Neil Critchley felt his Blackpool side deserved a point at Wigan after suffering a 1-0 defeat that dented their Sky Bet League One play-off aspirations.An away win would have seen Blackpool climb to sixth in the table on goal difference ahead of the international break.But Scott Smith’s 26th-minute goal – his first in senior football – proved to be the difference at the DW Stadiu

Vincent Kompany stressed Burnley have “total belief” after his relegation-threatened side beat 10-man Brentford 2-1 at Turf Moor for their first win in 11 Premier League games.The Clarets took the lead through a 10th-minute Jacob Bruun Larsen penalty awarded for a foul on Vitinho by Sergio Reguilon, who received a straight red card.David Datro Fofana, having been guilty of a remarkable

Reading manager Ruben Selles praised the strong character of his players for brushing aside the club’s off-field worries to secure a vital 4-0 League One victory over Cambridge.Goals from Sam Smith and Femi Azeez gave Reading, who are still beset by constant cash-flow problems, a commanding half-time lead and they cruised past Cambridge after the break with further efforts from Lewis Wing an

Shrewsbury boss Paul Hurst said he had a feeling Daniel Udoh would get on the scoresheet again after his goal earned a 1-0 victory over rock-bottom Carlisle.Udoh made the breakthrough five minutes before time, holding off numerous defenders before turning and converting at Harry Lewis’ near post.The 27-year-old missed a chance to add a second late on but his first-half effort proved enough a

Swindon interim boss Gavin Gunning branded his side’s first-half display “abysmal” as they went down 2-1 at home to Doncaster.Goals from Maxime Biamou and Hakeeb Adelakun had Rovers 2-0 in front at the break, with Paul Glatzel’s second-half consolation all the hosts could muster.Gunning said: “You have got to scratch your head, I mean the first half was abysmal.&ldquo

Crewe manager Lee Bell was “furious” with his side’s first-half display as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against fellow promotion-chasers MK Dons.Despite an early equaliser from Elliot Nevitt, Matt Dennis’s second goal and a Stephen Wearne strike saw the hosts soar to fourth in the table.Bell reflected on a dismal first-half showing from his side, noting how they did not come t

Des Buckingham was hungry for more goals despite efforts from Ciaron Brown and Josh Murphy earning Oxford a 2-0 win at Port Vale that moved them into the play-offs.Brown’s 16th-minute strike lashed the U’s into the lead, before Murphy’s cross-shot nestled in the far corner to settle the scoring four minutes into the second half.Billy Bodin had an early effort swept off the line a

Rob Edwards promised Luton would continue to fight for their Premier League lives after Luke Berry’s late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest at the end of a “challenging week”.After watching his side throw away a three-goal half-time lead against Bournemouth in midweek to lose, the 41-year-old was facing a six-point gap to Forest opening up in hi

Graham Coughlan is refusing to focus too much attention on the Sky Bet League Two play-off chase, despite seeing his Newport side close in on their fellow contenders with a 2-0 victory at AFC Wimbledon.Goals from Bryn Morris and Kyle Jameson allowed the Exiles, beaten play-off finalists in 2019 and 2021, to move within two points of the seventh-placed Dons, who they have a game in hand on.Results

Charlton boss Nathan Jones was left less than impressed with the state of the Fleetwood pitch after their 1-1 draw.Blustery conditions made it difficult for both sides but Ryan Graydon came off the bench to salvage a point for battling Fleetwood as his 84th-minute strike cancelled out Alfie May’s opener at Highbury.“It was just brutal really, a brutal game,” reflected Jones.&ldqu