Sheffield Wednesday League One rivals: Sunderland suffering, Rotherham United and Bolton Wanderers stalked by controversy, Ipswich Town on a roll, Oxford United stun Portsmouth

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
While Sheffield Wednesday ground out a 2-0 win over Burton Albion on Saturday, around League One, some of their promotion rivals had an incredible weekend and not always in the positive sense.

Here’s how some of the teams pushing to get into the Championship got on…

Pitch invader attacks player in Rotherham United v Accrington

Accrington manager John Coleman claimed the match should have been abandoned after one of his players was assaulted before missing from the spot in their 1-0 League One loss at Rotherham.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Read More
‘Took over the Pirelli’ – Sheffield Wednesday fans praised after George Byers an...

The drama all happened in the closing stages with Harry Pell having his 89th-minute penalty saved by Josh Vickers, moments after Rotherham fans had run onto the pitch with one appearing to strike Pell.

The penalty was awarded after Richard Wood had seen red for blocking Korede Adedoyin’s goalbound shot with his hand.

Coleman, who confirmed Pell was the player he said was assaulted, fumed: “I have never seen anything like that in my life. I was expecting the game to be abandoned.

Rotherham United's Michael Smith confronts a pitch invader during his side's Sky Bet League One match against Accrington Staley at AESSEAL New York Stadium. Picture: Will Matthews/PA Wire.Rotherham United's Michael Smith confronts a pitch invader during his side's Sky Bet League One match against Accrington Staley at AESSEAL New York Stadium. Picture: Will Matthews/PA Wire.
Rotherham United's Michael Smith confronts a pitch invader during his side's Sky Bet League One match against Accrington Staley at AESSEAL New York Stadium. Picture: Will Matthews/PA Wire.

“It is one of those situations where Pelly is desperate to take it because he has been assaulted as well. Was it the right thing to do? It’s easy to be wise after the event. He hasn’t meant to miss the penalty. I feel physically sick. I am beat and I have nothing more to offer. I can’t fight back. I can’t criticise. I am proud of how the players played today.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Roy Keane-linked Sunderland stunned by Doncaster Rovers as Jermaine Defoe returns

Interim manager Mike Dodds admits he does not know if he will be in charge of Sunderland on Tuesday night.

The club, who are searching for a replacement for Lee Johnson, saw their top-two hopes slump further with a shock 2-1 defeat to basement side Doncaster.

Reo Griffiths and Tommy Rowe scored in the first half, and a late consolation from Corry Evans was unable to turn the tide on the day Jermain Defoe made his second debut in front of 39,000 fans.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said before the game that the club were still finalising the shortlist for the position, with Roy Keane one of the candidates for the role.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’m literally working day-to-day,” Dodds said. “It’s a massive privilege for me to represent this football club.

“I hope they do get someone in but if I’m needed then I will do this job to the best of my ability. Like I said to the players on Monday, it’s not about me, it’s about giving them the best platform to perform. That hasn’t happened, so I’m going to have to reflect on why that is.

Ipswich Town on a roll but performance doesn’t impress boss

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna admitted that his team was “fortunate” to pick up three points following Saturday’s narrow 1-0 League One victory over Gillingham.

He said it was not his side’s “best performance” but the only goal of the game from Conor Chaplin was worthy of the win.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McKenna said: “It definitely wasn’t our best performance for sure.

“It was a tough game, we had the feeling all week it was going to be a tough game and I know from perception from outside the group – on the run that we have been on and the run that they have been on – that maybe we would have been in for a comfortable game, but we never thought that."

Allegations of racism shames Morecambe v Bolton Wanderers clash

Bolton boss Ian Evatt was left raging after racist abuse allegedly directed at his players from Morecambe fans saw a controversial 1-1 draw at the Mazuma Stadium stopped by referee Ross Joyce for 10 minutes.

Joyce made the decision with 10 minutes to go, and with Morecambe leading 1-0, after Bolton fans had thrown several objects at Morecambe goalkeeper Adam Smith and Evatt reacted furiously to comments allegedly made to his players by home fans behind the dugouts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Evatt said: “From minute one we were getting abuse from fans and that is not acceptable.

“I would have taken the players off myself if the referee hadn’t because if one of us gets abused we all get abused and we stand together.

“We are sportsmen and we are professional people but for whatever reason people think it gives them a divine right to say whatever they want through social media or in person and there has to be accountability.

“It’s disgusting and there is no place for it in football or life in general and we have to do the utmost to stamp it out and as an industry we have to come as one.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Morecambe manager Stephen Robinson said: “There are lots of accusations going about and I’m sure the authorities will deal with it but the stoppage didn’t help us because we were on top at that stage but we didn’t manage the game out and we got punished for bad decisions."

MK Dons fight back to beat Lincoln City

MK Dons manager Liam Manning says he believes his squad can play even better after they came from behind to beat Lincoln 2-1.

In a hard-fought game, the Dons fell behind to John Marquis’ strike but eventually turned it around through goals either side of the interval from defenders Harry Darling and Warren O’Hora.

And despite an important win that took his team to third spot in League One, Manning admitted that his players can perform at a higher level than what they showed against the Imps.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think the guys know their level and they know they can play better than that,” he said.

“The best thing for me is that they know what they’re capable of and I don’t need to tell them.

“It was a really tough game, not the sort of game we’re often associated with but we showed real resilience and toughness, and ultimately found a way to win.

Dramatic finish to Oxford United v Portsmouth

Oxford boss Karl Robinson praised his team’s calmness and quality after spectacular long-range goals from Cameron Brannagan and Nathan Holland earned his team a dramatic 3-2 win over Portsmouth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pompey were reduced to 10 men in the 16th minute when Joe Morrell was dismissed for a high challenge on Brannagan. There were also 11 yellow cards, with seven for Portsmouth.

Both managers felt the red card was harsh, and that George Hirst’s elbow on Elliott Moore a little later was more worthy of a straight red card than a yellow.

Robinson said: “We found ourselves leading then gave a sloppy goal away.

“The first one of those incidents was a harsh red, to be honest. I thought the yellow they got after that was more of a red.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think it was a sensational performance from us. There were a lot of very aggressive tackles in the first few minutes, which set the tone.

“But I was very impressed with the calmness we all showed, both on the touchline and on the pitch.

“We showed patience and we’d had five or six gilt-edged chances before we did get a second goal.

“But they were two wonder goals in the end to finish it.

“It’s a big win because it’s against a big team. No matter what their position in the table, Portsmouth are a big club. So we’re ecstatic with the three points.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pompey boss Danny Cowley said: “Obviously I’m very disappointed with the defeat, but also actually proud of my players for their efforts, I though they fought heroically.

“We defended resolutely, had a good shape to us and we got ourselves into a good position in the game.

“The way we were defending, it was going to take a brilliant goal to peg us back, and unfortunately for us they scored two great goals from distance.

News you can trust since 1887
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice