EFL round-up: Luton move within three points of play-offs

DELIGHTED boss Nathan Jones saluted a ‘complete away performance’ after his Luton side moved within three points of the Championship play-off places with a hard-fought win at struggling Swansea.
An even contest was settled with less than 20 minutes to play when substitute Harry Cornick swept his shot across goal from the edge of the box to give the Hatters all three points.

“The tactical awareness was wonderful,” said Jones. “We were strong, aggressive, disciplined and clinical.

“Game-changers came on and won us the game, so it was a complete away performance.”

Millwall and Preston shared the points in south-east London, with neither side able to make the breakthrough. The best opportunity to break the deadlock came on 65 minutes but Preston midfielder Ben Whiteman hit the post from the penalty spot.

League One

Rotherham stamped their authority on League One as they beat bottom club Doncaster 5-0 away.
Mickel Miller, Ben Wiles, Chiedozie Ogbene, Dan Barlaser and Jamie Lindsay all got on the scoresheet for the table-toppers.

Second-placed Wigan were held at home by Oxford. Matty Taylor notched an early goal for the U’s but that was cancelled out by Wigan’s Callum Lang midway through the first-half.

Sheffield Wednesday claimed their third win in four with a 2-0 success at home to Morecambe through goals from George Byers and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

New manager Neil Harris got off to a dream start with Gillingham. The Gills bagged their first win in any competition since October with a 1-0 victory against fellow strugglers Crewe, Danny Lloyd converting from the spot after 16 minutes.

Neither AFC Wimbledon or Cheltenham have recorded a league victory in 2022 and that continued as they played out a 2-2 draw at Plough Lane.
The Dons’ Ayoub Assal opened the scoring early before Alfie May scored twice in three minutes just after the half hour mark for Cheltenham. Aaron Cosgrave rescued a point for Wimbledon in the 80th minute.

Bolton leapfrogged Cambridge with a 2-0 home success courtesy of goals from Amadou Bakayoko and Oladapo Afolayan.

Charlton beat Portsmouth 2-1 on Monday night, with Conor Washington and an own goal from Clark Robertson making up the Addicks’ tally. Michael Jacobs scored a consolation for Pompey.

League Two

Forest Green remain unbeaten in League Two since October thanks to Matty Stevens’ 17th league goal of the season salvaging a late point at Port Vale, who had taken the lead through Ryan Edmondson.

Tranmere recovered from their weekend hammering against Forest Green to beat a resurgent Stevenage 1-0. Kieron Morris scored shortly after the half-time break.

Fifth-placed Northampton failed to jump into the automatic promotion places as they lost 1-0 at home to Barrow with Aaron Amadi-Holloway notching the only goal.

Mansfield’s magnificent eight-game winning run came to an end in a 0-0 draw at Harrogate.

Swindon were this time on the right side of a late equaliser when Ben Gladwin’s deflected shot rescued a point in the 92nd minute following Jack Powell’s first-half penalty for Crawley.

Salford moved three points off the play-off places after Ryan Watson’s penalty and Matt Smith’s first goal for the club sandwiched a goal from Omari Patrick for Carlisle in a 2-1 win.

Bradford and Leyton Orient drew 1-1, as did Colchester and Rochdale.