Exeter City FC

“As a team we were all over the shop in the first-half,” Wombles boss Neal Ardley told Dons Player following his side’s victory.  “It was nothing to do with the shape or our system and we were just losing a lot of battles.  It was credit to Exeter because they were winning most of the second balls and headers at both ends.  We said that if we don’t play particularly well, but we win 2-1 then we will take that and it will be a good start to a tough week.  That is what we got so I cannot ask for any more.” 


Sam Winnall got the ball rolling for Scunthorpe but it ended 3-3 at Dagenham

An incredible match at the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium saw Dagenham & Redbridge salvage a draw having gone 3-0 down to league leaders Scunthorpe United.  Each of the Iron’s three-pronged attack got themselves a goal, Sam Winnall’s 14th of the season opening the scoring, Deon Burton adding a second and Paul Hayes getting his third goal in as many games since returning to the Glanford Park club from Plymouth this month.  The weather provided an unpredictable second half, with the driving rain proving not only an issue to the players but also to Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday’s reporter Bianca Westwood at pitchside,  who to her credit soldiered on with her coverage despite coming off second best in her battle with the elements.  Abu Ogogo and Chris Dixon brought the score back to 3-2 before the game was halted by referee Darren Bond with six minutes to go due to a lightning storm, but on the restart, the Daggers equalised through debutant Luke Norris, capitalising on the ball being held up in a puddle.

Fleetwood Town scored all the goals in their victory at the Pirelli Stadium over Burton Albion, although their winning margin was only 4-2. David Ball and Nathan Pond’s goals for the Cod Army were twice cancelled out by a brace of own goals, Mark Roberts and Alex Marrow both finding their own net.  Fortunately for Graham Alexander’s men, Jon Parkin and Junior Brown scored in the last 12 minutes to give Town their fourth win in a row.  

Armand Gnanduillet put the cherry on top as they were 3-1 winners in Northampton

Paul Cook’s Chesterfield also closed the gap on the leaders with an away win, the Spireites 3-1 winners over Northampton Town at Sixfields.  Darren Carter put the division’s bottom club in front from the spot after 15 minutes but Dan Gardner brought the away side level within ten minutes.  Gary Roberts chipped the keeper for the lead before substitute Armand Gnanduillet completed the victory with his sixth goal of the season.

Plymouth Argyle were the only Devon club to pick up any points this weekend.  They had substitute Luke Young to thank for their 1-1 draw at home to Cheltenham Town, as he cancelled out Byron Harrison’s opener in the 84th minute.  The result means the two sides now occupy the middle two places in the League 2 table.  Torquay United were seen off by a sixth-minute Deane Smalley goal for Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium, but the breaking news on Saturday night was the reported resignation of Chris Wilder as U’s manager, with the Football League’s third-longest serving boss having been linked to the vacant Northampton position all week.  The reports were subsequently denied though, meaning that Wilder is, at time of writing, due to occupy the away dugout at St James Park on Tuesday evening.

Struggling Bristol Rovers managed a third-consecutive home win, beating Newport County AFC 3-1 in the Severnside derby.  Port Vale loanee Kaid Mohamed scored on his debut for the Pirates in first-half stoppage time, while Eliot Richards got a second just minutes into the second half. Justin Edinburgh’s side hit back through Rene Howe, but are still winless since Boxing Day after John-Joe O’Toole continued his goalscoring form to finish them off late-on. 

With Accrington Stanley’s match with Bury postponed, two 2-2 draws complete Saturday’s League 2 fixtures.  First, Morecambe twice hit back to take a point at home to Portsmouth.  Jake Jervis got both of Pompey’s goals, with Mark Hughes and Jack Redshaw hitting the replies.  That was also the scoreline at the One Call Stadium, as Mansfield Town came back from two-down to prevent Wycombe Wanderers from leaving with an away victory.  Stuart Lewis netted after just nine minutes, with Josh Scowen getting another on 48.  But Lee Stevenson got one back, and sub Ollie Palmer headed in late-on for a point.