League One & League Two round-up: Antoni Sarcevic returns to haunt Stockport County

Huge results occurred across League One and Two on Tuesday night with basement club Newport County stunning Salford City and three of the top four in the fourth tier dropping points.

In League One, the top two maintained their momentum with comfortable victories over AFC Wimbledon and Northampton Town respectively.

Elsewhere, Antoni Sarcevic netted the only goal as his current employers Bradford City defeated Stockport County in a potential future play-off matchup.

Burton Albion put their FA Cup defeat to West Ham behind them as they beat relegation rivals Rotherham United 1-0 to jump out of the bottom four.

Here is the full round-up of all of Tuesday’s League One and League Two action.

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Bradford City 1-0 Stockport County

The first half was evenly contested between two well-matched teams but there was a lack of quality about the game, with neither able to fashion a real threat on goal.

On-loan Manchester United striker Ethan Wheatley put an early chance over the bar for Bradford and Bobby Pointon almost poked home Sarcevic’s cross.

Stockport’s only opportunity fell to Malik Mothersille but his angled shot lacked the pace to trouble home goalkeeper Sam Walker.

The contest livened up within four minutes of the restart. Stockport could not clear a cross from Lee Evans and the ball dropped to Sarcevic to half-volley past Ben Hinchliffe.

Stockport went close when Isaac Olaofe glanced a header wide as the game became more open.

Keeper Hinchliffe turned away a Jenson Metcalfe shot before Walker preserved Bradford’s lead with a good save from Ben Osborn.

Antoni Sarcevic scored against his former team
(PA)

Cardiff City 4-1 AFC Wimbledon

Joel Colwill gave them the lead and although Matty Stevens drew Wimbledon level, second-half goals for Perry Ng, Ollie Tanner and Omari Kellyman underlined Cardiff’s superiority.

Cardiff’s opening goal arrived in the 22nd minute when Colwill met Alex Robertson’s corner with a rising first-time strike inside the near post.

Wimbledon’s threat had been limited to a couple of early half-chances, but they managed to draw level in first-half stoppage time.

A free-kick by Steve Seddon found substitute Stevens, who slotted his volley neatly past Cardiff goalkeeper Nathan Trott.

Cardiff’s control was re-asserted after the interval and they regained the lead after 58 minutes when Tanner’s delivery reached an unmarked Ng, whose header was too powerful for goalkeeper Nathan Bishop.

Wimbledon were in disarray defensively and went 3-1 behind three minutes later when Ng set up Tanner, who was allowed time to turn inside the box and fire home.

Kellyman buried his chance – and Wimbledon – when he was played in by substitute Callum Robinson in the 87th minute.

Burton Albion 1-0 Rotherham United

Burton grew into the game after a slow start, with Rotherham looking to capitalise on any tiredness in the Brewers squad having played 120 minutes against Premier League club West Ham in the FA Cup at the weekend.

But Shade remained as sharp as a tack midway through the first half. Jake Beesley’s ball into the box was scuffed by Kyran Lofthouse with Shade on hand to tuck home into the bottom corner.

Lofthouse came close in the opening seconds of the second half with Dawson coming to his side’s rescue as he saved with his legs.

The visitors were almost gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Brad Collins raced from his goal but was beaten to the ball by Sam Nombe who could not find the empty net from wide on the right.

Nombe continued to look the Millers’ best chance for an equaliser but a header and wayward shot both failed to beat Collins.

Shade rippled the side netting with a snapshot late on as Albion tried to put the game to bed but a first win in six was secured.

Salford City 1-3 Newport County

Nathaniel Opoku stepped off the bench to score as bottom club Newport battled to a 3-1 victory at promotion-chasing Salford in League Two.

His goal added to strikes from Ryan Delaney and Ben Lloyd as the Exiles moved to within three points of safety.

The visitors began the game brightly and took an early lead after 13 minutes when Delaney headed home Thomas Davies’ corner.

Exiles goalkeeper Jordan Wright comfortably held Matt Butcher’s tame effort and got down low to deny Luke Garbutt as Salford, three days after their 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City, grew into the contest.

But Newport doubled their advantage in style after 56 minutes when attacker Lloyd jinked through the Salford defence and rounded goalkeeper Matt Young to slot home.

Christian Fuchs’ side went further ahead three minutes later when substitute Opoku fired home the rebound after Lloyd’s initial shot had been saved.

Ben Woodburn volleyed home a stoppage-time consolation from outside the box before Ryan Graydon fired wide from close range as Newport withstood a late Salford onslaught to record their first win in six.

Ryan Delaney opened the scoring
(Barrington Coombs/PA)

Barnet 1-2 Swindon Town

Barnet broke the deadlock in the eighth minute when Idris Kanu whipped a dangerous cross into the box that was met by Mark Shelton, whose header found Adam Senior. His low-driven volley beat Swindon goalkeeper Connor Ripley and found the back of the net.

The Bees came close to doubling their lead when Nnamdi Ofoborh’s looping header from the edge of the box was cleared off the line by Jamie Knight-Lebel before he crashed an effort against a post.

On the stroke of half-time the visitors could have equalised but Aaron Drinan’s left-footed shot flew into the side netting.

At the start of the second half, the Robins equalised as the hosts failed to clear their lines from a throw-in and Clarke poked home at the near post.

Just past the hour mark Clarke notched his second goal of the game with a sublime low drive that slipped past Barnet keeper Cieran Slicker.

Barrow 0-1 Harrogate Town

Ellis Taylor’s first-half goal gave Harrogate a priceless 1-0 win at Sky Bet League Two relegation rivals Barrow.

Taylor picked off Joe Thompson’s poor backpass and with goalkeeper Wyll Stanway way off his line, netted from a tight angle after seven minutes.

Despite clinching a second win in three games and seven points from a possible nine, the Sulphurites remain in the bottom two.

But they are only two points behind the next three teams above them including Barrow, who failed to build on new boss Dino Maamria’s opening win against Colchester last Saturday.

Harrogate were good value for their lead in the first half with Taylor forcing Stanway into a good save in addition to his matchwinner.

Barrow improved after half-time and went close to salvaging a point.

Charlie McCann’s 20-yard free-kick hit the crossbar and Elliot Newby slashed the rebound over the bar.

Local boy Newby then fired wide as the pressure increased on Harrogate. However, Simon Weaver’s side held on to claim a first away win since last September.

Full results round-up

Barnsley 2-1 Peterborough United

Bradford City 1-0 Stockport County

Burton Albion 1-0 Rotherham United

Cardiff City 4-1 AFC Wimbledon

Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Huddersfield Town

Exeter City 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers

Leyton Orient 1-3 Plymouth Argyle

Lincoln City 4-0 Northampton Town

Stevenage 2-1 Port Vale

Blackpool 1-0 Mansfield Town

Reading 1-1 Bolton Wanderers

League Two

Barnet 1-2 Swindon Town

Barrow 0-1 Harrogate Town

Bromley 1-1 Cheltenham Town

Cambridge United 1-1 Colchester United

Chesterfield 1-0 Gillingham

Crewe Alexandra 0-1 Fleetwood Town

MK Dons 0-0 Crawley Town

Oldham Athletic 2-0 Bristol Rovers

Salford City 1-3 Newport County

Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Notts County

Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Accrington Stanley

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