Mansfield remain unbeaten this season after they were held to a goalless draw in an exciting clash at home to promotion rivals Wrexham.

The Stags completely dominated the first half and twice hit the woodwork.

Wrexham were pinned back for 20 minutes until they forced a corner from which goalkeeper Christy Pym had to punch away a Ben Tozer header.

But it was one-way traffic after that and Davis Keillor-Dunn headed straight at Arthur Okonkwo from six yards in the 25th minute and five minutes later fired low across the keeper and hit the far post.

Aaron Lewis lifted a first-time finish over from 12 yards after 33 minutes and moments later Ollie Clarke forced Okonkwo to dive to his left from 25 yards to turn his powerful blast onto a post and out as the Welsh side somehow clung on for half-time.

Wrexham were much more on the front foot after the break and Ollie Palmer headed a James McClean free-kick just wide after 52 minutes.

Mansfield substitute James Gale forced Okonkwo to save at his near post after 64 minutes while in the 72nd minute Aaron Hayden headed a corner straight at Pym.

McClean volleyed a loose ball over five minutes from time, while Keillor-Dunn was just wide from 25 yards in the last minute.

Tranmere recorded a much-needed win in their effort to move away from the League Two relegation places with a 2-1 win over Bradford at Prenton Park.

An 83rd-minute strike from Kieron Morris was enough to secure the points after Regan Hendry had seen his earlier effort cancelled out by Andy Cook.

Bradford looked the more dangerous early on with Jamie Walker hitting the post from the edge of the box while Alex Pattison and Walker again were denied by Rovers goalkeeper Luke McGee.

But it was the home side who took the lead after 24 minutes when Harry Lewis in the City goal let Hendry’s long-range effort slip through his hands.

Rovers took the game to their opponents after the break but it was former Rovers man Cook who rose unmarked in the 55th minute to bring the Bantams level with his fifth goal in three games.

Tranmere could have retaken the lead in the 66th minute when Harvey Saunders was brought down in the box by Kevin McDonald, only for Josh Hawkes to see his spot-kick superbly saved by Lewis.

And with both sides going all out for the win it was substitute Morris who slid the ball home from range to secure only Rovers’ third league win of the campaign in the 83rd minute.

Tommy Leigh’s penalty salvaged Accrington a 1-1 draw at Lancashire rivals Morecambe in League Two.

Both goals came in the second half with Morecambe taking the lead in the 64th minute when on-loan Bristol Rovers defender James Connolly scored his first goal for the Shrimps as he diverted Jordan Slew’s shot past Jon McCracken from six yards.

The lead lasted just five minutes however as the home side gave away a soft penalty.

As Stanley pushed forward Morecambe winger Tom Bloxham brought down Shaun Whalley with a crude challenge and Leigh stepped up to send Stuart Moore the wrong way from the spot.

Slew had a golden chance to win it deep in stoppage time when he was played in on goal but slashed his final effort wildly wide.

The first half saw both sides go close as the action flew from end to end.

The closest either team came to a goal was when Morecambe midfielder Jake Taylor was played in by Michael Mellon but saw his goalbound chip cleared off the line superbly by former Shrimps defender Kelvin Mellor.

Mellon saw two efforts well saved by McCracken while at the other end Joe Pritchard forced a superb save from Moore and Jack Nolan hit the crossbar with a curling corner.

MK Dons’ winless Sky Bet League Two run was extended to six games with a goalless draw at Walsall.

The visitors bossed the first half and it needed a smart save from Walsall goalkeeper Owen Evans to foil a close-range shot from Ellis Harrison.

Dons wanted a penalty in the 16th minute for Joe Riley’s challenge on Mo Eisa, but the ball broke for Warren O’Hora who flashed just wide from 25 yards.

Evans made a flying save from Harrison’s glancing header as Dons’ dominance continued.

The hosts did have the ball in the net just before half-time, but Freddie Draper’s first-time finish was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

Walsall improved after the break and Isaac Hutchinson whistled a 20-yar effort just wide after a fine run, while Tom Knowles’ strike from similar range was saved by former Walsall keeper Craig MacGillivray.

Dons were still dangerous and Harrison’s spectacular overhead kick brought another fine reaction save from Evans.

Eisa should have won it for MK in stoppage time, but he steered Jonathan Leko’s cross over from six yards.

Salford recorded a second consecutive victory with two second-half goals in a 2-0 win to leave Sutton rooted to the foot of the League Two table.

Goals from Matt Smith and Kelly N’Mai did the damage as the visitors made it back-to-back successes after ending a five-match losing run.

Neither side could gain the upper hand in the first half although it was the visitors who had the better chances as N’Mai’s cross was volleyed over by Matty Lund.

Smith was just off target from a fine Ethan Ingram cross and Luke Bolton’s effort came back off a post.

