ON-SONG Nottingham Forest moved to the brink of the Championship play-off places with a comfortable 3-0 win against basement dwellers Barnsley – but boss Steve Cooper still wants more. Goals from Keinan Davis, Ryan Yates and Brennan Johnson earned Forest the victory, which moved them to within a point of sixth-placed Huddersfield.
“I enjoyed the goals, we should have scored a couple more, but I didn’t love the performance, particularly in the second half,” Cooper told BBC Radio Nottingham
“We’re a much better team than what we showed so in some ways the result and the performance didn’t really match up.”
QPR were frustrated in their attempts to go third as they were held to a goalless home draw by Swansea, who had midfielder Flynn Downes sent off in injury time for two bookings.
Coventry boosted their play-off prospects with a 1-0 home win against stumbling Stoke, Viktor Gyokeres hitting the winner midway through the second half.
Luton climbed to tenth place with a 2-1 home success against Bristol City. Tom Lockyer and Elijah Adebayo were on target for the Hatters, sandwiching a goal from the Robins’ Andreas Weimann.
Peterborough missed the chance to draw level on points with fourth-bottom Reading when they were stung by two late Birmingham goals. Jack Marriott and Jonson Clarke-Harris appeared to have put visitors Posh in control, but Gary Gardner and Scott Hogan netted in the last five minutes to bag the Blues a point.
On Monday night, Blackburn had moved second thanks to Sam Gallagher’s 76th-minute winner against Middlesbrough.
League One
Fifth-placed MK Dons enjoyed a dramatic last-gasp win at Burton thanks to Scott Twine’s dipping effort five minutes into injury time.
There was also late drama at Fleetwood as the Cod Army scored twice at the death to earn a 3-3 draw against Plymouth. Ellis Harrison pulled one back in the 89th minute before sub Anthony Pilkington headed home the leveller in the second minute of stoppage time.
Earlier, Paddy Lane had notched Fleetwood’s first, while Luke Jephcott, Joe Edwards and Niall Ennis netted for the Pilgrims.
Wes Burns scored both goals as Ipswich won 2-0 at AFC Wimbledon, while Gillingham and Shrewsbury drew 0-0.
League Two
Cameron Norman’s 85th-minute winner at Leyton Orient saw Newport County move third.
On a night of away wins, Salford ran out 2-0 victors at Barrow, Bradford won 2-1 at Walsall and Bristol Rovers triumphed 3-2 at Scunthorpe.
EFL Trophy
Rotherham, Wigan, Hartlepool and Sutton are one round from Wembley after making it through to the Papa John’s Trophy semi-finals.
Rotherham beat Cambridge 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, while Divin Baningime netted an 83rd-minute winner as Wigan edged out Arsenal U21s 1-0.
Hartlepool won 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw against Charlton and fellow EFL new-boys Sutton pipped Harrogate 1-0 courtesy of Craig Eastmond’s 80th-minute goal.
Middlesbrough’s narrow 1-0 defeat against Swansea City was a huge blow to their play-off hopes, and Boro manager Michael Carrick didn't hold back in his post-match assessment of the game.
Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts says he “unequivocally” accepts an extended six-game ban for the high challenge that hospitalised Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Swansea City interim boss Alan Sheehan admitted he was flattered by fans urging him to stay after their victory over Middlesbrough courtesy of Ji-Sung Eom’s first goal for his club.
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