Lincoln boss Michael Skubala bemoans Paudie O’Connor’s game-changing red card

Lincoln boss Michael Skubala believes Paudie O’Connor’s game-changing red card in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Northampton was harsh.Jon Guthrie and Kieron Bowie put the visiting Cobblers 2-0 up with goals either side of the break at Sincil Bank.Timothy Eyoma halved the deficit on the hour mark, before O’Connor was sent off for a stray elbow with 15 minutes to go.Skubala said:

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Darrell Clarke content with Cheltenham points total at halfway stage of season

Cheltenham boss Darrell Clarke said he would have “snapped your hand off” to be on 20 points at the halfway stage of the League One campaign after their 2-2 home draw with Reading.The Robins led 2-0 before a quickfire double from the Royals just before half-time levelled things up and Cheltenham had to settle for a point against the team directly above them in the table.But when Clarke

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Jon Dahl Tomasson laments defensive errors as Blackburn beaten by Hull

Jon Dahl Tomasson felt lacklustre defending was the key factor behind the 3-2 defeat at Hull as Blackburn slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat in the Sky Bet Championship.Rovers were twice sloppy early in the game when Liam Delap and Aaron Connolly gave the hosts a commanding lead.Sammie Szmodics and Harry Pickering thrust the visitors back into the match by half-time but Alfie Jones scrambled h

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Lee Bell hails Crewe for ‘sticking together’ in draw with Newport

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

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Richie Wellens ‘not too displeased’ after Leyton Orient held by Wycombe

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens was satisfied with his side’s 0-0 draw against Wycombe.Although the O’s recorded back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since August, they were unable to find a way past Chairboys keeper Max Stryjek even with the seven minutes of added time caused when a linesman sustained an injury in the first-half and swapped roles with the fourt

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Derby’s ‘magical’ win at Oxford leaves Paul Warne excited

Derby head coach Paul Warne hailed his team’s 3-2 comeback win at League One promotion rivals Oxford as “magical”.The U’s led 2-0 after 13 minutes when Cameron Brannagan converted a penalty then hammered in a 25-yard free-kick.But the Rams fought back brilliantly.Craig Forsyth gave them a lifeline by turning in a flick-on corner at the far post in stoppage time at the end o

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Nigel Adkins lauds first-half ‘grit and desire’ as Tranmere overcome Harrogate

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

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Andy Crosby happy to beat a promotion-chaser as Port Vale down Blackpool

Port Vale boss Andy Crosby felt it was about time his side beat one of the bigger sides in League One after their 3-0 victory over Blackpool.Ben Garrity’s opener was added to after half-time by James Wilson and Nathan Smith for a first win in three matches as Vale ended 2023 on a high.And Crosby reserved particular praise for the likes of youngsters Ben Lomax and Jack Shorrock, who made thei

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Mat Sadler thrilled with Walsall performance in win over Wrexham

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 subs

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Mike Williamson hails Craig McGillivray as MK Dons win ugly against Crawley

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

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