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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Darren Ferguson applauds Peterborough two-goal hero Jonson Clarke-Harris

Darren Ferguson dished out the plaudits for Jonson Clarke-Harris after his double secured a 2-2 draw against League One promotion rivals Barnsley.The striker, who is widely expected to leave in January, provided what could be a memorable farewell in front of the home fans by heading in crosses from David Ajiboye and Harrison Burrows either side of the break after a shock recall to the side.Herbie

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It’s the story of our season – Paul Simpson not surprised by defeat at Wigan

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson admitted his side never gave themselves a chance of climbing off the foot of Sky Bet League One as they crashed 2-0 at Wigan.Roared on by a travelling support of more than 4,000, the Cumbrians were fortunate to see Wigan’s Liam Morrison hit a post inside two minutes.And the night did not get any easier when Josh Emmanuel tripped Stephen Humphrys inside the box in t

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Ipswich frustrated by battling QPR

Promotion-chasing Ipswich lost the chance to pull away from the pack in the Championship as they were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling QPR.The match saw both sides have a number of chances to win it, with the visitors coming closest when Steve Cook’s header hit the post and ran across the goal line.The result saw Ipswich fall eight points behind leaders Leicester, with the gap to third-place

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John Mousinho admits ‘frustration’ after Portsmouth held by Exeter

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho cut a frustrated figure as his Sky Bet League One leaders were held to a goalless draw at struggling Exeter to make it three games without a win.Pompey enjoyed more possession and territory, but it was Exeter that created the better chances.Their troubles in front of goal – four goals in 15 games now – were all too evident, though, while Pompey rarely trou

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Grady Diangana earns West Brom victory as Leeds lose more ground

Leeds’ hopes of automatic promotion from the Championship suffered another blow as they were beaten 1-0 by West Brom at the Hawthorns.Grady Diangana’s 37th-minute goal was enough to give former Leeds coach Carlos Corberan back-to-back home wins and inflict a second consecutive loss on Daniel Farke’s side, who have won one of their last five games and trail second-placed Ipswich b

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