Mansfield Town slip to 10th on night off

On a night when the rest of League Two was in action, Mansfield Town could only sit and watch Bristol Rovers leapfrog them and push them down to 10th.
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But, despite leading at one stage, fellow rivals Carlisle United failed to win at home and missed their chance to overhaul the Stags, who are still only two points off the play-off spots.

Darrell Clarke’s Bristol Rovers jumped up into sixth place with a 4-1 win over Hartlepool United, Matt Taylor hitting a hat-trick.

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Keith Curle’s Carlisle had a tougher task at home to play-off rivals Leyton Orient and led and then trailed before ex-Stag Michael Raynes earned a 2-2 draw.

Earlier, another former Mansfield man, Ollie Palmer, had put Orient ahead, ex-Stags defender Nicky Hunt picking up a booking on the night too.

Wycombe Wanderers missed the chance to further pull away from Stags as they lost 1-0 at Cambridge United, who are now 12th, just a point behind the Stags and two behind Wycombe.

There was a shock at the top as title-chasing Plymouth Argyle went 1-0 down at struggling Barnet while leaders Northampton Town dropped more points with a second successive draw, 1-1 at home to AFC Wimbledon.

Portsmouth could only take a point from one of their two games in hand on Mansfield as they were held 1-1 at Exeter City, who had Ollie Watkins bag a late leveller.

In-form Accrington, who had also two games in hand on Stags, suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at improving Yeovil Town, Saturday’s visitors to the One Call Stadium, while Luton Town made it three wins in a row to keep their hopes of a late assault on the play-offs alive, seeing off Morecambe 1-0.

Notts County were once again booed off at home as new boss Jamie Fullarton continues to search for a first home win in charge, this third attempt ending in a 0-0 draw with bottom club Dagenham & Redbridge, who twice rattled the Notts woodwork near the end, Magpies keeper Scott Loach making two fine saves on the night.

Also in the drop zone with the Daggers are York City, and they were well beaten 4-0 at promotion-chasing Oxford United, still two points adrift of safety.

Crawley Town scored more than once for the first time in 11 games to see off Newport County 2-0 just four days after the struggling Welsh club beat the Stags, but they remain eight points clear of the drop.