Saturday 7 January 2017 18:44, UK
Carlisle missed out on the chance to go second in Sky Bet League Two after they lost 4-1 away to Colchester, with Kurtis Christie scoring a hat-trick for the U's.
The Cumbrians knew victory would take them above Plymouth, who play Liverpool in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
Colchester are on an impressive run of form, however, and Guthrie's treble fired them to their seventh league victory in eight matches as they moved into the play-off places.
U's striker Chris Porter scored the opener with a powerful on 11 minutes only for Shaun Brisley to equalise for the visitors.
Guthrie ensured Colchester would go into the break in the lead when he drilled a left-footed shot into the corner and he pounced again five minutes after the break before his hat-trick goal arrived as he thumped the ball home in the fifth minute of time added-on.
Barnet also advanced into the top seven after they won 3-1 away to Leyton Orient, with all the goals coming in the second half at the Matchroom Stadium.
Bees' Portuguese defender Ricardo Santos scored twice in the space of four minutes (63, 66) before Paul McCullum reduced the deficit for the home side when he headed in a cross from Callum Kennedy.
Curtis Weston then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage-time as he converted from close range after substitute Jamal Campbell-Ryce had hit the crossbar.
Matt Godden also scored a hat-trick for Stevenage and in doing so deepened the problems of bottom club Newport with a 3-1 win at the Lamex Stadium.
Godden drilled the ball into the top corner (9) for his opener before adding another three minutes before the break.
His third - and 11th of the season - came when he converted a penalty after Ben Kennedy was fouled in the area and despite Dan Butler pulling a goal back for County, it came too late to affect the outcome of the game.
Hartlepool continue to flirt with relegation after they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Grimsby, with Adi Yussuf securing maximum points for the Mariners.
Notts County's dreadful run continued as they slumped to their 10th straight league defeat with a 4-1 drubbing away to 10-man Morecambe in Alan Smith's first match as caretaker manager.
The Shrimps enjoyed a dream start when Lee Molyneux drilled home from outside the area in just the second minute and the hosts duly doubled their advantage through Paul Mullin.
Mullin was then fouled for a penalty which Michael Rose converted before Morecambe midfielder Andrew Fleming was red carded for a crude challenge on Curtis Thompson in first-half stoppage-time.
Magpies' striker Jonathan Forte pulled a goal back 10 minutes from time but any thoughts of an unlikely comeback proved shortlived and Kevin Ellison killed the game with a fourth goal in time added-on.
Mansfield also enjoyed a productive afternoon in the division's other game, as goals from Yoann Arquin, Ben Whiteman and Rhys Bennett wrapped up a 3-0 win over Crewe.
