar with a header while Courtney Baker-Richardson cleared a header from Jennings off the line.

Tranmere’s woes were complete when skipper Davies earned his side’s second dismissal of the game with a second yellow card for a late tackle deep into stoppage time.

Swindon got back to winning ways as goals from Dan Kemp and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy saw the Robins defeat Newport 2-0 in League Two.

It took the hosts just eight minutes to find the back of the net as Charlie Austin played a perfect through ball for Kemp, who beat goalkeeper Jonny Maxted to the ball, took it around the goalkeeper and slotted it into the net.

Poor play on the ball from Swindon saw Newport with a spare player in attack, Omar Bogle looked to take a shot on himself from the edge of the area, but Robins stopper Murphy Mahoney tipped his fierce effort over the crossbar.

Swindon almost added a second when Kemp played Jake Young through on goal, but with George McEachran square, he decided to go it alone and tried to send a low shot into the corner, only for Maxted to flick the ball round the post.

With Newport searching for an equaliser, Swindon countered quickly and Saidou Khan’s powerful drive proved to be too hot to handle for Maxted and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy tapped home the rebound.

Emile Acquah’s stunning late strike salvaged a dramatic 2-2 draw for Barrow at MK Dons to heap more pressure on under-fire boss Graham Alexander.

The Barrow striker curled home a brilliant leveller in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Ben Whitfield had pulled one back for Pete Wild’s side just two minutes earlier.

Max Dean’s first-half double looked to have set the Dons on the way to their first Sky Bet League Two win since August, but Barrow’s remarkable late fightback silenced Stadium MK before triggering loud boos at full-time.

Alexander used his programme notes to address his side’s rotten run and it was Barrow who started the brighter in front of a tense home crowd.

But the hosts seized the lead when Dean rifled home on the turn from the edge of the box via a slight Barrow deflection.

Wild’s side rallied and could have grabbed a leveller as Robbie Gotts, Dean Campbell and Ged Garner all went close.

But the Dons doubled their advantage 10 minutes before the break when Dean reacted quickest to Paul Farman’s reaction stop to nod home from close-range.

Gotts and Elliot Newby came close to cutting the gap as the visitors started the second half strongly.

The Dons wasted multiple chances to put the game to bed before Whitfield and Acquah’s late intervention rescued Barrow a point and keeps Alexander waiting for a first league win in over two months.