13/10/2012 The Football League Show

Hello there. What a few days it's been in the Football League, if at

the start of the season I told you that Rene Howe would be back at

Bournemouth and that Edgar Davids would turn up at Barnett, chances

are you would have told me to go for a lie down. No such luxury of a

rest for leagues one and two during the international break. Here's

what's coming up tonight: So far so good this season for Sheffield

united lying third in the table. Danny Wilson's side were at home to

Oldham. With action from the County Ground as Paulo di Canio's Swindon

took on Swindon. We've all the news from another dramatic day. And some

special goals too. Sheffield united have overcome

their play-off handover after that dramatic defeat to Huddersfield

last May. Like Tranmere the Blades have started their campaign

unbeaten. On Saturday they took on an in-form Oldham side. Your match

an in-form Oldham side. Your match commentator is Paul Walker.

Only three teams are yet to taste defeat in the Football League.

Sheffield unite ready one of those. Today they're bidding for a third

straight win. After a poor start to the campaign Paul Dickov's team

appear to have turned the corner. The Blades have a goal keeping

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

Derbyshire thought he'd scored. George Long was at full stretch to

keep the initial effort out. Derbyshire was smart but not smart

back pedalling. I don't think he was entirely sure where that ball

much better start to this second a penalty! Mvoto adjudged to have

man handled Dave Kitson in the penalty area. There was a quick

point to the spot. He did hold him. He made sure he couldn't get to the

ball. You can't have any doubts about

lead. Nick Blackman with the breakthrough for Sheffield united

chasing their third league straight win, calm as you like from the spot.

He rolled it into the corner. A little stutter step and straight

boss. -- around of applause from his boss.

A terrific save from the young goal keeper. Derbyshire has been

chance for Ryan Flynn. He did well and should really have buried that

drama here at Bramall Lane. It's Matt Smith who breaks Sheffield

united's hearts but sparks pandemonium. Absolutely incredible!

Sheffield united have been doing all they could to wind the clock

down, but it's not over till it's over and Matt Smith rescues the

draw for Paul Dickov. In it goes from Baxter. Smith stuck

it under the body of George Long. The substitute comes to Oldham's

Matt Smith incredibly has rescued a point for Oldham athletic when

Sheffield united were seconds away from getting all three. Smiles all

round from Paul Dickov. Incredible late drama. They're happy tonight.

They'll enjoy their trip home back over the Pennines. Matt Smith gets

old HM a draw. Sheffield united one, old HM a draw. Sheffield united one,

Oldham athletic one. That's how it fin youished here. There was an

incident to report where the ball went out of play and Lee Croft was

involved in an alter indication or a row with the ball boy. The ball

boy pass today back to a Sheffield united player. We found out that

there is an allegation of racial abuse there. At the end of the day

Lee Croft goes over to the ball boy to offer an apology. The ball boy

shakes his hand, but then moves it away and looks very distressed by

whatever it is that Lee Croft has said to him. Oat firbls try to calm

him down and steady him as he gets ready to leave the field. Take us

through your view of the penalty, that was a key incident. I think

it's very soft. We've seen that instance a hundred times throughout

the game today. He's using his experience and backing into him.

One thing I will say to the referee, there was 70 times that happened in

the game today and he didn't blow up. That must be a real kicker for

you. Well, when you concede a goal that doesn't allow you to win the

game in the 97th minute, it sticks in your throat a lot. The nature of

the goal as well, it was a poor defensive mistake from our point of

view. The ball was just up and under. We've stood flat footed and

watched the boy put it in. There was an incident in the game with

Lee Croft and the ball boy. There's been an allegation that Lee racial

lay buezed one of the ball boys, are you aware of that at all?

spoke to Lee at the end, when their supporter ran on the pitch to ask

what it was about. The Ballotelli threw it away and he said something.

