Image source, Shutterstock

... and breathe... What a day. We saw 67 goals across League One and Two this afternoon and it felt like they were all big ones.

The promotion picture in League One looks a little closer, with Cardiff now firmly in the driving seat, though the relegation scrap looks as unpredictable as ever.

Bromley missed the chance of an eighth straight win which would have strengthened their hand in the League Two promotion race, but the tussle behind them is hotter than ever.

Thanks for your company this afternoon, enjoy the rest of your Saturday evening.

We'll be back on Tuesday and Wednesday with a marvellous full programme of Championship games to bring you.

A good day for the chasing pack as the top two fail to win - Bromley are held to a goalless draw at Chesterfield and Swindon go down at home to Salford.

The fourth-placed Ammies move level on points with the second-placed Robins, as do Walsall after their 3-1 lunchtime win at Tranmere.

MK Dons and Cambridge both kept pace with wins on the road, and Notts County leapfrogged Chesterfield into the final play-off spot after a 2-1 win at struggling Crawley.

At the bottom, Shrewsbury moved two places up to 20th, and four points clear of the drop zone after a big win against second-bottom Harrogate.

Bristol Rovers drop a place and remain within three points of the League Two trapdoor after conceding late on at home to Colchester.

And Newport stay bottom after conceding a 99th-minute winner at Gillingham.

• Tranmere Rovers have now lost five of their last seven league games (W2), the same number of losses recorded across their prior 22 matches between April and December last year.
• Bromley’s goalless draw at Chesterfield was the first time they have failed to score in a league game since a 2-0 loss at Swindon in September, ending a run of finding the back of the net in 15 consecutive matches. Today’s draw also brought an end to their seven-game winning run in League Two.
• Crawley remain winless in their last 11 league games (D4 L7), losing four on the bounce for the first time since October 2024 (6).
• Oldham secured their first ever league double over Cheltenham following their 2-1 win today in what was the eighth season the two have competed in the same division.
• Only Barrow (5) have been shown more red cards in League Two this season than Barnet (4), who today suffered just their second defeat across their past 12 league games (W5 D5).

• Chesterfield 0-0 Bromley (12:30)
• Tranmere 1-3 Walsall (12:30)
• Accrington 0-2 MK Dons
• Bristol Rovers 0-1 Colchester
• Crawley 1-2 Notts County
• Crewe 3-1 Barrow
• Fleetwood 1-2 Cambridge United
• Gillingham 3-2 Newport
• Grimsby 1-0 Barnet
• Oldham 2-1 Cheltenham
• Shrewsbury 1-0 Harrogate
• Swindon 2-3 Salford

• Ollie Tanner recorded two assists for Cardiff City against Bradford City - the first time in his career he has achieved such a feat in a single game. His assist for Calum Chambers' goal means Chambers has now scored in back-to-back appearances, as many as in his first 55 league games for Cardiff.
• Rotherham United have now conceded an own goal in consecutive games for the first time in the English League since April 2022.
• Burton Albion’s opener against Huddersfield Town in the fourth minute (3:34) was the earliest goal Huddersfield Town have conceded in League One this season.
• Exeter City have now won four consecutive home games - the last time they enjoyed a longer home winning run was between March - April 2022, when they won five in a row.
• Blackpool’s 2-1 defeat to Barnsley means they have now lost three consecutive games in the English league for the first time since October 2024. The last time they suffered more successive league defeats was across March-April 2023 (4).

• The day started with league leaders Cardiff beating fellow high-flyers Bradford, while Bolton overcame derby rivals Wigan 1-0 in the other early kick-off.
• Luton Town fight back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with second-placed Lincoln.
• Owen Bailey came up with a 99th-minute winner for Doncaster against an a AFC Wimbledon side that ended the game with 10 men.
• David McGoldrick's first two league goals since August helps Barnsley to a 2-1 win against Blackpool, while Wycombe come up with a similar result at Northampton.
• On-loan Tottenham forward Oliver Irow marked his Mansfield Town debut with two goals in the Stags' 3-0 win against bottom side Port Vale.
• Exeter City bounce back from the 10-1 trashing they got at Manchester City in the FA Cup last week to beat Stevenage 3-0.
• Stockport closed the gap on the automatic promotion spots by condemning Rotherham to a seventh straight league defeat.
• Strugglers Burton moved out of the relegation places by upstaging promotion hopefuls Huddersfield 3-1.
• Aribim Pepple scored the only goal of the game as Plymouth edged Peterborough, who finish with 10 men following the dismissal of Peter Kioso.

• Bradford 1-2 Cardiff (12:30)
• Wigan 0-1 Bolton (12:30)
• AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Doncaster
• Barnsley 2-1 Blackpool
• Burton 3-1 Huddersfield
• Exeter 3-0 Stevenage
• Leyton Orient 3-1 Reading
• Luton 2-2 Lincoln
• Mansfield 3-0 Port Vale
• Northampton 1-2 Wycombe
• Peterborough 0-1 Plymouth
• Stockport 3-2 Rotherham

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

A good day for Cardiff, who are six points clear at the top of League One and now nine clear in the promotion race after the lunchtime win over Bradford.

