Stockport manager Dave Challinor praised the performance of striker Kyle Wootton, whose first-half brace sealed a comfortable 2-0 win for the League One promotion chasers at Exeter.
Wootton had the Hatters in front after 62 seconds with a typical poachers’ finish and he was the right man in the right place 20 minutes later with another tap-in to take him up to 12 for the season.
“If you are on a bad run in terms of goalscoring, then probably the safest thing to do is to find yourself as far away from the goal as possible, but the reality is to get yourself as close to the goal as possible,” Challinor said.
“That is where he scored his goals and I suppose that is when one becomes two, becomes three and you go on a run. Hopefully that is the case for him.
“It was a pretty routine win for us. Obviously we got off to a perfect start in terms of going in front and then we got the second goal, but if I am being ultra-critical, I would like more from us in the second half, in terms of control.
“We had two big chances at the start of that second half and the game is potentially different, but we looked comfortable at 2-0, but there are bits of improvement there. All in all though, it’s a really good result for us.
“It was always going to be difficult because the pitch is lively and you had two teams that, in normal circumstances, would want to take more risks and try and play through the lines, but that was always going to be difficult to do. It would have been stupid to take risks.”
Exeter barely threatened with another abject home display which left manager Gary Caldwell frustrated.
“We are better than that and we have showed that many times,” Caldwell said. “We just didn’t turn up at any point in the game.
“We gifted them a two-goal start and it was always going to be difficult against a team that is pushing for promotion.
“I tried to make changes throughout the game, but they went against us with Pat (Jones) coming off and Ed (Turns) coming off, but it was nowhere near good enough and we have to get better.
“We did that extremely well last week (winning 2-1 at Barnsley after losing 2-0 to Wrexham) and we are going to have to do the same again for Tuesday (against Wigan).
“I take responsibility. I got the team wrong and we had been debating the team, so I accept my part in that, but too many players are having to do more.
“When you are asked to play in a football game, the very least we expect is competing, running, fighting – we were far too easy to play against. We had no threat, no runs, no desire to play forwards and it was a boring second half, if I am being totally honest.”
Notts County all-but guaranteed their place in the League Two play-offs courtesy of a 3-1 victory at Harrogate.The Magpies ended their four-match winless run thanks to Conor Grant’s second-half brace, leaving them fifth in the table and six points clear of eighth-placed Colchester.County took the lead in the 33rd minute when George Abbott fired home after David McGoldrick’s initial eff...
Luton climbed out of the Championship bottom three for the first time since January thanks to Shandon Baptiste’s 90th-minute goal as they beat play-off chasing Coventry 1-0.The Hatters looked like they would go to West Brom next weekend with their destiny definitely out of their own hands, only for Baptiste, who had been on the field for just 11 minutes, to find the net and lift the roof off...
Leyton Orient remain on course for the Sky Bet League One play-offs after a 1-0 win which dented Wycombe’s hopes of automatic promotion.Randell Williams scored the only goal of the game and Orient’s victory, their fifth in succession, leaves them ahead of seventh-placed Reading on goal difference.Defeat for the Chairboys, though, has handed the initiative to Wrexham, who could seal the...
Doncaster clinched promotion to League One after goals from Rob Street and Billy Sharp secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Yorkshire rivals Bradford.In an incident-packed encounter in front of over 12,500 fans – the Eco-Power Stadium’s biggest crowd of the season – Doncaster hit the post through Jordan Gibson before on-loan Lincoln striker Street gave Rovers a 33rd-minute lead with his...
Reading’s hunt for a Sky Bet League One play-off spot will go to the final day of the season after the Royals beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.Lewis Wing’s eighth league goal of the season after 67 minutes and Chem Campbell’s added-time effort leaves the Pirates staring at relegation after Noel Hunt’s side had to survive a first-half onslaught from the hosts....
Jamie Andrews struck a late equaliser as Woking twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Eastleigh in the National League.Tyrese Shade put the visitors in front after 14 minutes, played in on goal by Ben Close before finding the bottom corner of the net.Woking then drew level three minutes before the break when Aiden O’Brien headed in from Jacob Jones’ free-kick.Shade had Eastleigh back...
Port Vale secured automatic promotion to League One after beating AFC Wimbledon 2-0 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.Second-half goals by Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Hedley ensured Vale would finish in the top three and also made a dent in the home side’s push for the play-offs.Vale created the first real attempt of the game which saw Lorent Tolaj fire over from 12 yards out following a cros...
Zian Flemming and Jeremy Sarmiento both scored twice as Burnley emphatically maintained their Championship title hopes by hammering QPR 5-0 in their penultimate match of the season.Josh Cullen also netted in a one-sided game as the Clarets, already promoted along with Leeds, won with ease to move to the top of the table, three points ahead of the Yorkshire side.However, Leeds, who are at home to B...
Nicolas Jackson ended his long goal drought to fire Chelsea a step nearer to the Champions League with a 1-0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge.A dominant display was capped by the winning goal scored midway through the first half, the striker’s first since December 15 finished confidently from 20 yards past Jordan Pickford as though he had been scoring every week, as suspended head coac...
Celtic clinched the William Hill Premiership title in style with a 5-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice.Nicolas Kuhn and substitute Adam Idah both hit doubles after Ryan Strain’s 30th-minute own-goal kicked off the rout.Celtic had only needed a point but they wrapped up their fourth consecutive championship in similar fashion to last year, when a 5-0 win at Kilmarnock earned Brendan R...
- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 3 Man Utd & Man City join PSG in race for Akliouche
- 4 We always have a chance – Miron Muslic bullish as Plymouth boost survival hopes
- 5 Tottenham to compete with Man City for defender
- 6 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 7 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola fumes over point claimed at 10-man Crystal Palace
- 10 Daily Laugh - Totttenham 1-2 N Forest