But anybody who knows Lee, knows he wouldn't do that. Oldham put a dent

in Sheffield united's promotion chance. Stevenage their target of

three promotions in Four Seasons remains nicely on track. Gary

Smith's unbeaten side were away to Essex, the pivotal moment saw Ahsan

-- sanchez-watt go down. Two minutes later he punished the ten

men Ruthlessly. A blistering burst of pace and precision when it

matters. Things are looking up for Joe Dunn aegs side. -- Dunn's side.

Tranmere were the only side to overcome Stevenage in the league

since mid-March, in that 17-game unbeaten run Boro had scored every

time. Stevenage finally remembered how it feels to lose.

Swindon's third consecutive game against teams under new management,

this one might have been easier it the early header crept in.

Coventry's resurgence undermarks Ron ins continues. David McGoldrick

gave them the lead after 13 minutes. The same combination struck again.

They say Robins has instiled discipline, finding anyone who

marker scores from a set piece. This was from Gary Roberts. The

first of two Swindon goals in three minutes. The equaliser came with

ten minutes to go. Substitute James Collins prevent ing a rare home

defeat. Still a good result for Coventry though. They're unbeaten

in five. It was a case of friends reunited

for Richie Barker and the trio of fellow ex-shakers in his side. Two

of the very old boys combined for the opening goal. Nicky Adams

scoring after Mike Jones teed him up. Kevin Blackwell's side came

into the game as one of only two teams to yet win in the Football

League this season. The form book went out of the window as rock

bottom Bury roared back with two goals in three minutes. First Tom

Hopper and the man Blackman recalled early from his loan at

Wrexham as Craig Jones's centre went in. The visitors were

consigned to their worst league start since 1905 when Adams bit the

hand that used to feed him again in stoppage time to leave his former

employers with just four points Notts County rediscovered their

swagger away at Carlisle. Always in charge from the moment Jeff Hughes

put away this cross. The home side are having a rough time, they

haven't won on their home turf since the start of September.

Somehow Jordan Stuart got through to score. The crowd saw the lead

extended by an old favourite. Zoko, who turned down a new contract

preparing to move to the Midlands in the summer. He kept his

celebration suitably low key. They would stretch their club record

away wins to 13. A foul allowed him to add his name to the score sheet.

The score moved to 4-0. Notts back kit, Tranmere didn't see this

coming from Yeovil. Rovers were perhaps guilty of a little

complacency, as the Glovers raced into a 2-0 lead. It was two before

the half hour. Madden was involved again. His shot fell nicely for Sam

themselves in the second half. Shortly after the break there cross

from Adam McGurk was almost turned question of whether the Glovers

could hang onto a point. There was a rare goal from Danny Holmes that

minute. All you can do is play you games and if you play your gains

and win, it takes you to the top of the league. In the first 40 minutes

I thought we were excellent, I thought we could have had a couple

more goals and that spell, but the timing of their first goal knocked

the stuffing out of course. We tried to regroup and got ourselves

going in at the second half, and we needed to stand up to their

pressure with their supporters behind them, they are top of the

league, and a sending off, we said to Joe Edwards about that, but he

was a young boy learning his trade and he just got sucked into that.

That killed the momentum we had a little bit more. I just felt that

in the second half we have we could get at them, and we did that, then

it would all come good. Ronnie is sinister spell in charge at Prenton

Park. And another manager has returned to one of his own clubs,

with Eddie Howe, back at Bournemouth. Chairman Eddie

Mitchell said his wife persuaded him to give Eddie Howe a second

bite at the Cherries. It has certainly given Bournemouth a lift.

Nathan Clarke of Orient showed marked you too much of the ball.