Lincoln's draw at Luton keeps them three points clear of the play-off pack in second while Stockport and Bolton edged closer to the automatic promotion places with wins over Rotherham and Wigan respectively, though Huddersfield lost ground after losing at lowly Burton and remain above Luton on goal difference alone.

Doncaster were the only team in the bottom three to avoid defeat, with their win at Wimbledon taking them within three points of safety and drawing the Dons ever closer to the danger zone.

Northampton drop into the bottom four below Burton after their defeat to Wycombe while Leyton Orient's win over Reading has given them a little breathing space.

• MK Dons move within two points of the automatic promotion spots with a 2-0 win over Accrington, while Cambridge keep pace with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Fleetwood.
• Notts County move back into the play-off places with a 2-1 win at 10-man Crawley
• Colchester and Crewe move within two points of the top seven after wins against Bristol Rovers and Barrow, respectively.
• Grimsby are also just a few points back after a 1-0 win over Barnet who played most of the match with 10 men.
• Newport remain bottom after conceding in the 99th minute to go down 3-2 at Gillingham in a game in which they led twice. Garath McCleary's goal proved decisive in a game which had NINETEEN minutes of second-half stoppage time.
• And Oldham come back to beat Cheltenham 2-1.

Keith Hill
Former Bolton and Barnsley boss on BBC Radio Manchester

Stockport dominated the first half, it was like they were just going for a walk in the garden, but on the brink of half-time, one of the most freakish goals you will ever see gave Rotherham the equaliser.

It really was one of the strangest goals you will see in modern football.

Rotherham made changes and looked like a different side in the second half.

Toni McHamilton
Former Lincoln City Women Captain on BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Both teams had chances to win it. A real roller-coaster of a first half.

Disappointing to concede those two goals before half time.

Michael Skubala will be pleased that his side pushed for a winner. A good point on the road for the Imps

Image source, Shutterstock

Josh Keeley's save to deny Sonny Bradley in the final minutes ensures Luton Town share the points with Lincoln City at Kenilworth Road.

We were treated to a pulsating first-half of four goals, with the Hatters battling back from 2-0 down to level through Nahki Wells just before the break.

Toni McHamilton
Former Lincoln City Women Captain on BBC Radio Lincolnshire

I was just about to leap up out my chair! Brilliant save from the goalkeeper to deny Bradley.

Feisty end to the game with Luton looking shaky.

An absolute ripsnorter.

Stockport close the gap on the automatic promotion places while Rotherham suffer a seventh straight defeat in the third tier for the first time ever.

Sean Raggett's own goal put the hosts ahead, a calamitous own-goal levelled it at the other end as Ben Hinchliffe's clearance kick bounced into Joshua Olowu and into the net.

Cameron Dawson's own goal made it 2-1 to Stockport, though Josh Stokes will claim it and though Sam Nombe levelled for the second time, sub Benony Andresson tapped in a late winner, though there was still time for Nombe to hit both posts in the dying seconds of added time.

Phew.

Josh Keeley comes up with the save of the day in the final minutes at Kenilworth Road.

The Luton goalkeeper does well to tip Sonny Bradley's header over the bar.

Frustration for the Imps, roars of relief for the hosts.

Keith Hill
Former Bolton and Barnsley boss on BBC Radio Manchester

It looks to me now that they have got the deal done, I expect the final whistle at any minute now.

All over!

Taylor Perry's brilliant strike proves a worthy winner for Shrewsbury for a HUGE three points.

It earns a first win in nine league matches and extends 10-man Harrogate's winless run to a dismal 16, dropping them to the bottom of League Two.

The hosts missed a host of chances to make a tense afternoon more comfortable.

And they were almost made to pay a heavy price when Tom Cursons hit the bar late on with a rare Harrogate chance.

Image source, Shutterstock

The red-hot Ammies have blown the League Two promotion race wide open.

That's eight games unbeaten for Karl Robinson's men, who led 2-0 through Ollie Turton and Kelly N'Mai before Joel McGregor pulled one back before half-time.

Kallum Cesay lashed the third and though Aaron Drinan headed his 20th of the season in all competitions, the visitors held on to take the points.

These two meet again in the FA Cup in Salford on Tuesday night. Whoever wins might just give Man City something to think about in the fourth round on today's showings.

Poor old Rotherham.

Sam Nombe has a crack from distance, it beats Ben Hinchliffe but cannons off the base of one post, rolls along the line and comes out off the base of the other.

When your luck's not in, it's not in...

Into the final two minutes of six added on...

Fletcher Holman is denied a last-gasp leveller for Swindon as his effort from Billy Kirkman's cross is held by keeper Matt Young.