The League 2 season continued with the latest round of games – albeit reduced due to the FA Cup – played over the weekend.
Doncaster opened up a lead at the top after Carlisle lost but 2nd place Plymouth have a game in hand. Newport’s defeat kept them bottom with Cheltenham – who didn’t play – still second bottom.
Here’s a round up of the League 2 action from the other games played.
Results
Thursday 5th January 2017 – LEAGUE TWO
Doncaster Rovers 3-1 Portsmouth 19:45
Saturday 7th January 2017 – LEAGUE TWO
Colchester United 4-1 Carlisle United 15:00
Hartlepool United 0-1 Grimsby Town 15:00
Leyton Orient 1-3 Barnet 15:00
Mansfield Town 3-0 Crewe Alexandra 15:00
Morecambe 4-1 Notts County 15:00
Stevenage 3-1 Newport County 15:00
Doncaster had the early chance – with the leaders hosting Portsmouth on Thursday – to open up a gap at the top of the League 2 table, albeit with their rivals having a game in hand. They took this to move four points clear of Plymouth. Pompey’s 3-1 loss at the Keepmoat Stadium meant the chance to close to within a point of 3rd place Carlisle was missed.
Carlisle looked to move up to 2nd ahead of Plymouth – who were playing Liverpool in the FA Cup at the weekend, earning an Anfield draw – but this opportunity was also missed when they suffered a second successive loss. The Cumbrians were thrashed 4-1 at Colchester, which was the U’s seventh win in an eight game unbeaten run that took them into the play-offs up to 6th.
The Hartlepool two game unbeaten run came to an end when Pools – who have only won three of their last 10 – were beaten at Victoria Park by Grimsby. The Mariners’ have now won back-to-back games to move to within three points of the play-offs.
However, moving into the top 7 were Barnet after a 3-1 win at Leyton Orient. This sixth defeat in the last 10 saw Orient drop down to 21st, four points clear of trouble.
Mansfield made it three unbeaten – with a second successive win – when they thrashed struggling Crewe 3-0 at Field Mill. Alexandra have now lost five of their last seven games, none have been won.
The change of boss at Notts County made no difference as Alan Smith’s caretaker spell starting with the Magpies thrashed 4-1 at Morecambe to make it 10 defeats in a row.
Newport’s record isn’t much better with the side at the bottom of the Football League beaten for an eighth game in a row when they lost 3-1 at Stevenage – who ended their own three game losing run.
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