Stockport County 1-1 Mansfield Town
by Layth Yousif at Edgeley Park

A LAST-GASP equaliser by Lucas Akins earned Mansfield Town a share of the spoils at Stockport in front of 10,155 fans yesterday.

Dave Challinor’s side had gone ahead with an excellent header from captain Paddy Madden on the half hour, the County striker emphatically heading home Akil Wright’s cross.

The Stockport front line featured the bustling play of Kyle Wooton, and when Madden was replaced by Isaac Olaofe, the Lewisham-born former Millwall academy star nearly scored when well-placed in the box. However, Nigel Clough’s Stags gained a valuable point thanks to Akins’s header.

The result sees Challinor’s side consolidate fifth spot, five points behind Carlisle in fourth, who slipped out of the automatic promotion places after Steve Evans’s second-place Stevenage held the Borderers to a goalless draw at Brunton Park.

Clough’s Stags remain three points outside the play-off places, behind seventh-place Salford City, who beat Doncaster Rovers 3-1.

Coming up fast on the outside are Northampton Town, who beat Crewe Alexandra 1-0 with a first-half goal from Louis Appere, the result seeing the Cobblers leapfrog Carlisle into third spot.

Leaders Leyton Orient remain six points clear but were surprisingly held by struggling Colchester United, who started the day in 19th place. Despite going two goals down through George Moncur and Ruel Sotiriou, the Essex side fought back valiantly with Connor Hall’s 89th-minute strike prior to Noel Chilvers’s 90+2 equaliser.

Bottom-of-the table Rochdale earned a point in a remarkable 4-4 draw with Swindon Town, while Hartlepool, in 23rd place, gained a creditable 2-2 at Bradford City, who remain sixth.