Rochdale and Scunthorpe United missed the chance to go top of the League Two table on a weekend which saw the top three all fail to beat lower league opposition.

In the Sky Live game on Friday evening, Rochdale knew a win over Bury in the derby would send them top of the division, but an early Ian Henderson red-card put pay to those hopes, and they had to settle for a 0-0 draw. Both teams had chances to win it, notably Bury’s Pablo Mills and Dale’s George Porter, but both managers had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Lee Molyneux's hat-trick secured a sensational 3-1 for Accrington Stanley at table-toppers Chesterfield

As a result, Chesterfield had the chance to extend their lead over Rochdale to four points, but fell to a shock 3-1 defeat away to struggling Accrington Stanley. Lee Molyneux struck a terrific first half hat-trick, the first two coming after just nine minutes, to consign the visitors to a second defeat in ten League matches. Ian Evatt pulled a goal back late on but, despite the hosts playing the best part of an hour with ten men after Peter Murphy’s red card, Chesterfield were unable to take advantage of Rochdale’s slip up. This fantastic win means Accrington, although they are only a place above the drop zone, are now six points clear of safety.

This surprise defeat for Chesterfield meant that a victory for Scunthorpe United would see the Iron reach the summit, but they were held to a 1-1 draw by a brave Northampton Town at Glanford Park. The visitors were reduced to ten men thirteen minutes into the second half when Richard Ravenhill was given his marching orders, and with the Cobblers already a goal behind thanks to Neil Canavan’s header, the writing looked on the wall for Chris Wilder’s men. However, the visitors refused to give in, and Zander Diamond’s first goal for the club rescued a point in their toughening quest to avoid dropping out of the Football League. The result means Scunthorpe extend their impressive unbeaten run to 19 games, but, like Rochdale, will feel that this was a huge chance missed to go top of the division.

Burton kept up the pressure on the top three after an excellent 2-1 away win at Oxford United, the team who were directly below them in the table. Early goals from Dominic Knowles and Zeli Ismail put the visitors in total control at the Kassam Stadium and, despite a second half rally from the home side which saw Ryan Williams pull a goal back, the Brewers hung on for an invaluable three points, which sees them just two points behind the top three. Oxford’s run of one win in seven now means they face an uphill battle to finish in the top three, and this result sees them drop a place to sixth after Fleetwood Town scored their first goal in four games to see off bottom side Torquay United 1-0 at Plainmoor. Jamille Matt’s goal sixteen minutes from time would have come as a welcome relief to manager Graham Alexander, whose side ended a run of four games without a win. For Torquay, although they had chances to get something from the game, this result leaves them ten points from safety and, having picked up just one point from a possible 18, it’s looking mighty difficult to see them avoiding relegation.

Southend United’s miserable run of eight games without a win extended to nine as Morecambe came from behind to beat Phil Brown’s side 2-1 at the Globe Arena. The visitors took a ninth minute lead through Ryan Leonard, but goals either side of half-time from Kevin Ellison and Jack Redshaw sealed the win for the home side, who picked up their first League win of 2014. Despite the defeat, Southend remain in the play-off places, because Plymouth Argyle were unable to record a fourth win in a row which would have seen them climb above the Shrimpers, as they lost 2-1 at a resurgent Bristol Rovers. Chris Beardsley fired John Ward’s side ahead after just seven minutes, only for Neal Trotman to equalise on the stroke of half-time. The home side looked the more likely to win it, and did just that twelve minutes from time, when Kaid Mohamed headed home from a cross, easing their relegation fears, and also putting a halt on the Seagulls’ play-off charge.

A place behind John Sheridan’s Argyle are York City, who picked up a vital 1-0 away win at AFC Wimbledon. Michael Coulson’s header four minutes before half-time proved to be enough for Nigel Worthington’s side, who have now won three of their last four in the League, and are very much making an assault on the top seven. This defeat for Wimbledon means they drop four places to 16th, having won just one of their last seven League matches.

Hartlepool United also had a chance to put themselves firmly in the play-off picture away at struggling Wycombe Wanderers, but the hosts produced an excellent second half response to come from behind and win 2-1. Jack Barmby’s strike three minutes before the break was soon cancelled out by Dean Morgan’s header seven minutes after the interval, before Matt McClure’s 70th minute header secured the win for Gareth Ainsworth’s team, extending their unbeaten run to six matches. The win also sees them move up three places to 18th, seven points clear of danger.

Mansfield Town eased their own lingering relegation fears with a last-gasp 2-1 win over play-off chasing Newport County. Ryan Tafazolli’s header gave the home side the lead, before Rene Howe levelled matters five minutes into the second half. Just as it looked like the visitors were going back to Wales with a decent point, Anthony Howell’s diving header secured a priceless three points for Paul Cox’s side, moving them eight points clear of danger.

A very late Eliot Richards’ strike secured a hard-earned 2-2 draw for Exeter City at home to Dagenham and Redbridge, although the hosts’ winless home run stretches to 12 League games. They took the lead in the first half through Tom Nichols, only for the visitors to hit back through Luke Norris and Medy Elito’s penalty. Dagenham looked on course for their first win in four matches, which would have lifted them into the top half, before Richards netted in the sixth minute of injury-time to rescue a dramatic point for Paul Tisdale’s side. They drop a few places to 21st, but remain six points clear of danger; the Daggers are 15th, two points better off.

Portsmouth and Cheltenham played out Saturday’s only 0-0 draw in League Two at Fratton Park. The result leaves the home side lying 19th in the table following a second consecutive draw, seven points clear of Northampton in 23rd, with Mark Yates’ Robins moving up into the top half of the table, helped no doubt to two wins in three matches before today.

It looked as though the teams near the bottom of the division were going to have a tough assignment this weekend, but wins for Accrington, Bristol Rovers, Mansfield, Morecambe and Wycombe, all against top half teams, proved that League Two is still as open and unpredictable as ever!

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Marcus Oades