For Sutton – without a league win since the opening game of the campaign – Hisham Kasimu’s close-range header was saved by goalkeeper Alex Cairns just before half-time.

Salford struck the first blow in the 54th minute when Smith headed in at the far post from a corner flicked on by Adrian Mariappa.

And nine minutes later N’Mai added a second, hammering in at the far post after his low cross had been returned by Smith.

Sutton looked in vain for a response, Aiden O’Brien stabbing just wide from Josh Coley’s cross and Cairns denying Coley, while Salford might have widened the margin of victory but Smith shot just wide.

AFC Wimbledon secured a third consecutive win as Omar Bugiel’s first league goal for the club secured a 1-0 triumph at Harrogate.

The Lebanon striker ended a 13-game drought in the league with a stylish sixth-minute finish that settled a match Johnnie Jackson’s men controlled for long periods.

Bugiel latched on to a loose ball before charging 20 yards unopposed to the home goal and used the outside of his foot to sumptuously find goalkeeper Mark Oxley’s bottom-right corner.

The lively visitors then went close to doubling their advantage when Ali Al-Hamadi burst into the box, but his firm drive was well kept out by Oxley.

After the break the pace of the game slowed, although the Dons still looked the more threatening, with Armani Little seeing a 25-yard effort whistle wide and Oxley showing sharp reflexes to keep out a close-range header from substitute Harry Pell.

Harrogate brought on strikers Luke Armstrong and Josh March but never looked like finding a way back into the match.

Doncaster ended Crawley’s impressive winning run at five matches with a 2-0 triumph at the Eco-Power Stadium.

A Mo Faal strike and a Joe Ironside penalty saw Rovers through to a third win from their last four Sky Bet League Two outings.

Crawley started the brighter with Laurence Maguire forcing Louis Jones to tip over the crossbar from a powerful header.

Doncaster grew into the game when Owen Bailey drew a save from Corey Addai with a low strike. They took the lead after 27 minutes when Ironside pounced on a mistake and squared to Faal, who slotted home from 15 yards.

Faal almost doubled the advantage immediately when he met a Luke Molyneux free-kick with a header only to be denied by Addai. Molyneux hit the bar early in the second half with an in-swinging cross.

Rovers were gifted a second when Will Wright hauled down Joseph Olowu, presenting Ironside with the opportunity to smash in from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute.

Crawley pushed for a way back into the game, but were shut out well by the hosts.

Grimsby ended their three-match losing sequence in Sky Bet League Two with a 2-1 win against mid-table Barrow at Blundell Park.

Danny Rose and Grimsby substitute Donovan Wilson settled the three points with goals in each half after Abo Eisa had missed a penalty. Sam Foley replied for Barrow, but it proved too little too late.

Both sides pushed for an early opener and Grimsby might have taken the lead after five minutes when Rose nodded wide, before Dean Campbell blazed over for Barrow with his left foot at the other end.

Eisa was felled in the penalty area in the 16th minute, but his spot-kick was saved by Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman. Barrow went close through Gerard Garner, but it was the home side who took the lead shortly before the interval when Rose finished.

Kian Spence and substitute Emile Acquah took aim for Barrow after the restart and Grimsby were indebted to goalkeeper Jake Eastwood for preserving their lead when he produced a stunning save to deny Garner from point-blank range.

Wilson came off the bench to put Grimsby 2-0 up after 75 minutes, while there still was time for Foley to grab a late Barrow consolation.

Goals from Will Evans and Omar Bogle either side of half-time saw Newport fight back to beat Colchester with a 2-1 League Two win at Rodney Parade.

The visitors were ahead in the 34th minute when an unmarked Samson Tovide tapped in Jayden Fevrier’s cross.

But County levelled two minutes before the break when Evans diverted in a wayward shot from midfielder Scot Bennett for his ninth goal of the season and his first since September 2.

Bennett then hit the side netting with a superb half-volley before Tovide had a shot scrambled off the line.

And the first half ended with Colchester goalkeeper Owen Goodman escaping punishment after taking man and ball as he raced out to challenge Bryn Morris on the edge of the area.

The Exiles’ winner arrived in the 63rd minute when a defensive clearance hit onrushing striker Bogle and cannoned into the bottom corner.

Tovide headed wide from close range late on before the U’s had Arthur Read sent off for a kick on substitute Kiban Rai.

Crewe extended their unbeaten Sky Bet League Two streak to six matches as Gillingham were beaten 2-0 at the Mornflake Stadium.

Connor O’Riordan and Tom White scored in each half to climb up to third in the table, leapfrogging their opponents in the process.

The Gills went close when Ethan Coleman unleashed from 20 yards with the midfielder’s low drive beating Harvey Davies, but cannoning off the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. George Lapslie then undid some neat approach play for the visitors by hitting a wild effort over.

