Southampton closed in further on automatic promotion following a 3-0 win at Brentford. Adam Lallana got the visitors going after 16 minutes and Nigel Adkins could breathe easy after David Connolly fired home a second. Oscar Gobern completed a successful afternoon for the Saints, adding a third in injury-time.
Huddersfield Town pulled off a stunning 3-2 win to beat Brighton and keep their automatic promotion hopes alive. Benik Afobe fired Town ahead after just eight minutes yet it did not take long after the break for the home side to reply through Ashley Barnes. Afobe was on target again just after the hour to bag a brace but substitute Matthew Sparrow levelled matters on 69 minutes. A point each looked likely before Danny Ward came off the bench to fire home and steal the win.
Play-off contenders Peterborough ran into heavy resistance at Rochdale in a game that ended 2-2. Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro scored a stunning early breakthrough for the home side with the first move of the game. Yet Darren Ferguson's men answered back with a goal a minute either side of the break. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing levelled things up before Lee Tomlin fired his side into a lead that looked safe before Craig Dawson popped up three minutes from time to make it honours even.
Bournemouth were robbed of three points late on but maintained their play-off charge with a 2-2 draw at Hartlepool. Steve Lovell put the visitors in front on 29 minutes before Donal McDermott doubled the advantage seven minutes from the break. Adam Boyd pulled one back from the spot after Rhoys Wiggins had fouled the striker in the area but Mick Wadsworth's men left it late in a stunning turn of events as keeper Scott Flinders ventured forward to head home a corner.
Milton Keynes Dons made sure of a play-off place with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Notts County. Both sides struggled to grasp the initiative in a scrappy first period but in the second half it was the home side that forged the breakthrough with Sam Baldock on target. Eight minutes later substitute Angelo Balanta put the game beyond doubt. Lee Hughes came off the bench to pull back what would only prove to be a consolation strike for the away side who slipped closer to the relegation zone.
Dagenham & Redbridge moved to within a point of safety after an impressive 3-0 win over Carlisle. The home fans were given early hope as Jon Nurse pounced after Adam Collin had saved a Danny Green spot-kick. The striker doubled the advantage for the home side on the half-hour mark to makes things comfortable before Green made it three six minutes from time. The striker blotted his copybook by getting sent off three minutes later but his side were comfortable winners.
Leyton Orient's hopes of keeping in touch with the play-off places suffered a hammer blow at the hands of Tranmere following a 3-0 defeat. Aaron Cresswell made no mistake for the away side after eight minutes before Adam McGurk doubled the misery on the stroke of half-time. McGurk completed his brace within four minutes of the second period to make sure of three points.
Bristol Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday shared a point with a 1-1 draw that left the home side on the brink of relegation due to their unfavourable goal-difference. It was a frantic start at the Memorial Stadium with two penalties awarded inside 12 minutes. Tommy Miller put the visitors in front before the early lead was cancelled out by Will Hoskins.
Walsall secured a vital three points with a 2-0 win at home to Charlton. Will Grigg put the home side ahead shortly after the half-hour mark to ease the tension inside the ground before Julian Gray made sure of the win with 12 minutes remaining to keep his side's heads above water.
Yeovil snapped a run of three draws against Colchester in a six-goal thriller that ended 4-2. The game got off to a rapid start with Craig Alcock and Andrew Tutte handing the home side a two-goal lead inside 22 minutes. Yet the visitors twice pulled a goal back before conceding a minute later in a stunning turn of events, with Dean Bowditch and Andy Welsh cancelling out Ashley Vincent and Dave Mooney strikes.
Oldham compounded the misery of managerless Swindon by taking a 2-0 win at the County Ground. Chris Taylor was on target with 17 minutes gone before completing his brace on 65 minutes to cap a successful afternoon for Paul Dickov's men.
Hopes of survival took a severe dent for Plymouth Argyle in the early kick-off after a 1-0 defeat at St James Park at the hands of Exeter City. James Dunne fired the home side into a lead they would never lose less than a minute into the second period.
Huddersfield Town pulled off a stunning 3-2 win to beat Brighton and keep their automatic promotion hopes alive. Benik Afobe fired Town ahead after just eight minutes yet it did not take long after the break for the home side to reply through Ashley Barnes. Afobe was on target again just after the hour to bag a brace but substitute Matthew Sparrow levelled matters on 69 minutes. A point each looked likely before Danny Ward came off the bench to fire home and steal the win.
Play-off contenders Peterborough ran into heavy resistance at Rochdale in a game that ended 2-2. Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro scored a stunning early breakthrough for the home side with the first move of the game. Yet Darren Ferguson's men answered back with a goal a minute either side of the break. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing levelled things up before Lee Tomlin fired his side into a lead that looked safe before Craig Dawson popped up three minutes from time to make it honours even.
Bournemouth were robbed of three points late on but maintained their play-off charge with a 2-2 draw at Hartlepool. Steve Lovell put the visitors in front on 29 minutes before Donal McDermott doubled the advantage seven minutes from the break. Adam Boyd pulled one back from the spot after Rhoys Wiggins had fouled the striker in the area but Mick Wadsworth's men left it late in a stunning turn of events as keeper Scott Flinders ventured forward to head home a corner.
Milton Keynes Dons made sure of a play-off place with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Notts County. Both sides struggled to grasp the initiative in a scrappy first period but in the second half it was the home side that forged the breakthrough with Sam Baldock on target. Eight minutes later substitute Angelo Balanta put the game beyond doubt. Lee Hughes came off the bench to pull back what would only prove to be a consolation strike for the away side who slipped closer to the relegation zone.
Dagenham & Redbridge moved to within a point of safety after an impressive 3-0 win over Carlisle. The home fans were given early hope as Jon Nurse pounced after Adam Collin had saved a Danny Green spot-kick. The striker doubled the advantage for the home side on the half-hour mark to makes things comfortable before Green made it three six minutes from time. The striker blotted his copybook by getting sent off three minutes later but his side were comfortable winners.
Leyton Orient's hopes of keeping in touch with the play-off places suffered a hammer blow at the hands of Tranmere following a 3-0 defeat. Aaron Cresswell made no mistake for the away side after eight minutes before Adam McGurk doubled the misery on the stroke of half-time. McGurk completed his brace within four minutes of the second period to make sure of three points.
Bristol Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday shared a point with a 1-1 draw that left the home side on the brink of relegation due to their unfavourable goal-difference. It was a frantic start at the Memorial Stadium with two penalties awarded inside 12 minutes. Tommy Miller put the visitors in front before the early lead was cancelled out by Will Hoskins.
Walsall secured a vital three points with a 2-0 win at home to Charlton. Will Grigg put the home side ahead shortly after the half-hour mark to ease the tension inside the ground before Julian Gray made sure of the win with 12 minutes remaining to keep his side's heads above water.
Yeovil snapped a run of three draws against Colchester in a six-goal thriller that ended 4-2. The game got off to a rapid start with Craig Alcock and Andrew Tutte handing the home side a two-goal lead inside 22 minutes. Yet the visitors twice pulled a goal back before conceding a minute later in a stunning turn of events, with Dean Bowditch and Andy Welsh cancelling out Ashley Vincent and Dave Mooney strikes.
Oldham compounded the misery of managerless Swindon by taking a 2-0 win at the County Ground. Chris Taylor was on target with 17 minutes gone before completing his brace on 65 minutes to cap a successful afternoon for Paul Dickov's men.
Hopes of survival took a severe dent for Plymouth Argyle in the early kick-off after a 1-0 defeat at St James Park at the hands of Exeter City. James Dunne fired the home side into a lead they would never lose less than a minute into the second period.