The midfielder was signed by Eddie Howe in 2010. He will have enjoyed

reminding his old gaffer what he can do. It was an ideal way for the

manager to pick up where you left the last five away games, but were

gifted the chance to take the lead just after 30 minutes with David

Mirfin picking up a booking for a sign ball, which would prove costly

later. He escaped punishment from the spot, but Clayton Donaldson

wasting the chance to back his 7th of the campaign. 10 minutes with a,

Harry Forrester showed him how to do it. And that this stage dawn

fans feared the worst, but Scunthorpe came into the match as

the joint lowest scorers in the Football League, but the striker on

loan from Charlton, Clarke, notched his 5th of the season. Then David

Mirfin got his second caution, and his team is honour -- his team

ended they are three match losing streak. Hartlepool up 1 victory to

their name this season. But manager Neil Cooper will be encouraged by

this performance. James prole clipping the post, before two goals

from defenders and it had little to chose the edge ahead. Neil Austen

shouldered the responsibility. Dean Saunders described that as a

robbery, thinking the penalty award was harsh, and his side were pushed

on by the sense of injustice, with Dave Cotterill being denied by

Scott Flinders. But Hartlepool have a habit of throwing away winning

positions, which has cost them 15 points this season. The goal and

the last minute from Jones salvaged a draw by Doncaster. After a

midweek humbling at the hands of Wycombe Wanderers in the

Johnstone's Paint Trophy that response from Pompey was

predictably Swiss. Was Forest scored his second goal since his

arrival on loan from Bournemouth. The slightest of touches there from

Andrew Bond, but the striker hit the turf, and Izzale McLeod hit his

7th of the season with the resultant penalty. Pompey, looking

more comfortable in that table. Pause with putting together a

decent run of form. In League 2, Gillingham began the day three

points clear at the top ahead of their game with struggling

Aldershot. After a run of five straight defeats, the Aldershot

hierarchy come out to publicly back boss Dean Holdsworth. No such

worries for his opposite number, with Martin Allen presiding over

Gillingham's best start to League season. There was a magical moment

in Lyon as his son, Charlie, put the leaders ahead with his first

goal for the club. That these chilling have only failed to score

in one of their 12 matches this term and they were and a rampant

mood, storming into a 3-0 lead by the interval. Kevin Cadle smashed

home his 10th of the season. He then turned provider to although

Myles Weston to get in on the act, and at this stage it was a case of

damage limitation for Aldershot. They left priest field with an

unwanted club record of five consecutive league losses. They

only lost one more goal after the break, to round off a fine family

day out for the Allen family. Wycombe Wanderers caretaker manager

Gareth Ainsworth would love to keep the job and three victories in one

week will not have done has cause any harm. His keeper diving full

life to prevent Barry Nicholson opening the scoring. Home side were

staged by Bruno Andrade, the teenager that Gareth Ainsworth has

just signed a love. The Portuguese winger. And running in style on his

League debut, but the club, which has not kept a clean sheet in 21

games, and the remainder of the game looked fraught with danger.

There was nothing but frustration for Nicky Wellens side as Wanderers

it to themselves out of the bottom to the season that Torquay hope for

but they a creeping towards the promotion places. Ronnie has caught

on the spot, with his 6th goal in consecutive matches. It is a

Torquay -- one more, and he will have the Torquay club record.

Roderick Allen was a surprise omission from the starting 11, but

he made his impact from the bench. With the header equaliser. Any

hopes of a comeback were extinguished two minutes later, as

Stanley stood and watched as the Torquay lead was restored. The

defending was not much better with 10 minutes to go, when Lee Mansell

scored his first of the season. That puts it Torquay one point of

the play-offs and four short of the top three. They could even afford

to miss some chances. Mansell, the biggest culprit. But at least he

out of five of the games this season and they would have been

ahead again had John O'Flynn got more on the cross-country equipment.

At the Akinfenwa scored for the 4th corner Robert way through the first

path. There has been some attention on Manchester City own player in

the have used in the run-up to the game, and he can be delighted with

his debut, Langley, the beneficiary of his approach work six minutes

before the break. And the first victory in five games was secured

when Alex Nicholls reacted quickest to the knock-down from Langley.

