EFL goals and round-up: Ipswich surprise Plymouth to boost promotion hopes, Sheff Weds go sixth with Cheltenham win
Ipswich dent Plymouth's automatic promotion aspirations with 1-0 win in League One, Sheffield Wednesday jump to sixth by thrashing Cheltenham 4-1; Port Vale rise to fourth in League Two with 2-0 win over Sutton United
Saturday 26 March 2022 18:43, UK
Ipswich boosted their League One play-off chances while denting Plymouth's automatic promotion hopes as Sam Morsy's first-half strike gave them a 1-0 win at Portman Road.
Morsy's sidefooted effort, the first goal conceded by fourth-placed Argyle in seven games, leaves Town five points off the top six, while Plymouth remain five points behind second-placed Wigan - who have played three games fewer than them.
Sheffield Wednesday bounced back from conceding a fourth-minute opener against Cheltenham to beat the Robins 4-1 and jump into the top six.
The Owls fell behind early on to an Alfie May strike but levelled almost instantly through Massimo Luongo, before Lee Gregory completed the turnaround after half-time. And in the final 10 minutes, Jack Hunt and George Byers struck to give the scoreline a more one-sided slant than had appeared likely for most of the game.
Gillingham moved four points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Accrington.
Stanley were unbeaten in nine games at home but second-half goals from Charlie Kelman and Vadaine Oliver moved the Gills four points clear of the bottom four.
Daniel Udoh scored a fourth goal in three games as his 84th-minute winner against Lincoln made it three consecutive wins for Shrewsbury with a 1-0 victory at New Meadow.
The Shrews attacker reacted quickly to a loose ball on the edge of the box and rifled home an impressive 15th goal of the season to decide the game and move his side 15th, two points off the top half.
Charlton recovered from Conor Washington's penalty miss to record a third successive victory with a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Doncaster.
Washington saw a first-half penalty saved by Rovers goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell, only for Jayden Stockley to net the only goal of the game to secure the points for the revitalised Addicks.
Adam May's superb strike consigned AFC Wimbledon to a fifth straight Sky Bet League One loss as Cambridge claimed a 1-0 win.
The U's climbed one place to 16th with a first win in six games, while the Dons are still searching for their first win of 2022 and remain a point off a position of safety.
Sky Bet League Two
Exeter moved four points off League Two leaders Forest Green, who did not play on Saturday, but made hard work of shrugging off third-bottom Stevenage in their 2-1 win.
Sam Stubbs proved the hero with his first two goals for the Grecians giving them victory, although they were pegged back when Luke Norris fired in an equaliser after his first.
Promotion-hopefuls Northampton returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Hartlepool at Sixfields.
Sam Hoskins broke the deadlock early on and then Chanka Zimba's first goal for the club in the second half ensured the Cobblers kept themselves in the top three.
Their closest rivals are now Port Vale, who kept up their fine form with a 2-0 win over Sutton United to move into the play-off places and up to fourth, three points off Northampton.
Jamie Proctor's stunning strike added to James Wilson's early opener to sink their lacklustre visitors.
Leyton Orient eased their League Two relegation worries to run out 2-0 winners over lowly Barrow, who had Phil Brown in charge for the first time.
Paul Farman was beaten after 52 minutes by Paul Smyth, who was faster than the Bluebirds goalkeeper in a race to collect a Connor Wood pass before turning the ball into the net from an acute angle.
The dangerous Ruel Sotiriou then got the reward his hard work had deserved after 62 minutes when he met a free-kick and drove a shot low into the bottom corner of the net for his sixth goal in seven matches.
Bristol Rovers' promotion charge faltered with a 1-0 defeat at Carlisle, who have now won five of their last six matches in League Two.
Kristian Dennis' 72nd-minute winner sent Rovers down to sixth as the Cumbrians secured another impressive victory at Brunton Park.
Mark Hughes finally ended Bradford's run of five straight home defeats as they held Newport to a goalless draw, with the visitors dropping to fifth in the table.
They had lost their three previous home matches since Hughes took over as manager a month ago and have won only once in 15 home games and only four in all.
Tranmere missed the chance to move level with Northampton, and potentially unseat them in third, as they were surprised 1-0 in stoppage time by Colchester, who started the day in 20th.
Substitute Junior Tchamadeu slammed home from the edge of the area after Alan Judge had hooked Tom Eastman's pass into his path in the fifth minute of time added on.
Substitute George Lapslie struck in the final minute of stoppage-time to hand play-off-chasing Mansfield a precious 2-1 League Two comeback win at struggling Oldham, who fell to a fifth consecutive defeat.
Lapslie pounced on a rebound after Rhys Oates' shot bounced out off a post to keep the hosts three points inside the relegation zone.
Salford City continued their play-off push by coming from behind to beat Walsall 2-1.
The wasteful hosts were punished by Rollin Menayese's scuffed finish for the opener, before Matt Smith levelled proceedings and Ryan Watson's penalty moved them seven points off the play-off spots.
Ashley Nadesan's first-half goal gave Crawley back-to-back home wins for the first time in a year as they edged past Rochdale 1-0.
The narrow defeat left Dale without a win in seven outings and nine points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining.
Harrogate ended a run of seven games without a victory in Sky Bet League Two with a comfortable 3-0 success at bottom club Scunthorpe.
George Thompson curled the Sulphurites in front directly from a corner midway through the first half, before Jack Diamond and Will Smith wrapped things up for the visitors after the break.