Crewe took the lead on the half-hour mark with O’Riordan meeting Zac Williams’ lofted cross at the far post with a powerful downward header which found the bottom corner.

Davies beat out Lapslie’s close-range shot after Macauley Bonne whipped the ball across the home box as Gillingham pushed for an equaliser. Within minutes Bonne wasted a better chance after Davies spilled a shot from Robbie McKenzie, only for the striker to stab the rebound wide.

After the restart, Jake Turner did well to block Courtney Baker-Richardson’s angled drive with a boot.

Dom Jefferies lifted a good chance over and Coleman thumped a free header wide with the goal at his mercy from a corner from Conor Mahoney.

But Crewe held firm and sealed victory when substitutes Aaron Rowe and White combined with the latter’s shot trickling over the line despite Turner getting a hand to the ball.

Macaulay Langstaff scored his 50th Notts County goal as the Magpies dispatched fellow promotion-chasers Swindon Town 3-1 at Meadow Lane.

Further goals courtesy of David McGoldrick and Dan Crowley completed a dominant first-half display, with Swindon substitute Tyrese Shade pulling one back early in the second half.

Luke Williams’ side took the lead when Jodi Jones slipped in McGoldrick to calmly loft over the on-rushing Murphy Mahoney.

A rampant first half was rewarded as Langstaff netted from the spot after Aaron Nemane was fouled inside the area, before McGoldrick fired a delicious ball to the back post for Crowley to finish.

But a rejuvenated Swindon side pulled one back four minutes into the second half thanks to substitute Shade as he towered over Nemane to power home Remeao Hutton’s cross.

Frazer Blake-Tracy missed a glorious chance moments later inside the area before Dan Kemp’s effort was brilliantly blocked by Kyle Cameron as the Magpies moved three points clear at the top of League Two.

Johnnie Jackson never doubted the goalscoring capabilities of Ali Al-Hamadi, whose impressive hat-trick proved decisive in AFC Wimbledon’s 4-1 win over Tranmere.

The Iraqi international bagged his first career treble, leading the charge as AFC Wimbledon came from behind to pick up their first home win of the Sky Bet League Two season and move into the play-off places.

Prior to Saturday’s contest, Al-Hamadi had found trouble converting his chances and his goal tally for the season sat at just one.

However, Jackson insisted that it was an inevitability that the 21-year-old would find his shooting boots for Wimbledon.

Jackson said: “I always said it was coming, but no one said it more than him.

“No one here was worried about him scoring goals because you’re seeing how well he’s playing, seeing how many chances we’re creating for him as a team, how many he’s creating for himself by his own devilment.

“We knew they’d come for him. It’s ironic how in one week you get one, and then the next week you go and get your hat-trick.

“Delight for Ali, it’ll do him the world of good.”

For Tranmere manager Nigel Adkins, the heroics of Al-Hamadi only brought frustration as his side’s wait for a point on the road this season continues.

Rovers had snatched an early lead through Connor Jennings, but after Armani Little brought AFC Wimbledon level, it all went wrong for the visitors.

Defeat leaves Tranmere in the relegation zone, where they started the day, having won only two of their first 10 games this season.

However, Adkins has nonetheless found encouragement by the start his team made to the game.

He said: “We started both halves really, really well. The first half especially.

“Our intensity, our passing, our movement, our identity, our understanding of what we wanted. For the first 20 minutes, it was spot on.

“And then goals changed the complexion of the game.”

A key moment of the game came eight minutes after the interval, when Josh Turnbull saw red after a rash challenge on Isaac Ogundere.

The challenge was right under the nose of Adkins, who understood referee Daniel Middleton’s decision to dismiss Turnbull.

“It’s a thunderous challenge going in, committed,” Adkins added.

“We want committed challenges going in, but I think in the climate of today, maybe a follow through is just enough [to be a red card].

“It’s a fraction harsh, but the referee had a decision to make and we went down to 10 men.”

Crawley boss Scott Lindsey is not surprised his side are up to second in League Two after they beat rock-bottom Sutton 3-0.

After suffering their worst campaign since promotion to the EFL last season, there has been a transformation at the Broadfield Stadium and the Reds are now boasting their best start since coming up in 2011.

An early goal from Adam Campbell sent the hosts on their way and Laurence Maguire and Danilo Orsi added further goals in the second half as Crawley recorded a fourth straight league win.

“We expect good results because of the work we put in,” Lindsey said.

“Within the group, we felt we could do what we’ve done.

“We feel we will always score goals but we do need to be stingier at the back.

“This was our first clean sheet since the opening day and we have spoken about us needing around 20 over the season so we need to do better.

“We know that football can kick you in the teeth.

“So we must remain professional and I will not allow us to get complacent.”

Sutton manager Matt Gray felt the turning point of the game arrived when Crawley added their second goal from a free-kick which he was convinced should have gone the way of his bottom-of-the-table side.

