League Two round-up: Bury close gap on Lincoln, Notts County beat Mansfield
Mansfield drop to third; County two points off safety
Saturday 16 February 2019 19:03, UK
Lincoln's lead at the top of Sky Bet League Two was cut to two points after they succumbed to a late fightback to draw 2-2 with Stevenage.
Two second-half finishes from Bruno Andrade gave them what appeared a comfortable lead, but Ilias Chair scored for the visitors in the 87th minute, ensuring the tense finale they could not resist.
Amid further pressure, Chair scored again in the fourth minute of stoppage time, as Lincoln squandered the chance to move four points clear after an unexpected 1-0 defeat for Mansfield at bottom-of-the-table Notts County.
Mansfield had been Lincoln's closest challengers, but Craig Mackail-Smith's first goal since October revived County's bid for survival and means that if they win their game in hand they can climb out of the relegation zone.
Bury also benefited from Mansfield's defeat by moving up to second with a fine 1-0 victory at eighth-placed Exeter, who are also pushing for promotion.
Nicky Maynard scored the game's only goal in the 66th minute, but while the Shakers moved to within two points of Lincoln, the league leaders have played one fewer fixture.
MK Dons' pursuit of promotion was strengthened by a 3-2 victory at Carlisle that keeps them in fourth place, and ensured their hosts slid from sixth to seventh.
Conor McGrandles' 11th-minute finish was followed just three minutes later by Carlisle's equaliser, which came via Stefan Scougall's penalty.
Jake Hesketh restored their lead in the 69th minute, and Kieran Agard essentially secured all three points in the 77th, though Hallam Hope added a late second for the hosts in the 90th minute.
A 3-0 home victory over Yeovil means that Forest Green move up to fifth. They led 2-0 at half-time, owing to goals from Junior Mondal and Christian Doidge, and secured victory in the 58th minute with Lee Collins' finish.
Colchester are sixth after being held to a 1-1 draw away to struggling Macclesfield, who sit 23rd.
Scott Wilson gave the hosts the lead on the stroke of half-time, but United pulled level shortly after it with Frank Nouble's penalty.
Tenth-placed Oldham could have moved level on 48 points with Stevenage but they dropped the two required when they conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Crewe.
They led from the 23rd minute when Callum Lang scored, but in the third minute of second-half stoppage time George Ray levelled, meaning they join Oldham as one of four other teams sat in mid-table with 46 points.
Tranmere, in 11th, are among them. They drew 0-0 away to 18th-placed Cambridge.
Grimsby, having won 1-0 at home to Cheltenham through Wes Thomas' 41st-minute penalty, are another, and are 12th. Fourteenth-placed Swindon, who do not play until next weekend, are the last.
A 0-0 draw between hosts Northampton and Crawley means they are respectively 16th and 17th.
Port Vale, who are 20th, lost a potential relegation six-pointer 1-0 at home to Morecambe, who are 21st but moved to a total of 32 points and therefore within one point of their hosts. Aaron Collins scored in the 75th minute.
