League Two round-up

Daggers go top as others stutter while Quakers clinch rare win

By Elliot Ball   Last updated: 14th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

League Two round-up

Arber: Lifts Daggers to League Two summit

Click below for individual match facts and reports
Accrington Stanley 0 Dag & Red 1
Aldershot 0 Macclesfield 0
Barnet 0Hereford 0
Bradford 1 Bournemouth 1
Bury 3 Notts County 3
Crewe 1 Morecambe 2
Darlington 1 Burton Albion 0
Lincoln City 1 Cheltenham 1
Northampton 0 Grimsby 0
Port Vale 1 Rotherham 2
Rochdale 2 Chesterfield 3
Shrewsbury 1 Torquay 1

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Dagenham & Redbridge went top after slip-ups by Bournemouth and Rochdale, while tempers boiled over as three players were sent off at Sincil Bank in Saturday's League Two action.

Dagenham & Redbridge got last Saturday's FA Cup mauling by Huddersfield out of their system as they went top with an impressive victory at Accrington Stanley.

The Daggers, who lost 6-1 to Huddersfield last time out, climbed to the summit of England's fourth tier on goal difference after defender Mark Arber headed the visitors ahead in the 39th minute and the goal proved the difference at the Fraser Eagle Stadium.

Bournemouth relinquished top spot as they could only manage a draw on their travels in their game against Bradford.

Brett Pitman gave the visitors the lead on 33 minutes but boss Eddie Howe, who snubbed the chance to join Championship side Peterborough earlier in the week, was unable to mastermind an away win after Gareth Evans' equaliser three minutes before half-time.

Rochdale, who also had the chance to go top, were undone by David Perkins' second-half strike as Chesterfield ran out 3-2 victors to boost their promotion hopes by going fifth and level on points with Saturday's conquered opponents.

The five-goal Spotland thriller saw the visitors take a two-goal lead thanks to Jack Lester's brace, but back came Dale through Chris O'Grady and Craig Dawson strikes but they counted for little as Perkins popped up with a 63rd minute winner.

Rotherham left it late to rise to fourth in the table as they overcame 10-man Port Vale away from home to record a 2-1 victory.

Vale defender Luke Prosser enjoyed a bittersweet afternoon as he first cancelled out Stephen Brogan's opener on 36 minutes before seeing red a minute before the interval for a second bookable offence.

The hosts looked like they had done enough to hold on for a point, but Nicky Law snatched maximum points for the visitors with a stoppage-time winner.

Notts County have fallen down to sixth place despite coming back to draw 3-3 with fellow promotion hopefuls Bury at Gigg Lane.

On-loan striker Daniel Nardiello marked his debut by giving the hosts the lead on nine minutes before strike partner Andy Morrell doubled the Shakers' advantage.

But the score was level at half-time thanks to a brace by the Magpies' prolific marksman Lee Hughes as he increased his tally to 11 for the season.

Stephen Dawson put the hosts in front again on 50 minutes, but Matt Ritchie's strike 13 minutes from time ensured the affluent visiting side clinched a share of the spoils.

Shrewsbury managed to cling on to a play-off position as they came from behind to grab a point at home against Torquay.

The visitors looked like they were set to record a heroic victory following Kieran Charnock's first-half dismissal when Chris Hargreaves grabbed a 76th minute lead.

But the struggling Gulls' hopes of three points diminished five minutes later as striker Dave Hibbert grabbed the decisive leveller.

Barnet squandered their opportunity to jump into a play-off spot as they played out a goalless draw with Hereford, the same scoreline as the game between Aldershot and Macclesfield.

Darlington made the luxury of scoring first in a league match count as they recorded a 1-0 success at home to Burton Albion.

Curtis Main's seventh minute strike was the first time bottom-placed Quakers had taken an opening lead this season and it counted for double as they claimed maximum points for only the second time this term.

Fellow relegation contenders Grimsby also avoided defeat as they managed to grab a point on their travels at Northampton.

There were no goals at Sixfields, but both sides had a man sent off, first Cobblers defender Peter Gilbert received his marching orders for a professional foul on 50 minutes before Mariners defender Robert Atkinson saw red for a similar challenge 11 minutes before time.

Morecambe claimed an important three points in their bid for survival as they held on at Crewe to run out 2-1 victors.

Jim Bentley gave the visitors an early lead on seven minutes before Phil Jevons doubled the Shrimps' advantage.

Substitute Steven Schumacher gave the hosts hope of getting something out of the game with a 77th minute goal, but it proved a consolation strike as the Railwaymen dropped to 18th place.

Finally, it was controversy galore at Sincil Bank as Lincoln and Cheltenham played out a 1-1 draw.

Justin Richards gave the visiting side the lead with 12 minutes gone before Jamie Clark levelled proceedings three minutes after half-time.

Imps' Aaron Brown received a straight red on 69 minutes for violent conduct and then pandemonium broke out as unused substitutes Ian Pearce of Lincoln and Robbins' Barry Richardson were both brandished with red cards in a tempestuous touchline melee at the closing stages of the match.