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WHILE City’s 5-4 defeat at Swindon on Saturday was a bitter pill to swallow, the pain was eased slightly by results elsewhere. Of their five automatic promotion rivals, only Port Vale won, so they take over as the new leaders in League Two, with City dropping to second but with their fate very much still in their own hands with four games to go. We’ve already heard plenty from Graham Alexander about the weekend, but how did the other managers react after a dramatic couple of days of action? DONCASTER 1 AFC WIMBLEDON 1 Both of these sides have designs on going up automatically, but both remain outside of the top three after this Saturday lunchtime draw.
Donny still have a game in hand, tomorrow night at Salford, where a win would see them move above Walsall and City into second, but they were annoyed not to win on home soil at the weekend, especially given Jake Reeves was sent off for the visitors after just 28 minutes. Wimbledon were winning 1-0 at the time following an early Alistair Smith goal, and while Doncaster had a man sent off themselves when Billy Sharp was dismissed on 72 minutes, they equalised with 10 minutes to go through Jamie Sterry. Doncaster boss Grant McCann said: “When Wimbledon went down to 10 men, we didn’t overload the sides enough.
“We kept playing inside their press, which is exactly what they wanted, but we improved in the second half. “We didn’t pull the trigger enough though and we were trying to walk it in. “After we equalised, I was disappointed with the last few minutes, because it felt like Wimbledon looked more likely to score again.
” Grant McCann felt his side played into 10-man Wimbledon's hands at times on Saturday. (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire) For the Dons, two more dropped points leaves their hopes of a top-three finish hanging by a thread, with manager Johnnie Jackson saying: “I thought we were outstanding, the way we dug in against the odds. “I think we deserved the three points, with the effort we put in and the way we defended, then at the end, there only looked like being one winner.
“I can’t ask any more from the lads, with the way they fought for each other and the shirt. “I’m gutted for them, because when you put that level of effort and performance in, to only get a point for it is incredibly harsh. “We’ll probably get a bit of luck at some stage because we didn’t get our slice today, but maybe we’ll get that next week.
” NOTTS COUNTY 1 SALFORD 3 If Wimbledon are clinging on to hopes of automatic promotion, Notts County are almost out of the race. They absolutely have to win at Valley Parade on Thursday now, following their catastrophic 3-1 home defeat to Salford on Friday night. Luke Garbutt (centre) celebrates scoring Salford's decisive third goal at Notts County on Friday night.
(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire) County manager Stuart Maynard said afterwards: “It’s frustrating in the way we conceded the goals. “It’s very unlike us. I think we’ve only conceded three shots on target in our last four games, so to concede three goals is very frustrating.
“I thought they were the better team in the first half especially, so when they scored the first goal just before coming in at the break, it’s a real kick in the teeth.” BARROW 2 WALSALL 0 Walsall looked certain to go up as champions at the turn of the year, but their season has fallen off a cliff since prolific striker Nathan Lowe returned to parent club Stoke on January 12. With just two wins in their last 17 games, the Saddlers are clinging on third, but they will drop out of the automatic promotion spots if Doncaster win tomorrow.
Walsall's season has been falling apart for a while, but they are hoping to use Saturday's defeat in a positive way. (Image: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire) They lost again at the weekend, 2-0 at Barrow, with despondent boss Mat Sadler saying: “We didn’t do the things we want to do in the first 30 minutes, we were far too predictable, passive and disconnected as a unit. “They got their first goal in that period, which we knew would be important, as it gave them the ascendancy.
“We have to get back to the training ground now and continue to work, because it’s the only way to get through these things. “There are always defining moments in promotion seasons and we have to make this one ours, a game to move forwards from, as it’s still all to play for.” PORT VALE 5 BROMLEY 0 While everyone else floundered around them, Port Vale took a giant leap towards automatic promotion, going three points clear at the summit by thrashing Bromley 5-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Delight Vale boss Darren Moore told the assembled media at full-time: “It was an excellent afternoon for everyone connected with the football club. Darren Moore punches the air with delight after Port Vale's convincing win over Bromley on Saturday. (Image: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire) “It was almost a perfect day in terms of the football and the magnificent support we had.
“It was a memorable day with the five goals, but we also look at the concentration of the group and the clean sheet. “I was pleased and proud with the performance from every one of them. “There was a lot of commitment and desire but also that concentration, which was really good.
“You put all that into the pot and you get this performance.” As a side note, the win means Vale have now beaten all 91 of the current clubs in the Football League since entering the old Second Division in 1892..
