Loan Watch: Bishop earns important victory

Bishop kept Crawley Town at bay as Mansfield Town recorded a vital 2-0 win over the visitors on Saturday, continuing their push in the fight for promotion.

A first-half goal for Jamie Murphy was added to by Lucas Akins’s second-half strike to seal the three points for Nigel Clough’s side and close the gap on third-placed Northampton Town to just two points - with the Stags having a game in hand.

James Garner also achieved a victory on Saturday, putting in a typically diligent and clever display in Nottingham Forest’s narrow 1-0 away win at Peterborough.

After Sam Surridge’s goal gave Forest the lead on the stroke of half-time, Garner created great opportunities for both Ryan Yates and Lewis Grabban to double the lead in the second period, but neither could convert.

Despite the narrow scoreline, Steve Cooper’s side saw out the victory to move up to fourth in the Championship table, just three points being third-placed Huddersfield Town.

Also in the Championship, right-back Ethan Laird made his second consecutive start for Bournemouth, as the Cherries drew 1-1 with already-promoted Fulham.

There wasn’t much to choose between the Championship’s top two, and when Aleksandar Mitrovic headed home, the visitors looked to have sealed the three points.

But eight minutes into added time, after Adam Smith was fouled in the box, Dominic Solanke converted the penalty to earn Bournemouth a valuable point.

And that's that 😅

Another point on the board ✅ pic.twitter.com/yt6rE0ITzA

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) April 23, 2022

Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar played the full 90 for Burton Albion, as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s side fell to a 2-0 defeat away to Doncaster Rovers.

A first-half goal from Joe Dodoo broke Kovar’s four-match clean-sheet streak and Josh Martin added a second after half-time to seal the points for the hosts.

In Scotland, Amad Diallo started Rangers’s 3-1 Scottish Premiership win away to Motherwell but was subbed after just half an hour.

After defender Leon Balogun was dismissed after 28 minutes, Giovanni van Bronckhorst decided that Diallo was the man to make way, as defender Calvin Bassey came on in his place.

Facundo Pellistri also played 30 minutes this week, the Uruguayan came on after the hour mark as Deportivo Alaves lost 2-1 to Mallorca on Tuesday.

With Alaves trailing 2-0, Pellestri joined the action and although his side got a goal back on 73 minutes, the visitors could not find an equaliser in the closing stages.