Connect with us

League One

League One & League Two roundup: Play-off races heat up as Lincoln City wrap up title

The play-off races in both League One and Two took huge turns on Tuesday night with Luton and Stevenage grabbing crucial wins and Grimsby Town leaping above Chesterfield into seventh place.

The play-off races in both League One and Two took huge turns on Tuesday night with Luton and Stevenage grabbing crucial wins and Grimsby Town leaping above Chesterfield into seventh place.

Lincoln City also wrapped up the League One title with a routine victory over Doncaster Rovers away from home.

Cambridge United losing to Grimsby opened up the door for a manic battle for the final automatic promotion space with four sides separated by three points.

Tranmere also put distance between themselves and the relegation zone with a huge win away at Cheltenham to move four points above 23rd.

For exclusive stories and all the detailed EFL news you need, subscribe to The Football League Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.

Bradford City 1-1 Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth had taken 16 points from their previous seven away games and took the lead at Valley Parade from their first corner on eight minutes.

Ronan Curtis’s kick was nodded on by Lorent Tolaj and Brendan Wiredu volleyed home via the underside of the crossbar.

George Lapslie went close to an equaliser from Stephen Humphrys’ knockdown but Plymouth broke dangerously and Tolaj was denied by a fine one-handed save by Sam Walker.

Bradford had most of the play but struggled to create a shot on target. Captain Max Power shot over from 25 yards and Jenson Metcalfe sent an effort past the post from outside the box.

Plymouth threatened when Bradford failed to clear a Curtis free-kick and Bim Pepple drove narrowly wide.

Alex Mitchell cleared off the line to deny Humphrys with a header but the Bradford striker had a hand in their 72nd-minute equaliser.

Keeper Conor Hazard could only parry his shot and Will Swan converted the rebound from close range.

Ben House’s double sealed the title
(Lee Keuneke/PA)

Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Lincoln City

Ben House scored both goals as Lincoln clinched the League One title thanks to a comfortable 2-0 win at Doncaster.

It has been a magnificent season for the third-tier champions and goals either side of the break from House also secured an incredible 27th game unbeaten.

The Imps started brightly and should have gone ahead when Harry Clifton fouled Jack Moylan in the box after 20 minutes, but Rob Street’s penalty was well saved by Thimothee Lo-Tutala.

The Rovers keeper then kept out a Sonny Bradley header one-handed before the Imps took the lead in the 43rd minute.

Matty Pearson miscued a clearance and the ball found its way to Moylan, who slipped in House and he slammed a low shot past Lo-Tutala as Lincoln scored for the 29th match in succession.

After the break it was all City, with Street seeing an effort blocked by Lo-Tutala, Ivan Varfolomeev’s powerful free-kick headed off the line by Owen Bailey and Moylan ending a superb run by drilling a shot inches wide.

Lincoln eventually doubled their lead after 72 minutes when Hamer’s cross was flicked on by Street for House to powerfully head home.

Street was then denied by a post as the Imps fans celebrated their side’s historic moment.

Rotherham United 0-2 Luton Town

Jack Wilshere’s confident-looking Hatters strolled to victory in South Yorkshire and made it 10 games unbeaten in the process.

It took Luton just eight minutes to go in front and it came following a slick move, with Shayden Morris squaring for Kasey Palmer to lash home.

The Millers, relegated a week ago, offered some threat through youngster Cohen Lee when his powerful volley was blocked by former Rotherham man Hakeem Odoffin.

Jamal Baptiste then drew a great save from Luton goalkeeper Josh Keeley with a stinging effort from the edge of the box.

Palmer doubled the lead on 44 minutes when he met Morris’ cross to clinically nod past Ted Cann.

Rotherham showed more fight in the second half, with Sam Nombe heading over the bar and Jack Holmes seeing his effort kept out by Keeley.

Keeley ensured a clean sheet late on when he denied Dru Yearwood.

Cambridge United 1-2 Grimsby Town

Cameron McJannet struck a stoppage-time winner as Grimsby Town beat third-placed Cambridge United to move into the League Two play-off places.

Grimsby looked set to share the points, only for McJannett to scramble the ball home four minutes into added time to inflict Cambridge’s second home defeat of the season.

The Mariners should have led early on when Justin Amaluzor played Kieran Green through, only for U’s goalkeeper Jake Eastwood to deny him.

They did open the scoring on 23 minutes as Reece Staunton’s cross found Green, who this time gave Eastwood no chance with a firm header.

Cambridge almost hit back 11 minutes before half-time when Sullay Kaikai’s corner kick was flicked on to Mamadou Jobe, whose effort hit a post.

They did equalise on 41 minutes as Adam Mayor did superbly down the left and crossed for Ben Knight to fire home.

Knight missed a huge chance to put the U’s ahead on the hour when Kaikai was hauled down, only for Jackson Smith to save the penalty kick with his foot, before McJannett won it.

Cheltenham Town 1-3 Tranmere Rovers

A stunning second-half strike from Jayden Joseph helped Tranmere Rovers secure a crucial victory over Cheltenham Town to give a boost to their League Two survival hopes.

The on-loan Leicester City midfielder let fly with a volley from 25 yards that flew past Cheltenham keeper Joe Day to end a 12-game winless run for Rovers.

The visitors went close to opening the scoring midway through the first half when skipper Sam Finley had a 25-yard effort tipped on to the bar.

Instead it was the Robins who broke the deadlock on 40 minutes when striker George Miller pounced on a loose pass before calmly lifting his shot past Rovers keeper Marko Marosi.

It took Tranmere less than two minutes of the second half to draw level, Nathan Smith smashing in from close range after Ryan Watson’s shot from just outside the area had been blocked.

Joseph struck after 64 minutes, collecting Stephan Negru’s cross-field pass wide on the right before sending his spectacular strike past Day.

He also had a hand in Tranmere’s third on 85 minutes, waltzing past two defenders before squaring for Omari Patrick to score from close range.

Tuesday’s full results

Bradford City 1-1 Plymouth Argyle

Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Lincoln City

Rotherham United 0-2 Luton Town

Stevenage 1-0 Barnsley

Stockport County 0-1 Mansfield Town

Cambridge United 1-2 Grimsby Town

Cheltenham Town 1-3 Tranmere Rovers

READ MORE: Championship roundup: Leicester City relegated as Coventry City crowned champions

Tackle the News

- Sign Up for our weekly Football League Newsletter Today!
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Best Betting Sites at Betinireland.ienew-UK-football-betting-sites-banner

Online Casinos

More in League One