That is now four defeats in five 16 years to renew their Yorkshire

rivalry. The teams went to the break reflecting on a breathtaking

opening. Ashley chambers fired the visitors in front a minute before

the interval but former York player James Meredith lodged the move that

put Bradford back on terms. Despite the long gap between games at this

fixture was straight back into the old route, with six of the last

seven meetings between the teams ending inner draw. -- in a draw.

Rochdale's promotion push has been undermined by Richard home form.

That early saved was an early indication that it was not going to

be at their day. Jack Grimshaw with a tidy finish. The big winner was

at the heart of most of the best moments for aside and was unlucky

not to claimable for himself with this deflected shot. Given

Macintyre's accidental effort was the closest we still came to

forcing the issue. They have only managed one home victory this

season and that was against rock- bottom Barnett. That made the

points safe for the shrimps, who have now put a bit of space between

themselves and the relegation strugglers. Despite the consolation

goal from Donnelly, were still surrendered their six-match

unbeaten one. You do not get much bigger than the surprise pulled off

by a Barnett, who have lured a good habits to Underhill, as player-

coach. His first taste of League 2 football was against Plymouth

Argyle. As a player, he graced the world's greatest stadiums. His

coaching career began with a handshake from the Barnet mascot,

Mr Bumble. His decision to get involved has raised a few eyebrows,

and the size of the task he faces became apparent. With his side

going behind after two minutes, with the score of this, a former

fireman, damping down the support of the bottom club. Plymouth have

struggled, but Max plainchant found the top corner with the header. The

trouble seemed to be piling up for Barnett. Former Fulham striker

Collins John went off injured. Then David Stevens cut the deficit in

half. It could have its, who has been helping a Sunday League side

in South London might be forced to dust off his boots quicker than

planned. For Barnet, an afternoon which began with the hope that some

stardust from Edgar Davids would kick start a recovery, there was

another victory for the visitors, the underdogs. The new FC Wimbledon

manager might have felt a sense of nostalgia about the direct nature

of the opener from Cheltenham, but there does have lost the last is

not on the one Patch, but this clever flick from Luke Moore almost

leapt to Jackson levelling. It was a of see Wimbledon who did their

best to be comical with the spinach. The Robins had a breathing space.

Neal Ardley was enjoying a former Home coming, but the former Hammer

showed that his return to familiar surroundings was a pleasant one.

Byron Harrison's golden stoppage time, for the third game running,

but it was not enough to stop Cheltenham's talking up back-to-

back away victories. Bristol Rovers up there and show tunes continue

despite injury problems which have forced the club to a plea striker

David Clarkson as a makeshift midfielder, will be at one who

scores goals. With the home keeper Stuart Tomlinson forced into action

twice in quick succession, he kept Rovers from increasing their

advantage. There was a concession of a free kick in a dangerous

position. Bolton are no innate police will the Paris are plundered

proud of that fall. He won be amused by this thumping defeat.

Three second-half goals, the first scored by Britt Assombalonga six

minutes after the break. The striker, just 19, seems to know

where the goal is. His second of the match and ninth of the season,

came ten minutes later. This was the final game of Steve Evans' six-

match stadium ban. They haven't had the same fire in their bellies

without him on the touch line. David Martin with the third.

Rotherham have some work to do to Cup experience and a Premier League

winners medal amongst their ranks. But Boamorte couldn't pretend the

first defeat of the season. Sam Williams had only managed one goal

in the last ten league games, but made up with that -- for that with

his first double strike at senior levels. A goal mouth scramble

nearly ended with a leveller for the hosts. Jack Leicester produced

parity ten minutes after the interval. He enjoyed home comforts

again. All six of his goals this term have come here at the stadium.

The Daggers were looking for their first away win of the season and

they bagged it in style as Williams whipped in a stunner just before

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

Before we go, a remind thaer Match Of The Day is back next Saturday.

Join Gary at 10.30pm followed by the best from the Football League

at midnight also on one. My thanks to everybody here at Tranmere