Division Three: Carlisle keep hopes alive

Bottom club Carlisle’s mission impossible to avoid the drop to the Nationwide Conference was boosted as they registered back-to-back wins with a 2-0 success over Oxford, who began the day in third place.

Goals from Tom Cowan (52) and Craig Farrell (76) made it 12 points from the last seven matches as they closed the gap on Macclesfield to two points.

The second-bottom side were hammered 4-0 at Huddersfield, for whom Andy Booth, Pawel Abbott, Efe Sodje and John McAliskey all scored to take them third.

At the other end of the table leaders Doncaster extended their unbeaten run to seven matches after coming from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw with a 90th-minute equaliser at home to Cheltenham.

Martin Devaney had put the visitors in front five minutes after half-time but Chris Brown’s strike from the edge of the penalty area kept Rovers ahead of rivals Hull, who closed the gap at the top to six points after their 2-1 win over Scunthorpe.

Ben Burgess’ double in the first half-hour was just enough for Hull, who conceded a 73rd-minute goal to Steven MacLean.

Fifth-placed Torquay missed out on the chance to capitalise on Oxford’s surprise defeat as they were held to a goalless draw at York, while Mansfield could also have gone above the Us had they won at Lincoln.

Liam Lawrence had given the Stags a first-half lead but the Imps bounced back after the break and a brace for Gary Fletcher, followed by goals from Francis Green and Simon Yeo secured a 4-1 victory.

However, Lincoln did not close the gap on Yeovil as the Huish Park club won 4-0 at home to Bristol Rovers thanks to goals from Adam Lockwood, Abdelhalim El Kholti, Gavin Williams and Colin Pluck.

Cambridge’s 4-3 win at Darlington lifted them away from the relegation zone, although they were given a late scare with two 86th-minute goals for the home side.

Jermaine Easter had cancelled out Mark Convery’s opener for the Quakers and Daniel Webb, Easter again and Luke Guttridge appeared to have put the result beyond doubt for Cambridge.

But substitute Clark Keltie and Matthew Clarke scored within seconds of each other to briefly raise hopes of a draw for the home side.

Rochdale’s 0-0 draw with Bury was not enough to lift them out of the bottom three while Boston sank to fourth-bottom after Steve Morison (72) and Ian Sampson (86) scored Northampton’s goals in a 2-0 victory.

Southend’s 1-1 draw at home to Swansea, Lawrie Dudfield cancelling out Kevin Nugent’s 62nd-minute effort for the visitors, meant they are only four points above the drop zone.

Swansea had goalkeeper Brian Murphy shown a straight red card in the game for deliberate handball outside his area.

The mid-table clash between Leyton Orient and Kidderminster was more memorable for the two sendings-off and eight other yellow cards rather than the goals from the O’s Gary Alexander (24) and Harriers’ Mark Yates (81st-minute penalty).

Kidderminster’s Dean Keates and Orient’s David Hunt were both dismissed after clashing in the 55th minute.