“I’m not happy with that as it was a blatant free-kick to us,” Gray said.

“But we should have taken one of our many chances to go in level or ahead at half-time.”

Sutton, who lost keeper Dean Bouzanis to a hip injury shortly after the break, have now lost eight of their last nine league games, but Gray is convinced results will soon turn.

He added: “Over the last two weeks I’ve been pleased with the performances and I was in parts today.

“A little bit of fortune would be nice. A couple of decisions going for us, and a bit of rub of the green will help turn it.

“I was disappointed with the second goal today, our disallowed goals and the penalty shouts.

“We need to make sure we get that result and we can kick on from there.”

Gillingham manager Neil Harris criticised referee Jacob Miles after Davis Keillor-Dunn’s controversial goal earned Mansfield a point from a 1-1 draw at Priestfield.

The Scottish striker cancelled out Macauley Bonne’s early opener for the Gills, but it came from a free-kick taken when it appeared that referee Miles was in the process of booking midfielder Ethan Coleman.

Gillingham would have returned to the top of League Two with a victory but slipped from second to fifth after drawing a game for the first time this season.

“I feel we’re right to be hard done by,” said Harris. “It’s frustrating as the game swung massively at that moment.

“If we focus on the moment, Ethan brings the lad down. It’s a foul and a yellow card. I’m not disputing the law there.

“Mansfield’s players are well within their rights to play on. But the referee makes it clear to everybody in the ground, because of his actions with his whistle and the card, that he’s going to book our player. Ultimately, his body language and demeanour have made our team stop.

“I’ve spoken to the referee, who was good enough to give me his time. He obviously stands by his decision but needs to see it back. I’ve been fortunate enough to see it back. If he pulled the game back the moment they passed the ball, this moment would not be mentioned one bit.”

Former Charlton and Ipswich striker Bonne scored his first goal for the Gills 95 seconds into the game after Connor Mahoney capitalised on a loose pass from Stags defender Lewis Brunt.

Keillor-Dunn’s equaliser, his eighth league goal of the season, tied the game nine minutes before the break. George Maris blazed over after meeting Ollie Clarke’s cutback and Shad Ogie blocked Lucas Akins’ driven effort as the Stags went closest to a second-half winner.

“We recovered extremely well after the first two minutes,” said Town manager Nigel Clough after watching his side extend their unbeaten league run to 11 games dating back to last season.

“I thought in the first half we had an element of control to our game. Then in the second half we had the control and the chances. I’m pleased with the number of chances we made in the second half.

“Gillingham made some brilliant blocks and defended well. I think if George’s chance goes in just after half-time, we go on to win the game,” he said.

Clough saw no issue with his side’s equaliser, adding: “We just took a quick free-kick. I don’t think there’s anything in the rules against taking a quick free-kick. We tell them in training to play quickly. The ball went straight past their centre-half, who stood there watching, and Davis has finished it well.”

Mark Hughes could understand the angry reaction from fans after Bradford were beaten by Walsall at Valley Parade.

The Saddlers came from a goal down to inflict a 3-1 defeat and the home team were booed off by their supporters.

“There are always boos when we lose,” said Hughes. “We have to accept that.

“They were justified today because the second half wasn’t where we needed to be and we conceded poor goals.

“I was reasonably happy up to the point where we scored the goal. But, unfortunately, we conceded two before we went in at half-time.

“The second half was a disappointment because we couldn’t really gain a foothold in the game. It was very easy for them just to clear their lines and get up the pitch.

“We found it very difficult to create anything of note. We looked a little bit leggy, maybe some of the guys who had played during the week looked five per cent down on where they needed to be and were half
a yard short.

“We just need to find a consistent level. Last weekend we were excellent at Newport. Today we were not so those peaks and troughs need to level out.”

Andy Cook’s penalty had put Bradford in front after Rayhaan Tulloch was brought down by Joe Riley, but Walsall equalised three minutes later through Liam Gordon and took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Ross Tierney’s corner eventually ricocheted into the net off Aramide Oteh.

Striker Freddie Draper, on loan from Lincoln, scored Walsall’s third after 56 minutes from another Tierney corner.

Walsall manager Mat Sadler said: “The players had that real belief of what they can do and how they can hurt teams.

“Barring a penalty incident that I thought was outside the box, I thought we were pretty much in control throughout the game.

“You never feel comfortable watching it because you always think something can happen, but I thought the way we defended those key moments was superb.

“It was a superb away performance and we thoroughly deserved the win.”

Sadler also praised the job defender Harry Williams did in shackling Bradford hitman Cook.

“I spoke to him in the week and asked him if he really believed in himself,” said the Walsall boss.

“I’m so glad he’s got the evidence to fall back on now about what a fantastic centre-back he can and will be.”