This week L2 blog (theguardian)

League Two

• And just like that – after more than 1350 minutes of football – Carlisle United’s unbeaten league run is over. Keith Curle’s side slipped up, losing 2-0 at Newport County, who are now unbeaten in their last five matches under Graham Westley. Josh Sheehan and Rhys Healey were both on the scoresheet for the Football League’s bottom club, who seem to be making waves – albeit small ones – under Westley. “We intend to make sure that Carlisle know they’ve played a very good outfit by the time we finish at 5pm on Saturday,” the Newport County manager said. Westley can say that again.

• Plymouth Argyle opened the season with two league defeats inside seven days. But Argyle have simply not looked back since, themselves now on a 14-game unbeaten run after setting a club-record seven consecutive away wins. After going behind at Crewe, the talented Graham Carey hit the winner to ensure Argyle’s impressive form goes on. Seven points is now the gap to Carlisle in second.

Third-placed Doncaster Rovers scored three goals in 18 second-half minutes to deny Exeter City their first home win this season. Portsmouth, meanwhile, recorded their first league win at Fratton Park since September, eventually overcoming nine-man Mansfield, who had Kyle Howkins and Alex Iacovitti sent off. Noel Hunt, Gary Roberts and a Carl Baker double ensured all three points.

• The Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth revealed his players have been learning Spanish as well as practising shooting drills in training this week. And the lingo made an instant impact at home to Morecambe, who remain in mid-table after Aaron Pierre and Luke O’Nien sealing a 2-0 win. Yeovil Town rescued a late point at Stevenage, with the Bournemouth loanee Ben Whitfield netting a 94th-minute equaliser, extending Darren Way’s side impressive rise up the table.

• Grimsby Town’s Omar Bogle can do some wrong after all. The striker missed an injury-time penalty after scoring his first goals since September to fire Marcus Bignot’s side into a two-goal lead against Barnet. “I can’t seem to get rid of him,” the Grimsby manager said before the game of the striker, who he coached at Solihull Moors, the National League club Bignot left earlier this week. But John Akinde – who else – levelled things up by scoring twice from the penalty spot before Bogle wasted his spot-kick. Luton, meanwhile, keep pace with the play-off pack after securing a 1-0 win over Accrington, thanks to Cameron McGeehan’s strike.

• Elsewhere, Blackpool thrashed Notts County 4-0 at Bloomfield Road, Hartlepool beat Cheltenham 2-0, Cambridge won 3-1 away at Crawley and Leyton Orient climbed out of the relegation zone at Colchester United’s expense, after racking up a 3-0 win in Essex.


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